Below are a few News & Notes that I collected over the past 36 hours or so.
- Penn State picked up two commitments this weekend: OL RJ Adams and DT Cole Brevard. As of Friday morning, it was looking like PSU may not earn any commitments this weekend. Adams and his coach were both pretty adamant that he was going to visit Miami in the next week or two, then make a decision, but by 9 AM Saturday, sources at PSU suggested that we better prep for Adams, so that was a great pickup for the staff. He checked in this weekend at 6-foot-2 and 5/8ths, 319 pounds. We've always expected him to start as a guard at the next level.
Brevard was the "surprise" of the weekend. I put in a prediction for him a few days after he visited in March, so I expected it to come at some point, but he seemed pretty set on visiting Wisconsin and Indiana this summer. I haven't spoken with Cole yet. I'm planning to do a good Q&A with him at some point - hopefully later this week - but I don't believe he's going to take those visits anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if he also no longer takes that official visit to Penn State in June and instead saves it for the Whiteout game or after the season. I'll try to clarify all of that later this week.
But overall, Brevard is a great kid. He's going to fit in well at Penn State and maybe most importantly, he's a four-star defensive tackle that has consistently shown signs of improvement every year. With Spencer's tutelage, he has the potential to be a major contributor in a few years. He checked in this weekend at just under 6-3 and 308 pounds.
- As for the other top 2020 prospects, I'm planning to do a full interview with TE Theo Johnson tonight. There's not much that Johnson hasn't seen by now. He was at the game against Iowa in October, so he's been inside Beaver Stadium for a real game. He also spent those two days and two nights on campus in March, so there's not a whole lot that I expect him to get out of this past weekend. It's mainly just a good sign that he wanted to come see the staff and see how the team is progressing with a new quarterback, etc. I still believe PSU is the team to beat here. As I said in my preview Friday, Georgia may actually be the top competitor here.
One negative is that five-star LB Antoine Sampah didn't make the trip this weekend. That certainly hurts, but the staff does have his teammate committed now. It still feel like PSU can make his Top 5, but aside from that, I think a few other schools are in a better position to earn his commitment. At least, as of now. Aliquippa LB Zuriah Fisher also didn't make the trip.
- Another top 2020 prospect that made the trip is TE/DE Cam Large from Massachusetts. Over the past few months, I thought PSU preferred him on defense, but I'm beginning to believe that tight end is the main position that they project him at. He did camp as a TE last summer, so maybe he prefers that position? One thing I noticed just from seeing him on the sidelines Saturday is that he's putting on some very good weight. Since he last visited in November for the Maryland came, Large has jumped from 219 to 232 and he certainly looks the part. PSU is pretty high on him, so he's probably a bit underrated as of now.
As for what he had to say about the visit, Large replied, "I loved the atmosphere. The atmosphere in Beaver Stadium is crazy, just because of their fan support. I loved talking with the coaches and especially just watching all the New England guys on the team."
Regarding the staff, he added, "They're all great coaches and great guys. I got to sit down with Coach Bowen and we talked about visits going forward. They definitely want me back up there as soon as possible. When I talked to Coach Franklin and Coach Spencer, that was their message, too."
So far this spring, Large has also visited Duke, LSU, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
- I'm still working to learn more on 2020 DE Amin Vanover. I'll probably reach out to his coach, Auggie Hoffman, later this week. Vanover just doesn't talk much. Even when I reached out to contacts about his visit this weekend, they kind of said the same thing. He's just tough gauge at times, keeps to himself. With that said, his mother joined him on the visit and I was told she liked the staff and the overall atmosphere around the place. This was his first visit to PSU, so I'll try to learn more on him when I can. Vanover visited Boston College, Georgia and Syracuse this spring.
- I thought 2021 Ath. Derrick Davis looked great when I saw him on the sidelines. He was just under 6-0 and 180 pounds when he attended the Michigan State game in October. He checked in this weekend at 6-0.5, 193 pounds. He projects as a safety.
- I also caught up with St. Frances 2021 CB Clinton Burton. This was his first trip to Penn State. He's already close friends with Curtis Jacobs and Dont'e Thornton, so that could help the staff moving forward. I expect him back on campus in the summer.
"The atmosphere was great. It was a nice experience and their fans are great. It was just a nice day all around and I had a lot of fun up there. I'm friends with Curtis and Dont'e, so it was fun hanging with them and seeing what they love about the place.
"But I also spent most of my day with Coach [Tim] Banks and Coach [Terry] Smith. I talked to them a lot. They're great coaches and great people. I'm planning to come back down there soon so we can spend more time getting to know each other."
Burton added, "I still am far from figuring out my top schools, but I got some friends there already and I like their coaches. It's definitely a big-time football school, so I'm looking forward to spending more time getting to know them and seeing more of the place."
- A few younger prospects that didn't make the trip: DT James Gillespie, LB Shawn Murphy and DT Kwan Williams.
Below is the complete list of confirmed visitors.
April 13 - Blue-White Game
2019 Signees & Walk-Ons
DL Hakeem Beamon - FILM - Manchester, Va. - Manchester
Saf. Jaquan Brisker - FILM - Monroeville, Pa. - Lackawanna College
K Sebastian Costantini - FILM - Malvern, Pa. - Malvern Prep
OL Dalton Daddona - FILM - Bethlehem Pa. - Bethlehem Catholic
K Anthony DaSilva - FILM - Bethlehem, Pa. - Bethlehem Catholic
WR John Dunmore - FILM - Hollywood, Fla. - Chaminade
DT D'Von Ellies - FILM - Owings Mills, Md. - McDonogh
Saf. Dylan Farronato - FILM - Lewisburg, Pa. - Lewisburg
RB Devyn Ford - FILM - Stafford, Va. - North Stafford
K Bradley King - FILM - Geneva, Ill. - Lackawanna College
LB Denver Light - FILM - Tyrone, Pa. - Tyrone
CB Corey Melzer - FILM - Wexford, Pa. - North Allegheny
CB Joey Porter Jr. - FILM - Pittsburgh, Pa. - North Allegheny
LS Austin Sullivan - FILM - Slate Hill, N.Y. - Minisink Valley
OL Caedan Wallace - FILM - Princeton, N.J. - Hun School
OL Saleem Wormley - FILM - Smyrna, Del. - Smyrna
PSU Commits
OL Golden Achumba - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha
OL Reuben Adams - FILM - Woodbridge, Va. - Woodbridge
DT Cole Brevard - FILM - Carmel, Ind. - Carmel
QB Micah Bowens - FILM - Las Vegas, Nev. - Bishop Gorman
LB Curtis Jacobs - FILM - Owings Mills, Md. - McDonogh
CB Josh Moten - FILM - Fort Washington, Md. - Nat. Christian Academy
OL Grant Toutant - FILM - Warren, Mich. - De La Salle
LB Derek Wingo - FILM - Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - St. Thomas Aquinas
WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. - FILM - Baltimore, Md. - Mount St. Joseph - 2021
Potential Transfers
K Aaron Boumerhi - Temple
DT Malik Barrow - Ohio State
2020
RB Ali Barkley - FILM - Whitehall, Pa. - Whitehall
DE Sa'Quan Carter-Barton - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Harrisburg
LS Austin Brinkman - FILM - Bel Air, Md. - John Carroll
WR Dapree Bryant - FILM - Coatesville, Pa. - Coatesville
Saf. Nick Chimienti - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Central Dauphin
OL Addison Darcy - FILM - State College, Pa. - State College
LB Dante De Rosa - FILM - Miami, Fla. - Gulliver Prep
Saf. Dominic DeLuca - FILM - Exeter, Pa. - Wyoming Area
LB Tyler Elsdon - FILM - Ashland, Pa. - North Schulkill
LB Malachi Gatisoni - FILM - Naugatuck, Conn. - Naugatuck
WR Hunter Helton - FILM - Wesley Chapel, Fla. - Wiregrass
TE Theo Johnson - FILM - Windsor, Ontario, Canada - Holy Names ***
TE Cam Large - FILM - Dedham, Mass. - Noble and Greenough School ***
P Corey Lewis - FILM - Hurricane, Utah - Fullerton College
Saf. Elijuwan Mack - FILM - Montvale, N.J. - St. Joseph's
P Peter Moore - FILM - Baltimore, Md. - Calvert Hall
DT Fatorma Mulbah - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Susquehanna Twp.
TE Jake Ray - FILM - Wellington, Fla. - Palm Beach Central
WR Ulises Sarria - FILM - Miami, Pa. - Gulliver Prep
CB Carrington Valentine - FILM - Cincinnati, Ohio - Moeller
DE Amin Vanover - FILM - Montvale, N.J. - St. Joseph's Regional ***
2021
OL Nate Bruce - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Harrisburg
CB Clinton Burton - FILM - Baltimore, Md. - St. Frances ***
QB Liam Clifford - FILM- Cincinnati, Ohio - St. Xavier
Ath. Derrick Davis - FILM - Monroeville, Pa. - Gateway ***
OL Dorien Ford - FILM - Baldwin, Pa. - Baldwin
OL Aaron Gunn - FILM - New Castle, Pa. - Union Area
DE Miguel Jackson - FILM - Gibsonia, Pa. - Pine-Richland
DE Elijah Jeudy - FILM - Philadelphia, Pa. - Northeast ***
CB Kalen King - FILM - Detroit, Mich. - Cass Tech ***
LB Kobe King - FILM - Detroit, Mich. - Cass Tech
Saf. Sammy Knipe - FILM - State College, Pa. - State College
WR Kaden Prather - FILM - Germantown, Md. - Northwest H.S. ***
LB Kenny Soares - FILM - Avon, Conn. - Avon Old Farms
2022
LB Jaishawn Barham - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha ***
OL Cornell Evans - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha
WR Jamal Hood - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha
CB BJ Howard - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha
CB Cameron Johnson - Washington, D.C. - St. Frances
DT Curtis Neal - FILM - Cornelius, N.C. - Hough ***
DT Tyleik Williams - FILM - Manasass, Va. - Stonewall Jackson ***
- Penn State picked up two commitments this weekend: OL RJ Adams and DT Cole Brevard. As of Friday morning, it was looking like PSU may not earn any commitments this weekend. Adams and his coach were both pretty adamant that he was going to visit Miami in the next week or two, then make a decision, but by 9 AM Saturday, sources at PSU suggested that we better prep for Adams, so that was a great pickup for the staff. He checked in this weekend at 6-foot-2 and 5/8ths, 319 pounds. We've always expected him to start as a guard at the next level.
Brevard was the "surprise" of the weekend. I put in a prediction for him a few days after he visited in March, so I expected it to come at some point, but he seemed pretty set on visiting Wisconsin and Indiana this summer. I haven't spoken with Cole yet. I'm planning to do a good Q&A with him at some point - hopefully later this week - but I don't believe he's going to take those visits anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if he also no longer takes that official visit to Penn State in June and instead saves it for the Whiteout game or after the season. I'll try to clarify all of that later this week.
But overall, Brevard is a great kid. He's going to fit in well at Penn State and maybe most importantly, he's a four-star defensive tackle that has consistently shown signs of improvement every year. With Spencer's tutelage, he has the potential to be a major contributor in a few years. He checked in this weekend at just under 6-3 and 308 pounds.
- As for the other top 2020 prospects, I'm planning to do a full interview with TE Theo Johnson tonight. There's not much that Johnson hasn't seen by now. He was at the game against Iowa in October, so he's been inside Beaver Stadium for a real game. He also spent those two days and two nights on campus in March, so there's not a whole lot that I expect him to get out of this past weekend. It's mainly just a good sign that he wanted to come see the staff and see how the team is progressing with a new quarterback, etc. I still believe PSU is the team to beat here. As I said in my preview Friday, Georgia may actually be the top competitor here.
One negative is that five-star LB Antoine Sampah didn't make the trip this weekend. That certainly hurts, but the staff does have his teammate committed now. It still feel like PSU can make his Top 5, but aside from that, I think a few other schools are in a better position to earn his commitment. At least, as of now. Aliquippa LB Zuriah Fisher also didn't make the trip.
- Another top 2020 prospect that made the trip is TE/DE Cam Large from Massachusetts. Over the past few months, I thought PSU preferred him on defense, but I'm beginning to believe that tight end is the main position that they project him at. He did camp as a TE last summer, so maybe he prefers that position? One thing I noticed just from seeing him on the sidelines Saturday is that he's putting on some very good weight. Since he last visited in November for the Maryland came, Large has jumped from 219 to 232 and he certainly looks the part. PSU is pretty high on him, so he's probably a bit underrated as of now.
As for what he had to say about the visit, Large replied, "I loved the atmosphere. The atmosphere in Beaver Stadium is crazy, just because of their fan support. I loved talking with the coaches and especially just watching all the New England guys on the team."
Regarding the staff, he added, "They're all great coaches and great guys. I got to sit down with Coach Bowen and we talked about visits going forward. They definitely want me back up there as soon as possible. When I talked to Coach Franklin and Coach Spencer, that was their message, too."
So far this spring, Large has also visited Duke, LSU, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
- I'm still working to learn more on 2020 DE Amin Vanover. I'll probably reach out to his coach, Auggie Hoffman, later this week. Vanover just doesn't talk much. Even when I reached out to contacts about his visit this weekend, they kind of said the same thing. He's just tough gauge at times, keeps to himself. With that said, his mother joined him on the visit and I was told she liked the staff and the overall atmosphere around the place. This was his first visit to PSU, so I'll try to learn more on him when I can. Vanover visited Boston College, Georgia and Syracuse this spring.
- I thought 2021 Ath. Derrick Davis looked great when I saw him on the sidelines. He was just under 6-0 and 180 pounds when he attended the Michigan State game in October. He checked in this weekend at 6-0.5, 193 pounds. He projects as a safety.
- I also caught up with St. Frances 2021 CB Clinton Burton. This was his first trip to Penn State. He's already close friends with Curtis Jacobs and Dont'e Thornton, so that could help the staff moving forward. I expect him back on campus in the summer.
"The atmosphere was great. It was a nice experience and their fans are great. It was just a nice day all around and I had a lot of fun up there. I'm friends with Curtis and Dont'e, so it was fun hanging with them and seeing what they love about the place.
"But I also spent most of my day with Coach [Tim] Banks and Coach [Terry] Smith. I talked to them a lot. They're great coaches and great people. I'm planning to come back down there soon so we can spend more time getting to know each other."
Burton added, "I still am far from figuring out my top schools, but I got some friends there already and I like their coaches. It's definitely a big-time football school, so I'm looking forward to spending more time getting to know them and seeing more of the place."
- A few younger prospects that didn't make the trip: DT James Gillespie, LB Shawn Murphy and DT Kwan Williams.
Below is the complete list of confirmed visitors.
April 13 - Blue-White Game
2019 Signees & Walk-Ons
DL Hakeem Beamon - FILM - Manchester, Va. - Manchester
Saf. Jaquan Brisker - FILM - Monroeville, Pa. - Lackawanna College
K Sebastian Costantini - FILM - Malvern, Pa. - Malvern Prep
OL Dalton Daddona - FILM - Bethlehem Pa. - Bethlehem Catholic
K Anthony DaSilva - FILM - Bethlehem, Pa. - Bethlehem Catholic
WR John Dunmore - FILM - Hollywood, Fla. - Chaminade
DT D'Von Ellies - FILM - Owings Mills, Md. - McDonogh
Saf. Dylan Farronato - FILM - Lewisburg, Pa. - Lewisburg
RB Devyn Ford - FILM - Stafford, Va. - North Stafford
K Bradley King - FILM - Geneva, Ill. - Lackawanna College
LB Denver Light - FILM - Tyrone, Pa. - Tyrone
CB Corey Melzer - FILM - Wexford, Pa. - North Allegheny
CB Joey Porter Jr. - FILM - Pittsburgh, Pa. - North Allegheny
LS Austin Sullivan - FILM - Slate Hill, N.Y. - Minisink Valley
OL Caedan Wallace - FILM - Princeton, N.J. - Hun School
OL Saleem Wormley - FILM - Smyrna, Del. - Smyrna
PSU Commits
OL Golden Achumba - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha
OL Reuben Adams - FILM - Woodbridge, Va. - Woodbridge
DT Cole Brevard - FILM - Carmel, Ind. - Carmel
QB Micah Bowens - FILM - Las Vegas, Nev. - Bishop Gorman
LB Curtis Jacobs - FILM - Owings Mills, Md. - McDonogh
CB Josh Moten - FILM - Fort Washington, Md. - Nat. Christian Academy
OL Grant Toutant - FILM - Warren, Mich. - De La Salle
LB Derek Wingo - FILM - Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - St. Thomas Aquinas
WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. - FILM - Baltimore, Md. - Mount St. Joseph - 2021
Potential Transfers
K Aaron Boumerhi - Temple
DT Malik Barrow - Ohio State
2020
RB Ali Barkley - FILM - Whitehall, Pa. - Whitehall
DE Sa'Quan Carter-Barton - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Harrisburg
LS Austin Brinkman - FILM - Bel Air, Md. - John Carroll
WR Dapree Bryant - FILM - Coatesville, Pa. - Coatesville
Saf. Nick Chimienti - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Central Dauphin
OL Addison Darcy - FILM - State College, Pa. - State College
LB Dante De Rosa - FILM - Miami, Fla. - Gulliver Prep
Saf. Dominic DeLuca - FILM - Exeter, Pa. - Wyoming Area
LB Tyler Elsdon - FILM - Ashland, Pa. - North Schulkill
LB Malachi Gatisoni - FILM - Naugatuck, Conn. - Naugatuck
WR Hunter Helton - FILM - Wesley Chapel, Fla. - Wiregrass
TE Theo Johnson - FILM - Windsor, Ontario, Canada - Holy Names ***
TE Cam Large - FILM - Dedham, Mass. - Noble and Greenough School ***
P Corey Lewis - FILM - Hurricane, Utah - Fullerton College
Saf. Elijuwan Mack - FILM - Montvale, N.J. - St. Joseph's
P Peter Moore - FILM - Baltimore, Md. - Calvert Hall
DT Fatorma Mulbah - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Susquehanna Twp.
TE Jake Ray - FILM - Wellington, Fla. - Palm Beach Central
WR Ulises Sarria - FILM - Miami, Pa. - Gulliver Prep
CB Carrington Valentine - FILM - Cincinnati, Ohio - Moeller
DE Amin Vanover - FILM - Montvale, N.J. - St. Joseph's Regional ***
2021
OL Nate Bruce - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Harrisburg
CB Clinton Burton - FILM - Baltimore, Md. - St. Frances ***
QB Liam Clifford - FILM- Cincinnati, Ohio - St. Xavier
Ath. Derrick Davis - FILM - Monroeville, Pa. - Gateway ***
OL Dorien Ford - FILM - Baldwin, Pa. - Baldwin
OL Aaron Gunn - FILM - New Castle, Pa. - Union Area
DE Miguel Jackson - FILM - Gibsonia, Pa. - Pine-Richland
DE Elijah Jeudy - FILM - Philadelphia, Pa. - Northeast ***
CB Kalen King - FILM - Detroit, Mich. - Cass Tech ***
LB Kobe King - FILM - Detroit, Mich. - Cass Tech
Saf. Sammy Knipe - FILM - State College, Pa. - State College
WR Kaden Prather - FILM - Germantown, Md. - Northwest H.S. ***
LB Kenny Soares - FILM - Avon, Conn. - Avon Old Farms
2022
LB Jaishawn Barham - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha ***
OL Cornell Evans - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha
WR Jamal Hood - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha
CB BJ Howard - FILM - Hyattsville, Md. - DeMatha
CB Cameron Johnson - Washington, D.C. - St. Frances
DT Curtis Neal - FILM - Cornelius, N.C. - Hough ***
DT Tyleik Williams - FILM - Manasass, Va. - Stonewall Jackson ***
