Checking in from University Park at LionStrong 7on7... Today's camp features some of the top teams and prospects from the state and region. The single-elimination rounds are just getting started and probably won't be finished until 8 or 9 tonight. Ryan will check in again after that with some highlights/videos and I'll have more photos as well.
For now, though, let's get to the highest profile prospects who are on campus today, some of whom participated in 7on7, others who didn't. Some of our notes that we gathered so far:
TE Matt Dotson
- Dotson made the trip last night with his mother and they've been getting the full experience since. They had lunch downtown today with James Franklin, Josh Gattis, Ricky Rahne, along with commits Sean Clifford and his family, and Michael Miranda. They also got a tour of the stadium after they ate and then went back to the Lasch Building where Dotson watched the rest of Big Man camp and further talked with some recruiting staff. We've been able to talk with a couple contacts today and Penn State continues to feel good about the situation here with Dotson. He visited MSU this past week but we still feel comfortable about where PSU stands. He's set to make his decision next month while he's at The Opening.
DT Dalyn Wade-Perry
- Wade-Perry participated with his teammates in the Big Man Challenge, which caught us off guard a little bit. We were under the impression that he'd only be visiting today, but after catching up with him quickly afterward, he said he's seen enough of the campus already – he's visited at least a few times within the past couple years. So instead he wanted to work out with his teammates and was one of the top performers of the lineman challenge, which is to be expected. He had good things to say about PSU after but he's also not much of a talker, so he didn't go into much detail about where PSU stands in comparison to other schools. Ryan and I think PSU will be in the thick of things until the end, but it's too early to call a leader. This is one that'll probably drag out into the summer and possibly into his senior season.
LB Zane Zandier
- Zandier had a solid showing both last night during the Elite Camp and today. He ran a 4.8-second 40-yard dash yesterday. That might seem slow, but after speaking with some contacts they informed us that as a whole, all the times were down this year. That's because they tested speed/agility on different turf compared to previous years, so as a whole they were down a little bit. Either way, Zandier is a solid athlete with versatility. Most schools are recruiting him for OLB but we got to see him play a lot of WR/H-Back today in 7on7 and he was a standout for Thomas Jefferson against Harrisburg. He already has some solid offers, from WVU and Syracuse, and PSU has an eye on him but will continue to evaluate. We don't think he'll get an offer immediately, but he is someone to keep an eye on. PSU likes him at Sam LB.
CB Lamont Wade
- Not a whole not new to report here with Wade. He obviously was one of if not the top prospect on campus today. The five-star made multiple great plays on defense and also a couple nice catches on offense from the slot. Ryan chatted briefly with Wade's father. They continue to say nothing but good things about Penn State and will be back for the Lasch Bash July 16. PSU will stay a player in Wade's recruitment but this will likely go into official visits.
WR Shaquon Anderson-Butts (2018)
- Anderson-Butts really impressed us today. He's beefed up physically since we last saw him and he was without a doubt the best WR we saw on the field today. We watched him make three excellent receptions on fade routes against multiple teams, including the game-winner against Thomas Jefferson (pictured above). PSU continues its pursuit of Anderson-Butts as he one of the top targets in the 2018 class, especially in-state. When it comes to an eventual decision, we feel like he could be one who pops at any time. Not saying it's happening immediately, but having Damion Barber (who was also on campus) and Micah Parsons already committed is an influencing factor to keep an eye on. Every time he's on campus, he's someone to monitor.
That's all for now. We'll be back with more
-
For now, though, let's get to the highest profile prospects who are on campus today, some of whom participated in 7on7, others who didn't. Some of our notes that we gathered so far:
TE Matt Dotson
- Dotson made the trip last night with his mother and they've been getting the full experience since. They had lunch downtown today with James Franklin, Josh Gattis, Ricky Rahne, along with commits Sean Clifford and his family, and Michael Miranda. They also got a tour of the stadium after they ate and then went back to the Lasch Building where Dotson watched the rest of Big Man camp and further talked with some recruiting staff. We've been able to talk with a couple contacts today and Penn State continues to feel good about the situation here with Dotson. He visited MSU this past week but we still feel comfortable about where PSU stands. He's set to make his decision next month while he's at The Opening.
DT Dalyn Wade-Perry
- Wade-Perry participated with his teammates in the Big Man Challenge, which caught us off guard a little bit. We were under the impression that he'd only be visiting today, but after catching up with him quickly afterward, he said he's seen enough of the campus already – he's visited at least a few times within the past couple years. So instead he wanted to work out with his teammates and was one of the top performers of the lineman challenge, which is to be expected. He had good things to say about PSU after but he's also not much of a talker, so he didn't go into much detail about where PSU stands in comparison to other schools. Ryan and I think PSU will be in the thick of things until the end, but it's too early to call a leader. This is one that'll probably drag out into the summer and possibly into his senior season.
LB Zane Zandier
- Zandier had a solid showing both last night during the Elite Camp and today. He ran a 4.8-second 40-yard dash yesterday. That might seem slow, but after speaking with some contacts they informed us that as a whole, all the times were down this year. That's because they tested speed/agility on different turf compared to previous years, so as a whole they were down a little bit. Either way, Zandier is a solid athlete with versatility. Most schools are recruiting him for OLB but we got to see him play a lot of WR/H-Back today in 7on7 and he was a standout for Thomas Jefferson against Harrisburg. He already has some solid offers, from WVU and Syracuse, and PSU has an eye on him but will continue to evaluate. We don't think he'll get an offer immediately, but he is someone to keep an eye on. PSU likes him at Sam LB.
CB Lamont Wade
- Not a whole not new to report here with Wade. He obviously was one of if not the top prospect on campus today. The five-star made multiple great plays on defense and also a couple nice catches on offense from the slot. Ryan chatted briefly with Wade's father. They continue to say nothing but good things about Penn State and will be back for the Lasch Bash July 16. PSU will stay a player in Wade's recruitment but this will likely go into official visits.
WR Shaquon Anderson-Butts (2018)
- Anderson-Butts really impressed us today. He's beefed up physically since we last saw him and he was without a doubt the best WR we saw on the field today. We watched him make three excellent receptions on fade routes against multiple teams, including the game-winner against Thomas Jefferson (pictured above). PSU continues its pursuit of Anderson-Butts as he one of the top targets in the 2018 class, especially in-state. When it comes to an eventual decision, we feel like he could be one who pops at any time. Not saying it's happening immediately, but having Damion Barber (who was also on campus) and Micah Parsons already committed is an influencing factor to keep an eye on. Every time he's on campus, he's someone to monitor.
That's all for now. We'll be back with more
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