It’s an arms race in college football as teams try to find as much speed as possible to put on the field, and Penn State continues to build their aerial assault in the Class of 2022 with Manheim Township receiver Anthony Ivey.

A four-star product of Lancaster, Pa., Ivey provides yet another deep threat to help Penn State head coach James Franklin build an explosive, big play offense. Where Ivey fits into that picture, with others already committed in the class, is an intriguing question. We’ll get into his strengths and areas of development to provide a roadmap for where that might lead.

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Vertical Presence: If you’re shocked that Franklin has found himself another deep threat at wide receiver, you’re probably alone. Not only has he found a deep threat in Ivey, he’s found an eye-poppingly fast one.

The impressive part is that Ivey can win with speed, but also shows great contested catch ability when going up for the ball. For a player that’s only listed at 170 pounds, that’s critical. Contested catches are as much mental as they are about vertical leap, size or weight. Ivey can leap with the best of them and he’s a blur when he gets in the open field. He’s a touchdown waiting to happen if you don’t get a jam on him at the line of scrimmage.

Twitchy Speed: Coupled with that deep speed is a twitchy sort of athleticism that lends itself to dynamic playmaking after the catch. Ivey can stop and start with an oily fluidity that doesn’t lose speed when changing directions. He can also get to top speed in about three steps. There’s really not much missing from his speed, agility and acceleration profile.