Penn State Camp Sparks Offer Boom for Roman Catholic Receiver Ash Roberts

Roman Catholic wide receiver Ash Roberts put himself on the recruiting map before he’d ever taken a snap of high school football.

Roberts attended a camp hosted by Penn State on the eve of his freshman season. The Nittany Lions must’ve liked what they saw from the speedy, shifty receiver, a class of 2026 three-star who’s listed at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds and can beat defensive backs on the outside or find gaps in coverage over the middle.

“My freshman year I went to Penn State camp, got the ‘O,’ that’s when it really started. Took off from there,” Roberts said. “It feels good, but I just keep my head down, keep working.”

The offer sent Roberts’ name out over the airwaves, and more Power Four (then Power Five) bids began to flood in as his season progressed.

WVU Football came next, then Maryland, Pitt, Michigan, Alabama and Wisconsin — among many others — added their names to the conversation.

Now a junior, Roberts’ season ended before it even began after an offseason meniscus injury, one that forced him to stay on the sideline as the Cahillites went on a run to the PIAA 5A State Championship game. How did Roberts navigate that disappointing turn of events?

“Just staying in the weight room, keeping my body strong, just trying to stay in shape. Because I’m out for the season, get ready for next year,” Roberts said. “Help my teammates, let them know what to do. Like DBs, how to plan every week.”

Even though he hasn’t been able to take the field, Roberts said his recruiting hasn’t settled into a holding pattern: he also said what teams are pushing for him the hardest.

“I haven’t been talking to Penn State a lot,” Roberts said. “I’ve been talking to Michigan, Indiana, Pitt, that’s really it.”