Inside Penn State Football’s Growing Relationship With Malvern Prep Powerhouse
Nestled 30 minutes west of Philadelphia sits Malvern Prep. An all boys school, that has produced lots of college athletes. Malvern Prep sits on a beautiful 103 acre campus and serves roughly 650 boys. They take sports seriously at Malvern Prep, and that has caught the eyes of Penn State Football.
The Friars have produced Lonnie White, an MLB draft pick, and current professional baseball player in the Pirates organization.
Penn State Football fans might also recognize him as a former Nittany Lion Wide Receiver commit in the class of 2021. Malvern Prep has also produced some 48 players who have gone on to play division 1 football in Coach Gueriera’s eight years, and they show no signs of stopping.
Recently, NittanyCentral was able to watch a spring practice at Malvern Prep and talk to Head Coach Dave Gueriera.
Malvern Prep’s Division One Pipeline Continues to Grow
As things stand, Malvern Prep Football lays claim to three potential Penn State Football targets.
Class of 2026 Defensive End, Jackson Ford, is probably the most recruited player on the Friars roster at this point. He will visit Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, and others before choosing where he will play his college football. He is a priority for Penn State.
“So, Jackson’s probably 6-5 in bare feet,” Gueriera told NittanyCentral. “He’s 235, almost 240. I would tell you, he runs very well … Jackson’s probably like a 4.6 [40 yard dash time].
“He’s super coordinated, like very coordinated for a guy that big. He’s going to be playing outside receiver on offense for us this year… On the defensive side, he is like the prototypical Defensive End that every Power Four school wants. He’s super quick, he’s very twitchy, he can bend… He’s strong, and he just naturally has very good instincts. But I think what sets him apart, having all those attributes, what sets Jackson apart is his motor. Like, he doesn’t stop.”
In addition to Ford, Malvern Prep has two other players that could potentially be on Penn State’s radar. 2027 Wide Receiver, Cade Cooper and 2028 Defensive End, George Parkinson IV. Parkinson holds an early offer from Penn State, while Cooper does not, but holds several power four offers and could pop up on Marques Hagans radar at some point.
Additionally, the Friars are led by Minnesota Running Back commit, Ezekiel Bates, Vanderbilt Baseball commit, Quarterback Jackson Melconian, and Notre Dame Lacrosse commit, Dylan Novak.
Coach Gueriera’s Outlook for Next Season
There is no shortage of talent on the Malvern Prep football field. Coming off a season in which the Friars went 8-2, losing the two games by a combined score of 8, Malvern Prep appears to be reloading. Schools like Malvern Prep don’t rebuild, they reload.
“We lost 14 kids, and that would normally be, like, a pretty big shot to a program. But, I’m really excited about what we have coming back in the young guys who are coming up to fill those positions.” Gueriera said. “I think there is going to be a lot of names that are going to be household names, you know, in the next couple of months.”
Make no mistake, losing 14 players leaves a big gap to fill.
However, Malvern Prep is more than equipped with talent to fill that gap. The Friars first test will be a week one showdown against LaSalle College High School in August. That is a game that every Penn State Football fan, and high school football fan should have circled.
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The Malvern Prep, Penn State Relationship
Considering Malvern Prep is only three hours from Penn State, the Nittany Lions have built a good relationship with Coach Dave Gueriera. After all, Gueriera did attend Penn State.
“[I talk to Penn State] all of the time, consistently.” Gueriera described. “Whether it be to James, whether it be to Terry Smith, Rashad Elby, Dan Connor, Phil Trautwein. I have a fantastic relationship with everybody there. They are as real as real can be. They’re just so down to earth.”
Undoubtedly, this type of relationship with an in-state power like Malvern Prep will pay off for Penn State. They have put themselves in a good position with Jackson Ford and could potentially do the same for some other current and future Friars.
MORE Penn State Football News from NittanyCentral:
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Penn State Football Lands Transfer Portal Standout Amare Campbell: “He’s a Banger, Man”
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Penn State Football Lands No. 1 Spot in Joel Klatt’s Post-Spring College Football Rankings
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Purdy was born and raised in central Ohio and served for four years writing for his high school's newsletter. Currently studying Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania, Ian has been a lifelong Nittany Lion fan.