Rivals100 WR Jalen Curry previews Penn State Official Visit
Wide receiver Jalen Curry is set to be one of at least eight official visitors in attendance Saturday night for Penn State’s top 10 showdown against Ohio State.
A 6-foot-3, 190 pound prospect from Houston, Curry’s relationship with the staff is still fairly new, as head coach James Franklin extended an offer just last month, Aug. 2. However, in just that short period of time, the Nittany Lions have quickly become one of the school’s he’s most interested in.
“I would say that it really got going at the end of the summer,” said Curry. “They offered me at the beginning of August. We talked a little bit before that, but that’s when it really picked up.
“I’m cool with one of the top running backs in the country, Noah Cain, who’s also interested in Penn State. He actually introduced me to their coaches and that’s kind of how it got going. They’ve grown to really like me and I really like them. Ever since then, there’s been nothing but great things happening between me and Penn State.”
Curry said that he’s been primarily speaking with the two newest members of the staff: wide receiver coach David Corley and running back coach Ja’Juan Seider. With that said, Curry added that he’s spoken with the entire staff at different times in recent weeks.
“I would say that Coach Corley and Coach Seider are the coaches I talk with the most. I’ve really been talking with Coach Seider a lot lately,” Curry said. “But I’ve also talked to Coach Franklin a couple times and their offensive coordinator [Ricky Rahne]. I’ve been able to talk to their entire coaching staff before, but it’s mainly those guys.”
He went on to add, “They’re some really cool dudes. I can definitely see myself playing for them. I would say it’s just their personalities that stands out. They’re just some really cool guys. I like that they’re always real with me. They’ve been pushing me to get better on some things and are always real with me on what they like and I what I can improve on. They’re just very straightforward and that’s something that stands out, for sure. From getting to know them, I know they’re going to keep it real with me if I went there to play.”
Curry is expected to get into State College late Saturday morning and he’ll be on campus until Monday. He’s done quite a bit of research on his own, but there are a few things that he wants to learn more about before heading back to Texas
“I know they’re a very good school academically,” said Curry. “I know that if I went there, I’d be in a great position academically. They’re also easily one of the top 10 programs of all-time, statistically and historically. They produce players for the NFL and they’re definitely a playoff contender with Coach Franklin.
“But I would say that one of the things I want to learn more about is State College and that area. It’ll be nice to see the environment around the town. This is my first time ever going up north, so it’ll be something new for me. I’m looking forward to it. I hope I enjoy my time there and enjoy the people there and the coaching staff because everything I’ve learned so far has been great.”
Curry has earned more than 30 scholarship offers dating back to his sophomore year. He took an official visit to Tennessee in April, followed by Auburn in June. Curry added that those two programs, along with Arizona and Penn State, are the four he’s primarily focused on as he heads into the final stretch of his recruitment.
“I would say that Auburn, Arizona and Tennessee are all still in the mix. Plus Penn State, obviously,” he said. “This visit is big for me. I feel it’ll really help me figure out the one school I really want to go to. I feel like once I get this visit done, I’ll have a better idea if my commitment day will come soon or not. I’ve already seen Auburn and Tennessee. I haven’t set a visit to Arizona yet. I’ll figure that out after this visit.”
Curry, who plays for one of Houston’s top programs, St. Pius X, tore a ligament in his hand during preseason, forcing him to miss the first two games of his senior season. Since returning, he’s played in two games, totaling 13 receptions for 200 yards and three touchdowns.
A member of the Rivals100, Curry is currently ranked No. 73 overall in the nation. He’s the 15th-ranked wide receiver and the ninth-ranked prospect in Texas for 2019.