New Penn State pick is in on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine

Penn State doesn’t have many uncommitted 2025 targets left on the board, but the Nittany Lions have put themselves in position to close with one in the near future. I’ve gone ahead and joined Ryan Snyder in putting in a pick on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine for Penn State to land a commitment from Maryland defensive lineman Yvan Kemajou .

The three-star prospect doesn’t have a timeline for making a decision, but recent intel suggests that the Nittany Lions are the team to beat headed into Lasch Bash weekend. Kemajou has not indicated that he’ll visit anywhere this weekend.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound prospect has one of the best frames in the region in the Class of 2025. Because of of that, his college projection will eventually move him inside. Kemajou still sees himself as a defensive end, but his size and length would indicate that he’s not yet done growing. Penn State holds commitments from four defensive linemen after Max Granville reclassified to the 2024 cycle on Thursday.

Penn State target has a ton of upside

Kemajou is relatively new to the sport, but he’s an exciting prospect who could thrive with structure and experience.

“At first, I avoided football because of concussions,” Kemajou said of his start with football. “Me and my family were mainly worried about brain damage and stuff like that. That kept me away from it. My main sport was basketball at the time. I played on the JV team at my school my freshman year, but afterward, I didn’t really like how the season went. So, I decided I wanted to venture out and started going to football workouts and first started playing football my sophomore year.”

When he got into the swing of things, Kemajou began to progress quickly. He recorded 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as a junior in 2024. His recruitment began to take off late in the season. Charlotte offered first in November, and Penn State was the fourth school to come along with a scholarship in December.

Academics and football balance paramount for Kemajou

Kemajou’s recruitment has been centered around his desire to play football and earn a quality degree. A high-academic prospect, Kemajou has spent quite a bit of time researching schools’ degree programs as well as defensive schemes.

“It’s like a 50-50 thing for me,” Kemajou said when asked how academics will factor into his decision. “While I do really care about education, football is also very important. I don’t want to go to a program that’s always losing. I find myself to be a very competitive person.”

He took official visits to Northwestern, Rutgers, Duke, Indiana and Virginia Tech in addition to Penn State. Kemajou is a three-star prospect by the On3 Industry Rankings and the nation’s No. 42 defensive lineman. He’s the No. 13 prospect in Maryland in the Class of 2025.

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