Despite PSU offer, WR Yazeed Haynes keeping options open
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – After being a three-star recruit from Philadelphia’s Neumann Goretti High School, Class of 2023 wide receiver Yazeed Haynes made a great impression at Penn State’s White Out camp last weekend.
In front of the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff, the 6-foot-2 receiver clocked in a 4.39 40-yard dash. He also participated in 7-on-7 drills, catching passes from recently committed quarterback Marcus Stokes, continuously winning routes and winning 50-50 balls with his 6-foot-4 wingspan.
Haynes seemed to have made a good impression on the future signal-caller. The top comment on the receiver’s June 4 post is from Stokes.
After a great camp and conversation I am blessed to receive an offer from Penn State University! @coachjfranklin @adamgorney @RivalsFriedman @NorthPennKnight pic.twitter.com/r4hLMaNp51
— Yazeed Haynes (@ZeedHaynes) June 4, 2022
For his camp performance, it was enough to get an offer from Penn State on June 4. He will officially visit the campus on June 10, joining fellow receivers Anthony Evans and Carmelo Taylor, as players that will be visiting the school in the month of June.
Haynes could potentially become the fifth receiver, joining Kaden Saunders, Tyler Johnson, Omari Evans and Ejani Shakir, combined from the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes that are heading to Happy Valley.
During his time at the camp last weekend, the coaching staff is what attracted Haynes to the school even more.
“The coaches are really cool,” Haynes said. “I’ve been talking to them for a while now. Going up there and seeing how they coach was a good thing for me.”
While still listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN, Haynes’ camp performance turned the heads of Rivals.com, as the website ranked him as a four-star recruit and the 219th ranked player in the country on Tuesday.
Now a 4 Star and 219th in the country!! Thank you @RivalsFriedman @adamgorney pic.twitter.com/2wN7bIzStD
— Yazeed Haynes (@ZeedHaynes) June 7, 2022
The senior is coming off a 2021 season with the Saints, where he helped lead them to a 12-2 record and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 3A semifinal. The offense was explosive, scoring over 30 points in six games and over 40 in four games.
By the beginning of March 2022, Haynes had received offers from Bowling Green, Boston College, Maryland, Ole Miss, Towson, West Virginia and Rutgers.
After developing a close connection with Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano and wide receivers coach Damiere Shaw during a March visit, Haynes decided to commit to the Scarlet Knights on March 24.
However, Haynes would start to receive interest from Minnesota the following month, receiving an offer on April 29. A few weeks afterward, on May 15, he would be named wide receiver MVP at a Rivals Series Camp in Philadelphia.
With other offers starting to line up, Haynes decommitted from Rutgers on May 23.
Having committed so early in the recruiting process, Haynes said he wants to consider all his options.
“I had other offers, but I really didn’t get to see other schools,” Haynes said. “I want to look at every school and make sure that I make the right decision. So I had to let them know, and they were cool with it.”
Along with his official visit to Penn State, he will be visiting three other schools in June: Minnesota, Georgia and Tennessee.
With a plethora of offers to think about, Haynes said that he wouldn’t rush to make another commitment decision.
“Honestly, right now, I don’t think any school is at the top of the list,” Haynes said. “I’m just feeling every school out. There’s no sweating it out with my list right now.”
For next season, if he doesn’t commit to a school during the summer, Haynes’ plan is to keep working for more offers during the 2022 season. To get better during the offseason, Haynes works out with his teammates three times a week. On the side, though, he perfects his craft in his way.
“I have two wide receiver trainers that I work out with,” Haynes said. “We do some drills and all types of wide receiver stuff. I work out with them like twice a week or so.”
Haynes will be moving to North Penn High School in Landsdale, Pennsylvania for his senior season. The Vikings are coming off an 11-1 season in 2021 in which the offense put up 476 points in 12 games, including 55 in their playoff loss to Ridley.
