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Penn State Football

Penn State Football Adds Big Piece to Defense in 2025 Recruiting Class

Penn State Football picked up a major commitment in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Omari Gaines, a 2025 defensive back out of Newark, New Jersey, has committed to the Nittany Lions. In addition to Penn State, Gaines held offers from Syracuse, West Virginia, Boston College, and Ole Miss among others.

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Gaines is Penn State’s second commitment to the 2025 class, joining Jaelyne Matthews, a four-star offensive lineman also from New Jersey. Gaines’ commitment further signals Penn State’s renewed focus of recruiting New Jersey.

While Gaines is currently unranked by 247 sports, his pledge to Penn State Football currently gives James Franklin and Co. the outlet’s No. 5 rated recruiting class in the nation.

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About Author

Robert Casturo

Expertise: College Football, Penn State Football Education: Saint Vincent College, Penn State Law School Location: Washington, DC Experience: Robert Casturo has covered Penn State football for NittanyCentral since 2022. Casturo previously covered Penn State football through a social media presence (@PSU_FB_Thoughts on X) since 2019. Casturo earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Vincent College in 2015, where he was a punter for 1 season on the Saint Vincent College football team and worked in the athletic department for 2 years as a student manager. Casturo earned his JD from Penn State Law in 2018 where he was a senior editor of the Penn State Law Review.