McDonogh football star Jeff Exinor got his first college offer when he was in eighth grade.
As the rising senior wide receiver further polished his game, he earned first-team All-Metro honors as a junior and the offers steadily poured in. Exinor was grateful for the opportunities, did his due diligence throughout the recruiting process and in the end, he returned where it all started. The 17-year-old four-star prospect, as rated by 247Sports, is set to play football and further his academic career at Penn State.
Exinor made the announcement at 7 p.m. Friday on social media.
“I’ve put in a lot of time — so many hours — and so many sacrifices were made not just by me but my parents, grandparents, family and friends. And so all the time has led me to decide that my next four years will take me to Penn State,” Exinor told the Baltimore Sun on Friday morning.
1000% Commited‼️ pic.twitter.com/wM2GAUgK6f
— Jeff “El Jefe” Exinor (@JrExinor) June 28, 2024
In addition to the consistent loyalty he saw from the Penn State coaching staff following its initial contact, Exinor is excited about his fit in the Nittany Lions’ offense. Bringing exceptional size, speed and athleticism, the East Baltimore native had a dominating junior season with 76 receptions for 926 yards and 11 touchdowns that helped lead the Eagles (7-3) to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title game.
“Jeff is an explosive receiver with tremendous strength and reliable hands,” McDonogh coach Hakeem Sule said. “He consistently makes big plays day in and day out. His hard work and dependability will make him an asset to any program. He is a winner.”
Greg Biggins, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, described Exinor as a hybrid receiver/tight end and wrote about him in his scouting report: “Has good hands and ball awareness. Natural pass catcher and uses his body well to create separation and box out smaller defensive backs. Shows some separation speed but runs well after the catch.”
Exinor received 19 Division I offers, and narrowed his choices to Penn State, Maryland and Virginia Tech heading into Friday’s decision. His official visit to State College on June 7 clinched it.
“It’s a great feeling knowing that I’ve been wanted there awhile now, so I have a great relationship with everybody,” he said. “Penn State football is big man and it’s great to think I’m going to be a part of that the next four years. It’s a match made in heaven.”
Friday’s announcement was part of a special day.
“Me and my family are going to do a little barbecue in my grandparents’ backyard, have some crabs, talk and just enjoy the moment because it’s been a long time coming,” he said.
![What a difference a year makes. Tsedeke Jakovics was not even a second team All-County selection following the 2023 outdoor track and field season. One year later, the Old Mill High distance runner is the Capital Gazette Athlete of the Year. Jakovics went from being a non-factor in the spring postseason meets in 2023 to performing at an extremely high level in 2024. He capped a strong outdoor campaign by capturing the Class 4A state championship in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute, 53.40 seconds. Jakovics scored a total of 24 individual points at the 4A state […]](https://www.baltimoresun.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CAP-L-OUTDOORTRACKATHLETEOFYEAR-p09.jpg?w=526 "What a difference a year makes. Tsedeke Jakovics was not even a second team All-County selection following the 2023 outdoor track and field season. One year later, the Old Mill High distance runner is the Capital Gazette Athlete of the Year. Jakovics went from being a non-factor in the spring postseason meets in 2023 to performing at an extremely high level in 2024. He capped a strong outdoor campaign by capturing the Class 4A state championship in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute, 53.40 seconds. Jakovics scored a total of 24 individual points at the 4A state […]")
