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2018 Recruiting Thread

Just watched Trent's HUDL video...wow!! What a special player and a would be a huge get if he commits to the good guys. One thing that stood out on his highlights, look at the level of competition he's playing against. he's playing against QB's that are throwing rockets down there in Texas. He's definitely prepared for anything the BIG 10 qb's are going to throw at him
 
Chad Simmons, comparing Fields to OSU's "5 star" QB verbal Emory Jones.


I watched him play Saturday again and I have seen him live about 6-7 times in the past 9-10 months — I like him a lot.

He took his team to the championship this weekend at the 7v7 tournament outside Atlanta. He was throwing some darts, then showed touch some as well. He can still clean up his mechanics, but I love his ability and upside. He is hard to tackle, similar to Cam Newton, who is his 7v7 coach.

I saw him and Emory Jones play side by side Saturday and to be honest, it was not close on this day — Fields was much better. Jones really struggled with accuracy and Fields was sharp.
 
You get Fields, 6-3 225 with a 4.5 40 timed at the Nike camp and that kind of arm strength and accuracy in Joe Moorhead's offense.......it's Katie bar the door.

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Just watched Trent's HUDL video...wow!! What a special player and a would be a huge get if he commits to the good guys. One thing that stood out on his highlights, look at the level of competition he's playing against. he's playing against QB's that are throwing rockets down there in Texas. He's definitely prepared for anything the BIG 10 qb's are going to throw at him
Yeap. And his 29 offers = No. 75 recruit in the nation. Sure would be fun watching him and Humphries patrolling the secondary.
 

Texas Cornerback Announcing Wednesday
Penn State is still without a cornerback commit in the class of 2018, but it appears as though that will change in just a couple days as three-star Texas cornerback Trent Gordon announced on Twitter Monday night that he’ll be making his commitment sometime Wednesday.

Gordon is fresh off nearly half-a-dozen visits, having been to Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee, and West Virginia in the last few weeks. At this point, all signs point to the Nittany Lions being the choice, with Gordon looking for a strong combination of on-the-field and off-the-field success. He’d be joining fellow Texas product, Isaiah Humphries, as the lone defensive backs in the class.

Offers from Penn State, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCLA, etc.


http://www.blackshoediaries.com/201...ommitment-date-penn-state-football-recruiting
 
I generally look at a prospects offer sheet and put more credence in it than "stars." Trent Gordon must really have the goods. How many DBs does JF take? Any close followers of the recruiting process? It seems we are in a great position with Isheem Young and I happen to believe we have a "silent" verbal from Kwantel Raines.
 
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On March 15, he stopped by Penn State.
It was his first visit to the school since earning a scholarship offer in January.
"(Penn State's) academics are strong, just like the football program," Gordon said after that visit. "This really fits me. The (Lasch Building and Morgan Academic Center are) great. It's one of the best I have seen. The blue lighting in their locker room got me hyped.
"The stadium is huge and the fans are passionate. The coaches said it is packed for every game. I would love to play for passionate fans. I also met some of the players, all were cool. I saw the Penn State pride everywhere. Their program looks like a good fit."
 
How many total DB's do we take? I assume we still want Young, but at some point is Raines no longer going to have a spot?
 
How many total DB's do we take? I assume we still want Young, but at some point is Raines no longer going to have a spot?


We postulated on the number of DB's in the class a few pages back. With CJF implying this class may reach 25 total it seems that there will be at least 4 DB's in the class, possibly 5. And that at least 2 will be pure Safety's. So if it's 4 that would be one true CB, Humphries (S/CB), and 2 true Safety's (possibly Young and Raines). But if he takes 5 who knows what type of DB the 5th would be. Personally, I look for 4 DB's total, as CJF took 5 in the 2017 class (1 true Safety, Wade, who could play Safety or CB and 3 CB's including Castro-Fields who has the frame to eventually grow into a Safety). So if Gordon commits to PSU he may be the only true CB in the class. Who knows....
 
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Blake Zubovic, Belle Vernon Area HS (Belle Vernon) OT- A true left tackle prospect, who is also very quick for a kid that's already 6'6" and 295 pounds. He is also has a body with little fat, so he can get much bigger. Played some defensive end last year and was a bit of a force at that huge size, which shows you just how mobile he is.
 
I've said 4, and others have said 4 + any other top 100 type DB, and others still have said 5. So Young and Raines are in no jeopardy at the moment of losing a spot. There is no such thing as a silent verbal.
 
Blake Zubovic, Belle Vernon Area HS (Belle Vernon) OT- A true left tackle prospect, who is also very quick for a kid that's already 6'6" and 295 pounds. He is also has a body with little fat, so he can get much bigger. Played some defensive end last year and was a bit of a force at that huge size, which shows you just how mobile he is.

Seems out of the ordinary to me that CJF just offered Zubovic when he has offered 11 other OT's for the 2018 class before him, and Zubovic is basically right in PSU's back yard. Maybe Zubovic did not camp last summer, or at least not at PSU???
 
Agree. What's even more amazing IMO is the team he was able to put on the field last year.

I don't think there is a better example than the hirings of Moorehead and Limegrover as proof of Franklin's ability to lead a program. He saw the weakness.
He fixed it. In today's world, the CEO coach is almost a necessity. They're getting pulled a million different ways. Time constraints are impossible
for the coach to have his hand in everything. Hire good people with a common goal.
 


Hawkins returned to Penn State for a visit last Thursday (3/23), and stayed until the conclusion of practice on Friday evening. Hawkins told me the entire trip went "very well", and he was able to experience many different things while he was there.

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Coach Franklin and his staff made an impression on Hawkins during his first on-campus visit. (Photo: 247 Sports)
He got a chance to have dinner with James Franklin and the entire defensive coaching staff, which he likened to going to dinner with a president the way everyone knew who he was when he stepped inside.

"The most exciting part of practice was the excitement that all the players had. That's one thing I noticed when they played last year, and I think it's carried over big time to this year. I'm not guaranteeing success for those guys, but the passion and the experience is there now, so it's definitely a formula for success. It was exciting for me to be able to see it."
 
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Hawkins returned to Penn State for a visit last Thursday (3/23), and stayed until the conclusion of practice on Friday evening. Hawkins told me the entire trip went "very well", and he was able to experience many different things while he was there.

6_4697470.jpeg.pagespeed.ce.sBGGJEUGWL.jpg

Coach Franklin and his staff made an impression on Hawkins during his first on-campus visit. (Photo: 247 Sports)
He got a chance to have dinner with James Franklin and the entire defensive coaching staff, which he likened to going to dinner with a president the way everyone knew who he was when he stepped inside.

"The most exciting part of practice was the excitement that all the players had. That's one thing I noticed when they played last year, and I think it's carried over big time to this year. I'm not guaranteeing success for those guys, but the passion and the experience is there now, so it's definitely a formula for success. It was exciting for me to be able to see it."
Was this posted here yet? Sorry if it was...


He'll be in Columbus this weekend
 
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Damn, just like with Raines, the symbolism of landing Hawkins would be enormous. It would most certainly put Meyer on notice, big-time.
 
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Gordon:

"(Penn State's) academics are strong, just like the football program," Gordon said after that visit. "This really fits me. The (Lasch Building and Morgan Academic Center are) great. It's one of the best I have seen. The blue lighting in their locker room got me hyped.

"The stadium is huge and the fans are passionate. The coaches said it is packed for every game. I would love to play for passionate fans. I also met some of the players, all were cool. I saw the Penn State pride everywhere. Their program looks like a good fit."

Considered the 18th-best safety prospect in the country, Gordon is ranked No. 224 overall. Rivals.com rates him as Texas’ 24th-ranked 2018 recruit.

During the visit, Penn State coaches discussed the possibility that Gordon could fit best at cornerback on their defense.



Interesting that Gordon has been considered a Safety prospect.... but CJF likes him at CB.....
 
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Snyder came up with some nice quotes here....



Hawkins also made it clear that his relationship with the entire Nittany Lion coaching staff is beginning to stand out compared to other programs.

"Man, I'm not closer to another set of coaches," he said. "Part of that has to do with the amount of time I've spent there. Coach Franklin has made a constant effort to help me and my family."

"USC, UCLA, Cincinnati and OSU," he said, when asked which schools he'd like to visit before the end of April. "USC and UCLA (should) both be within the next few weeks. I'll be back at (Penn State) a couple times before I decide. PSU is still a top school. They're in good shape."
 
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Stanford is a perennial Directors' Cup leader, in part by picking up significant points in some less common sports. Penn State might consider adding one or more sports with fewer competitors, like Stanford.

Or, better yet, just do better in Men's and Women's basketball
 
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