9/25/2023 football Edit

Four-Star In-State Running Tiqwai Hayes Commits to Penn State

Marty Leap • Happy Valley Insider

Staff Writer

Staff writer for Happy Valley Insider

Penn State's strong start to the 2025 recruiting cycle continued on Monday afternoon with the addition of in-state running back Tiqwai Hayes. The four-star Aliquippa prospect chose the Nittany Lions over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State, among others.

With the commitment of Hayes, Penn State now has two running backs in their 2025 recruiting class as he joins Kiandrea Barker in the class. His commitment also comes on the heels of visiting for the White Out this past Saturday.

Not a Happy Valley Insider subscriber? Join today for access to all our premium content and message board community. Already INSIDE? Join the conversation on THE LIONS DEN FORUM!

Hayes is a very productive player for one the best programs in the state. Despite being the size of a Single-A school, the Quips play up at the 4A level. Last season, Hayes rushed for over 2,000 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also had 3 interceptions, including a pair of pick-6s. He is off to a strong start again this season and is a big reason why Aliquippa is 4-0.

The Nittany Lions first offered Hayes in December 2021, which was shortly after he visited for the Michigan game in November of that year, and he has been a regular visitor to campus since then. While the number will only continue to grow, Hayes visited Penn State more than any other school in his recruitment.

Due to being an in-state product combined with how often Hayes visited, him joining Penn State's 2025 class may have long seemed more like a question of when instead of if. While, at times, there was some debate where Hayes stood on Penn State's running back board it started to become clearer in recent weeks that he was a back that JaJuan Seider was in hot pursuit of, and now his recruitment is across the finish line.

What Penn State is getting in Hayes

Hayes is a shifty runner who does a good job of being patient, using his vision, and letting holes develop. When needed, Hayes is not afraid to lower his shoulder and be a physical runner, either.

At 5'10" 190 pounds, Hayes projects to be a back who will play at 210+ pounds in college. This should only add to the physicality aspect of his game. Assuming he is able to maintain his shiftiness and speed, he should be a very productive back for the Nittany Lions.