Recruiting News: Big Ten continues strong start for 2024

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The player recruiting for the 2024 class is starting to heat up with a number of verbal commitments in the past week from both the boys and girls side of the game. The big winners from the last week was Michigan State women's program, which picked up a pair of verbal commitments from All-American level players. The Penn State men's program also added a pair of top prospects in the last week with twins [player_tooltip player_id='9558' first='Tyler' last='Flowers'] and [player_tooltip player_id='9478' first='Bryce' last='Flowers'] giving their verbal commitment to the Big Ten program. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Check out a scouting report of some of the verbal commitments from the last week from the class of 2024. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you would like to report a commitment, email commit@prepsoccer.com. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6304fd625ec98","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["26189"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"One of the big surprises of the 2024 recruiting journey since the start in June has been the early attention to goalkeepers from college coaches. It is a high priority position for scouts, and there have been a high proportion of verbal commitments through the first two months. Grundler is a very exciting prospect from goalkeeper. She has the size (five-foot-11) to immediately takeover the starting role at the next level. She has very good hands, and has shown that she is comfortable catching the ball in traffic on crosses. She commands her box and does well with vocal instructions. She is a very good shot-stopper and can cover the whole frame of the goal. Grundler's play at the elite club level suggest that she has a very high ceiling and should carve out a role at the next level.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["33322"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"If landing Grundler was not exciting enough, the Michigan State coaches must have been popping the champagne bottles when [player_tooltip player_id='33322' first='Samantha' last='Maroni'] informed them she was headed to East Lansing. Maroni is a top defender from Colorado from the class of 2024. She is a SHUTDOWN defender. She has the versatility (and skill) to play as either a center back or an outside back. As an outside back, she is athletic and matches up well against any winger. She has the engine to get up and down the touchline. As a center back (ideally in a 3-5-2), she is a weapon in the build-up as a passer. She is right footed and can ping a pass anywhere on the field.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["21772"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Utah continued to add pieces to the 2024 class with the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='21772' first='Katie' last='Callaway'], a top midfielder from Georgia. She is the third player from the class of 2024 with a verbal commitment to Utah. Callie Blaylock and [player_tooltip player_id='19141' first='Audrey' last='Shackelford'] are also verbal commits for this class to the Utes. Callaway is an attacking midfielder who could play as a No. 8 as well. As a No. 10, she is option as a finisher as she has the engine to make the long runs on the counter through the center. She is a creative passer and displayed the ability to breakdown the defense with a variety of passes (slip, chip, and diagonal) through the run of play. Callaway is right footed, but looks comfortable on either foot. She will need to adjust to the speed of play at the Pac-12 program, but she has been an impact player at a top ECNL club and should be able to adjust to the next level early on in her career.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["21788"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Maryland landed the verbal commitment of the No. 1 goalkeeper from Georgia - and the Alex Ng fan club grows stronger by the day. Ng is the recruiting coordinator for Maryland and he has already assembled a three-person class for 2024 for the Terps. Marchand is a fearless goalkeeper who is ultra competitive. She will do everything she can to stop a goal. She is the type of goalkeeper that defenders love to have in goal. Maryland added a top goalkeeper in the 2023 class too, so there will be quite a competition for who earns the starting role in 2024.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_630508c75ec9c","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["9478"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='9558' first='Tyler' last='Flowers'] and [player_tooltip player_id='9478' first='Bryce' last='Flowers'] both made their verbal commitments to Penn State last week. They both played for Sporting Delaware last season in the Boys ECNL - and both moved to join New England Revolution in MLS Next for this upcoming season.rnrnBryce is the forward. He scored 18 goals during the Boys ECNL season. He is a center forward who can play with his back to the goal. He is a smart player who makes good runs off the ball. Moving to New England Revolution should provide him more opportunities to train against men with the reserve team and even the first team. If he improves his ability to play in tight spaces with defenders on his back, he could end up being the best forward from the class of 2024.rnrn[player_tooltip player_id='9558' first='Tyler' last='Flowers'] is a midfielder who really impressed me at the Boys ECNL National Playoffs. He is a player with every tool to be a great midfielder at the professional level. There is u003ca href=u0022https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq5MFprZVHgu0022u003ea bit of Weston McKennie to his gameu003c/au003e, in the sense he can do so much that it is impossible to take him off the field. He went against some players who top programs were watching at the event and he looked like the best player on the field.rnrnLanding both Flowers is a slam-dunk start for Penn State's 2024 class.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["56047"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Notre Dame landed midfield/winger [player_tooltip player_id='56047' first='Brady' last='Hilden'] (Reno, Nevada) from Shattuck-St. Mary's. Hilden played on the SSM U17 and U19 teams last season. He showed up big against top competition with goals against Chicago Fire and Minnesota United in MLS Next play. He played both as a winger and a center midfielder at the club level. There are aspects of his game that suggest he could develop in a contributor at the college level in either position. His highest ceiling is at center midfield though. He has good skill on the ball. He is a very good passer. He does well with late runs into the box. His best attribute is in dead ball situations as he hits a very accurate ball on corner kicks, which has been a weapon for SSM.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":2,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 Verbal Commitments (August 17-24)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>[player_tooltip player_id='26189' first='Lexi' last='Grundler'] - Michigan St&nbsp;</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='33322' first='Samantha' last='Maroni'] - Michigan St&nbsp;</li><li>Nina Fenster - VMI&nbsp;</li><li>Ceilidh Whynott - Butler&nbsp;</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='21772' first='Katie' last='Callaway'] - Utah&nbsp;</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='21763' first='Kate' last='Markey'] - Wofford&nbsp;</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='56023' first='Annie' last='Maguire'] - Fordham</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='26806' first='Jade' last='Martinez'] - Baylor&nbsp;</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='21788' first='Kennadie' last='Marchand'] - Maryland&nbsp;</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='33378' first='Katelyn' last='Hoppers'] - Oklahoma State&nbsp;</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='20044' first='Paloma' last='Daubert'] - UCLA&nbsp;</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 Men's Verbal Commitments (August 17-24)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>[player_tooltip player_id='56047' first='Brady' last='Hilden'] - Notre Dame</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='33441' first='Jack' last='Brown'] - Georgetown&nbsp;</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='9478' first='Bryce' last='Flowers'] - Penn State</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='9558' first='Tyler' last='Flowers'] - Penn State&nbsp;</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->