Rivals100 recruit Rodney Gallagher talks 'great' PSU White Out experience
Rodney Gallagher is a priority prospect for Penn State in the Class of 2023, and the Rivals100 receiver felt like it during his unofficial visit to see the Nittany Lions on Saturday.
The 6-foot, 170-pound two-sport, two-way star at Laurel Highlands in Uniontown, Pa., already has 16 touchdowns and is going for the school's single-season touchdown record of 32 as he continues his junior season. He's starred on the field, and felt like one before and after the Lions took out Auburn 28-20 in front of the 10th-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history.
"It was amazing," Gallagher told BWI. "It was something that I've always wanted to see. Just all around, that the fan base loves it.
"You can tell by a lot of players coming back that that place is very loved, and it was a great experience, and I'm glad I was able to experience it."
What stood out the most?
"Just the noise, and just how much they want the other team to mess up," Gallagher said. "And then the cheering and everything they do driving down the field, and doing in between timeouts. They just have a lot of fun there. I wanted to experience it, and I had the time of my life there."
And what was his first thought when asked about the biggest takeaway from the day?
"Just the support of their program," Gallagher said.
"The win obviously means a lot to everybody up there, and they just really care about their players and the team and tradition, and that's something that really sticks out to me because I know that means they have a lot of people behind them. They obviously want them to be great, so that means a lot."
Gallagher is considering playing both football and basketball in college, though it's no guarantee he does. But, he has a relationship with Micah Shrewsberry and the Nittany Lions hoops staff, as well, which doesn't hurt PSU's chances.
The No. 98 overall prospect in the Rivals' rankings is No. 15 at his position and No. 2 in Pa., in the Class of 2023, and he's happy to play receiver or defensive back at the next level, though scoring touchdowns is preferable to stopping them.
That said, Gallagher is willing to help his future team do whatever he's asked to do so that it succeeds. He hopes to decide by the end of this year but certainly before his senior season if not, and Penn State has put itself in tremendous positioning at this point in time.
"They were just saying I'm the number one priority for the class of 23 out there," Gallagher said."
"They want me bad, they want me to stay home, and they want me to fit in this program, and [Franklin] was just excited that I came to that game, and he said what we can build up here and you see what we're doing, so he was very excited, and it meant a lot just for him to say that right after a big win and also him coming up to me and saying that."
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