ICYMI, I posted an update Thursday on running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. Today, I'll hit on the other three key positions of need still.
Offensive Line
With Diego Pounds now committed to North Carolina, Penn State has shifted much of its focus to Michigan native Rayshaun Benny. Benny is a player that the staff believes could play all five positions up front, including center. We know the staff would like to add a tackle, but center is also a position of need. With that said, we also know that Benny has said a few times publicly that he'd prefer to play defense in college. I did confirm this week that Penn State has shifted a bit with that mindset, mentioning to him that he could play defense if that's where he truly prefers. I'll be interested to see if that impacts his recruitment much. For now, we're still going to list Benny as an offensive lineman, but that's an intriguing development to me. Michigan is still considered the favorite.
Behind Benny, I don't get the impression that the staff is in love with too many of the prospects they've scouted so far. Zen Michalski clearly stood out among that group we first discussed when Pounds went elsewhere. As many of you know, he committed to Ohio State last weekend.
I've since confirmed a few other players that the staff is evaluating currently.
Brandon Baldwin
Caleb Banks
Armon Bethea
Jeremiah Crawford
Enrique Cruz
Brandon Honorable
Jez Janvier
Andrew Jones
Tyler Maro
Jordan Moko
Tyler Needham
Tomas Rimac
Toby Wilson
Zereoue Williams
One player I didn't mention was Cameron Ball, the Atlanta lineman who did the virtual combine this summer. There hasn't been much contact between the staff and Ball over the past month, so I don't get the impression he'll be in the mix. Of the players listed, Zereoue Williams is the one that intrigues me the most. He's playing football for the first time and released his highlight film Oct. 1. Since then, seven Div. I offers have poured in over the past week. Keep an eye on him.
But if no one does emerge from this group, this is a prime position for Penn State to make a push at when the coaching carousel begins to move in December and January. I also believe there's a good chance we see a few transfers into the program this winter and into spring 2021. There should be more information on transfers this year compared to many high school prospects, so keep that in mind if the staff doesn't sign three offensive linemen in December.
Defensive Line
We've been discussing this position a lot in recent weeks due to George Rooks. Not much has changed in regards to the schools. Penn State and Michigan are both serious contenders for the St. Peter's Prep prospect. I expect him to play in the Big Ten.
However, when that commitment may come isn't as clear now. After mentioning that he wants to commit in early October, I’m now hearing that this could drag out a bit longer. In fact, one colleague close to Michigan's program mentioned that he could wait all the way until December now. That stood out to me for a few reasons, mainly because I get the impression that's what Michigan wants him to do more so than Penn State. Whether that's true or just what Michigan wants out there publicly is impossible to know. Only time will tell, but either way, it does feel like this may drag out a bit longer now.
In addition to Benny potentially being considered for defense now, Archbishop Wood defensive lineman Robert Jackson could receive a bit more consideration for an offer if Rooks went elsewhere. The staff still has interest, but there are academic concerns here. I was told that he's made some improvement there, but still needs to keep moving in the right direction. But most importantly, defensive tackle is a position that Penn State has over-recruited in recent years, so if they do miss out on Rooks, I don't think a defensive tackle is a must.
At defensive end, Davon Townley remains the top target. He supposedly has interest in driving out to State College to see the place for himself. Remember, he didn't start picking up offers until the spring, once the dead period had already been enacted, so he's never taken a true visit to any school. He does have real interest in Penn State. They're certainly in his top five from what I understand, so if he were to make a road trip to State College, it could be a big development for PSU's chances. It should be noted that Tennessee offered him Thursday night. The Vols also offered the opportunity for him to play basketball in the winter. We've seen Penn State offer that opportunity to players in the past, so that could be something to watch.
Penn State is also in contact with Elijah Jeudy. When Jeudy decommitted from Georgia a few weeks back, multiple people, including both colleagues and sources, said it was just a matter of time until he committed to Texas A&M. It turns out he's not going to rush this, which is great for Penn State. We know the staff is making a real push there, with multiple coaches aggressively pursuing him, so let's see if much changes over the coming weeks. A&M should still be considered the favorite, but Penn State may be given a chance now, which is more than we originally expected. Still, it feels like a long shot.
Last thing: I was told that interest in Patrick Payton has died off. I don't think the Nebraska commit is someone we need to seriously consider much moving forward.
Defensive Back
We'll start with safety, as Derrick Davis Jr. is easily the staff's top remaining prospect at any position. You guys should know by now that I feel good about Penn State's chances. In fact, after speaking with a few people this week, including Davis Sr., I decided to log my pick for Penn State last night. Now, whether that commitment actually comes on Nov. 14 or not is a bit up in the air. We discussed this in another thread this week, but if you missed it, Davis went on a podcast this week and said that he plans to commit Nov. 14. That's the same date his father told me about a month ago. We discussed it at the time, but his father also stressed that day may not work for the family, especially if Gateway makes the WPIAL championship game. He then reached out to myself and others Wednesday, after that podcast was released, to stress the same thing.
Either way, whether he commits Nov. 14 or a few days before or after doesn't really matter. What matters is that there's light at the end of the tunnel and Penn State is in the pole position. Locking this up as soon as possible is crucial for the Lions.
Penn State is happy with Jeffrey Davis Jr. and Kalen King at cornerback, but they haven't completely given up on adding a third. Just like at wide receiver, the staff hasn't stopped pursuing De'Jahn Warren. Compared to before his commitment, contact with Warren has dropped off, but there is communication with the player, his family and the staff at Lackawanna. I plan to reach out to friends at Lackawanna in the coming days to try and get a better read for whether PSU has a chance there or not. Of the players committed elsewhere that we once considered PSU a serious contender with, Warren is the one I was told to follow the closest. Closer than Jeudy, Thornton, etc. He's speaking with the staff somewhat regularly.
Aside from Warren, Ceyair Wright from Los Angeles appears to be in no rush, so Terry Smith is making a push there to see if they can put themselves into the mix. It would surely require Wright coming east to tour the town on his own. He mentioned that in an interview with Adam Gorney earlier this week.
Offensive Line
With Diego Pounds now committed to North Carolina, Penn State has shifted much of its focus to Michigan native Rayshaun Benny. Benny is a player that the staff believes could play all five positions up front, including center. We know the staff would like to add a tackle, but center is also a position of need. With that said, we also know that Benny has said a few times publicly that he'd prefer to play defense in college. I did confirm this week that Penn State has shifted a bit with that mindset, mentioning to him that he could play defense if that's where he truly prefers. I'll be interested to see if that impacts his recruitment much. For now, we're still going to list Benny as an offensive lineman, but that's an intriguing development to me. Michigan is still considered the favorite.
Behind Benny, I don't get the impression that the staff is in love with too many of the prospects they've scouted so far. Zen Michalski clearly stood out among that group we first discussed when Pounds went elsewhere. As many of you know, he committed to Ohio State last weekend.
I've since confirmed a few other players that the staff is evaluating currently.
Brandon Baldwin
Caleb Banks
Armon Bethea
Jeremiah Crawford
Enrique Cruz
Brandon Honorable
Jez Janvier
Andrew Jones
Tyler Maro
Jordan Moko
Tyler Needham
Tomas Rimac
Toby Wilson
Zereoue Williams
One player I didn't mention was Cameron Ball, the Atlanta lineman who did the virtual combine this summer. There hasn't been much contact between the staff and Ball over the past month, so I don't get the impression he'll be in the mix. Of the players listed, Zereoue Williams is the one that intrigues me the most. He's playing football for the first time and released his highlight film Oct. 1. Since then, seven Div. I offers have poured in over the past week. Keep an eye on him.
But if no one does emerge from this group, this is a prime position for Penn State to make a push at when the coaching carousel begins to move in December and January. I also believe there's a good chance we see a few transfers into the program this winter and into spring 2021. There should be more information on transfers this year compared to many high school prospects, so keep that in mind if the staff doesn't sign three offensive linemen in December.
Defensive Line
We've been discussing this position a lot in recent weeks due to George Rooks. Not much has changed in regards to the schools. Penn State and Michigan are both serious contenders for the St. Peter's Prep prospect. I expect him to play in the Big Ten.
However, when that commitment may come isn't as clear now. After mentioning that he wants to commit in early October, I’m now hearing that this could drag out a bit longer. In fact, one colleague close to Michigan's program mentioned that he could wait all the way until December now. That stood out to me for a few reasons, mainly because I get the impression that's what Michigan wants him to do more so than Penn State. Whether that's true or just what Michigan wants out there publicly is impossible to know. Only time will tell, but either way, it does feel like this may drag out a bit longer now.
In addition to Benny potentially being considered for defense now, Archbishop Wood defensive lineman Robert Jackson could receive a bit more consideration for an offer if Rooks went elsewhere. The staff still has interest, but there are academic concerns here. I was told that he's made some improvement there, but still needs to keep moving in the right direction. But most importantly, defensive tackle is a position that Penn State has over-recruited in recent years, so if they do miss out on Rooks, I don't think a defensive tackle is a must.
At defensive end, Davon Townley remains the top target. He supposedly has interest in driving out to State College to see the place for himself. Remember, he didn't start picking up offers until the spring, once the dead period had already been enacted, so he's never taken a true visit to any school. He does have real interest in Penn State. They're certainly in his top five from what I understand, so if he were to make a road trip to State College, it could be a big development for PSU's chances. It should be noted that Tennessee offered him Thursday night. The Vols also offered the opportunity for him to play basketball in the winter. We've seen Penn State offer that opportunity to players in the past, so that could be something to watch.
Penn State is also in contact with Elijah Jeudy. When Jeudy decommitted from Georgia a few weeks back, multiple people, including both colleagues and sources, said it was just a matter of time until he committed to Texas A&M. It turns out he's not going to rush this, which is great for Penn State. We know the staff is making a real push there, with multiple coaches aggressively pursuing him, so let's see if much changes over the coming weeks. A&M should still be considered the favorite, but Penn State may be given a chance now, which is more than we originally expected. Still, it feels like a long shot.
Last thing: I was told that interest in Patrick Payton has died off. I don't think the Nebraska commit is someone we need to seriously consider much moving forward.
Defensive Back
We'll start with safety, as Derrick Davis Jr. is easily the staff's top remaining prospect at any position. You guys should know by now that I feel good about Penn State's chances. In fact, after speaking with a few people this week, including Davis Sr., I decided to log my pick for Penn State last night. Now, whether that commitment actually comes on Nov. 14 or not is a bit up in the air. We discussed this in another thread this week, but if you missed it, Davis went on a podcast this week and said that he plans to commit Nov. 14. That's the same date his father told me about a month ago. We discussed it at the time, but his father also stressed that day may not work for the family, especially if Gateway makes the WPIAL championship game. He then reached out to myself and others Wednesday, after that podcast was released, to stress the same thing.
Either way, whether he commits Nov. 14 or a few days before or after doesn't really matter. What matters is that there's light at the end of the tunnel and Penn State is in the pole position. Locking this up as soon as possible is crucial for the Lions.
Penn State is happy with Jeffrey Davis Jr. and Kalen King at cornerback, but they haven't completely given up on adding a third. Just like at wide receiver, the staff hasn't stopped pursuing De'Jahn Warren. Compared to before his commitment, contact with Warren has dropped off, but there is communication with the player, his family and the staff at Lackawanna. I plan to reach out to friends at Lackawanna in the coming days to try and get a better read for whether PSU has a chance there or not. Of the players committed elsewhere that we once considered PSU a serious contender with, Warren is the one I was told to follow the closest. Closer than Jeudy, Thornton, etc. He's speaking with the staff somewhat regularly.
Aside from Warren, Ceyair Wright from Los Angeles appears to be in no rush, so Terry Smith is making a push there to see if they can put themselves into the mix. It would surely require Wright coming east to tour the town on his own. He mentioned that in an interview with Adam Gorney earlier this week.
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