Penn State Football got big news today as they continue to strike on the recruiting trail in the state of New Jersey as Shabazz High School athlete Omari Gaines announced his commitment to the program. .
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound athlete recruit plays his high school ball over at Shabazz High School in Newark, New Jersey and chose the Nittany Lions over offers from schools like Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Syracuse, West Virginia and a few others.
“It was really just the hospitality going into my most recent visit,” Gaines told NN. “I’ve been to Penn State a numerous amount of times, it was really just the relationship that I have with the whole staff and James Franklin.”
“I’ve been camping there since eighth grade, so I’ve been around it quite a bit. It’s a college town and I feel like everything that I wanted to see in a future school, they have at Penn State.”
Gaines went on to talk about how the relationship he built with several staff members over the years is really what put him over the edge and make the decision to commit.
"“I talk the most with coach Terry (Smith), coach Khalil (Ahmad), coach (Gabe) Infante and coach Bryce Jones,” said Gaines. “Coach Terry has been coaching up since I camped there in eighth grade, he’s visited my school as well. Other than that coach Infante has been recruiting me since Temple, coach Khalil was recruiting me when he was at Rutgers and Syracuse too. Of course I built those relationships with the DBs coaches because every time I visit I’m with those guys the most.”
Now landing Gaines not only gives Penn State a legit defensive back prospect, but it should also help them with other recruiting efforts throughout the state too. Gaines father, Nasir Gaines who was called the most power man in New Jersey Football back in October 2019 by NJ.com.
Nasir Gaines built and runs the the Brick City Lions Pop Warner team, a program that has seen several alumni end up in the power-five ranks at schools like East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Penn State, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin and many others. One name among that group that should sound familiar is Amin Vanover, current Penn State defensive end.
“I’m trying to get my guys Kaj (Sanders) and Jaylen (McClain) to join me,” Omari Gaines said. “They know where I’m coming from and I feel like there is nowhere else to be. Honestly no school really provides that family like culture they have up there. Other than that you have the Nittany Lions and the Brick City Lions where we all came up so it’s really meant to be. Us together at the next level is dangerous.”
On top of that, Gaines commitment will also help the Nittany Lions with recruiting other Shabazz High School prospects as well. The program currently features two power-five level recruits in 2024 offensive lineman Judah Pruitt and 2025 athlete Daveion Porter, both of which have already received power-five offers.
With the addition of Gaines, Penn State now has two verbal commits in the 2025 class as fellow New Jersey native and Rivals100 offensive lineman Jaelyne Matthews is the other.
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