STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — One of Andy Kotelnicki’s first priorities as the offensive coordinator at Kansas was to bolster relationships with high schools in the state. Kotelnicki started in the spring of 2021 by visiting schools and coaches in the Kansas City metro area.
“At the time, KU was known for not recruiting our area very well, which was surprising because we’re so close,” said Mill Valley High School head coach Joel Applebee. Mill Valley is just 30 miles away from Lawrence.
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“Coach Kotelnicki did an outstanding job,” Applebee continued. “He really came in, built a great relationship with myself and any of the kids he was talking to. … The thing I love about him is he’s so energetic and so positive.”
Little did Kotelnicki or Applebee know then, but in a few more years this relationship would help Penn State, where Kotelnicki is now the Nittany Lions’ offensive coordinator, land four-star edge rusher Jayden Woods. Woods, a standout at Mill Valley who is ranked 215th nationally per the 247Sports Composite, committed to the Nittany Lions on Wednesday. His other finalists were Tennessee, Wisconsin, Purdue and Florida.
BREAKING: Four-Star EDGE Jayden Woods has Committed to Penn State, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’4 240 EDGE from Shawnee, KS chose the Nittany Lions over Wisconsin, Tennessee, & Purdue
“Ready and excited to get to work with the best school for edge rushers, Couldn’t be… pic.twitter.com/Jr083zCShY
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 26, 2024
Kotelnicki was back at Mill Valley shortly after he was hired at Penn State this winter. While there, his top priority was Woods. Defensive line coach Deion Barnes visited too, sitting down with the 6-foot-3, 240-pound prospect who asked Barnes how he envisioned him fitting into Tom Allen’s defense. Woods, whose father Justin played cornerback at Kansas State while James Franklin was the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator, is the eighth member of Penn State’s 2025 class to commit during this busy month of June. Following the final weekend of official visits this month, Penn State’s 2025 class has secured verbal commitments from 19 players and is ranked sixth nationally.
| Position, ranking | Player | High school; hometown |
|---|---|---|
CB, 4-star | Daryus Dixson | Mater Dei; Santa Ana, Calif. |
Edge, 4-star | Max Granville | Fort Bend Christian Academy; Sugar Land, Texas |
RB, 4-star | Jabree Wallace-Coleman | Imhotep Institute; Philadelphia |
CB, 4-star | Jahmir Joseph | St. Joseph Regional; Montvale, N.J. |
Edge, 4-star | Jayden Woods | Mill Valley; Shawnee, Kansas |
Edge, 4-star | Cortez Harris | Riverdale Baptist; Upper Marlboro, Md. |
Safety, 3-star | Antonio Branch Jr. | Miami Northwestern; Miami, Fla. |
Safety, 3-star | Braswell Thomas | Pleasantville; Plesantville, N.J. |
QB, 4-star | Troy Hunh (2026) | Mission Hills; San Marcos, Calif. |
This class is shaping up to be significant for Barnes, who also helped Penn State secure a pledge from four-star edge rusher Max Granville, the No. 166th-ranked player in the class. Granville’s pledge on June 24 was massive for a class that’s in the midst of one of the hottest recruiting stretches — if not the hottest — of the James Franklin era. Yes, there’s a ways to go between now and December, but Penn State is constructing this class a little differently than usual and Woods is a good example of how they’re doing it.
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Cortez Harris, a four-star edge rusher from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, committed to Penn State on June 23, another win for Barnes.
Penn State is going into places it typically has not fared well like Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei and also showcasing its relationships in places like Shawnee, Kansas thanks to a staff that’s done its due diligence. Kotelnicki’s jovial personality has helped elevate this class, but so has Barnes’ penchant for knowing how to relate to prospects. The success of now-NFL rookies Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac adds to the intrigue, too.
“Coach Barnes had really genuine discussions about the position he was gonna play and what all it entails,” Applebee said. “Jayden, during this whole recruiting process, was very much an Xs and Os kid. That’s what he wanted to sit down and talk about. It wasn’t about what’s campus like, how much money am I gonna get? To him, it’s all about how are you gonna use me? How do I fit into your scheme?”
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Woods is eligible to early enroll and aims to be at Penn State in January, Applebee said. By doing so he’s surrendering his senior track season where he starred in throws and was also a sprinter. Those explosive movements, coupled with a brief wrestling career in which Woods qualified for states as a sophomore in the heavyweight division despite never trying the sport before freshman year, helped Applebee paint a picture of why so many coaches kept coming to Shawnee to learn more about Woods. His 20.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks during the last two seasons certainly helped, too.
Even after Woods told his coach of his Penn State commitment Tuesday night Applebee was quick to remind him that coaches likely won’t back off in the coming months. Penn State will have to make sure the strong foundation for this relationship remains intact.
“Once he told the other schools that he was gonna commit to Penn State obviously the text messages didn’t stop,” Applebee said. “I said, ‘Well, Jayden, that’s their job. That’s what they do.’”
(Photo: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)
