National signing day 2023: What to know about Philly-area recruits planning to play college football

The early signing period begins Wednesday as high school seniors across the country will be able to make their commitments to college football teams official.

The Philadelphia area has a number of highly touted recruits in the class of 2024 heading off to FBS and Ivy League programs. This year, more than 30 local athletes plan to extend their careers at the next level.

Here’s everything you need to know about who’s heading where, trends among programs, and more.

In Pennsylvania, eight area players are ranked in 247Sports’ top 20 prospects.

Pope John Paul II’s Kevin Heywood, an offensive tackle who is committed to Wisconsin, is the highest-ranked player in the area at No. 3.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound recruit led the Golden Panthers to the school’s first Pioneer Athletic Conference title since 2013. He’ll be joined at Wisconsin by St. Joseph’s Prep cornerback Omillio Agard, the No. 7 prospect in the state.

» READ MORE: St. Joseph’s Prep’s Omillio Agard is one of the best DBs in the nation. He also experienced the ‘ugly side’ of recruitment

Speaking of the Prep, which captured back-to-back state crowns this year, the Hawks have the most athletes heading off to Division I programs.

Prep quarterback Samaj Jones and wide receiver Elijah Jones will team up at Cincinnati. A trio of senior receivers will head to FBS programs: Jones, Brandon Rehmann (West Virginia), and David Washington Jr. (Kentucky).

Others in the Hawks’ senior class who are expected to sign Wednesday include linebacker Nick McGlynn (Army) and kicker Skyler Sholder (Delaware.)

Public League and state champion Imhotep Charter, under coach Devon Johnson, has five seniors signing national letters during the early period.

Imhotep receiver Tyseer Denmark and cornerback Kenneth Woseley are two of the three area players heading to Penn State, with Bonner-Prendergast edge rusher Mylachi Williams ranked the highest.

Other Imhotep signees include quarterback Mikal Davis (Army), offensive lineman Zafir Stewart (Illinois), and defensive tackle Jahsear Whittington (Pittsburgh).

Finally, Malvern Prep’s Peter Jones, one of top offensive linemen in the area, is heading to Notre Dame. The 6-6, 296-pound Jones plans to leave Malvern in January to enroll early with the Fighting Irish.

Recently, Syracuse has become a hotbed for area talent after Camden native Fran Brown was hired as the head coach.

While Camden High wide receiver Braheem Long made his commitment to the Orange in June, Brown has flipped the commitment of Winslow Township’s Jaylan Hornsby, one of the top receivers in New Jersey, who originally made his pledge to Texas A&M.

And on Monday, Eastside linebacker Fatim Diggs announced he’s joining Brown at Syracuse.

Four players are heading to Ivy league programs, two of them staying home to attend Penn.

Central Bucks East’s Jack Donnelly, a tight end, and Camden’s Dylan Seay, a multipurpose athlete, plan to play for the Quakers.

Other Ivy prospects include two offensive linemen in Malvern Prep’s Logan Demchyk, who’s committed to Harvard, and Martin Luther King’s Demitrius Jones. Jones announced his pledge to Cornell on social media last week.

Last year, Army had the most local players committed to the same program. This year, Malvern Prep offensive tackle Liam Horan (Air Force) and Conestoga linebacker Charlie Newhall (Navy) are heading to service academies.

» READ MORE: Demitrius Jones played one full football season at Martin Luther King. Now he’s heading to Cornell.

From Philly to Delaware County, to South Jersey, here’s a breakdown of other recruits who have committed to FBS schools.

There shouldn’t be major surprises come Wednesday, but three Neumann Goretti standouts who hold high-level scholarship offers have not revealed their decisions yet.

Safety Kahmir Prescott, who spent last season at Northeast, withdrew his commitment to Wisconsin in early December. The three-star player holds offers from Penn State, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, and Nebraska.

Khari Reid, a cornerback, announced at the end of October that he would be reopening his recruitment after making his pledge to Stanford.

The 5-11 Reid told EasternPAFootball.com that “admissions did not accept me and I could decommit, so right now, I’m looking at some options from James Madison, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, and Utah Tech.”

Three-star player Deshon Dodson is also still navigating the recruiting process. Penn State, Charlotte, Rutgers, and Syracuse have offered scholarships to the defensive lineman.

Don’t be surprised, though, if some recruits hold off on signing their letters of intent Wednesday and wait until the regular period rolls around on Feb. 7.