Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1030409
Porter's decision ends late-summer lull Pittsburgh defensive back joins a class that may turn out to be bigger than expected | W ith coaches and players switching their focus to the season in August and September, recruiting tends to take a back seat at the end of the sum- mer. That was the case at Penn State this year, but there were still a few notable de- velopments, none bigger than the Sept. 11 commitment of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. A three-star prospect according to Ri- vals.com, Porter had made no secret of his strong interest in the Nittany Lions. With four defensive backs already on board, the Pittsburgh native was in a tough position, but Penn State's needs changed recently when freshman corner- back Jordan Miner was forced to give up football a6er being diagnosed with a heart condition. Miner's exit prompted the sta4 to add another cornerback. Porter is the son of Joey Porter Sr., a for- mer All-Pro linebacker with the Steelers who now coaches the NFL team's linebackers. The North Allegheny High standout made his most recent visit to Penn State in July for the Lasch Bash barbecue. He's ex- pected to return later this month for the game against Ohio State and will take an of- 3cial visit in December along with the Lions' other committed players. Porter's commitment came just a few days a6er head coach James Franklin and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith scouted his game against Central Catholic. He had three tackles and an interception in North Allegheny's 27-9 victory. Porter burst onto the scene this past spring, adding o4ers from LSU, Miami, Nebraska and Ohio State, among others. The Nittany Lions waited until early April, extending a verbal scholarship o4er during an uno5cial visit. It appeared as though LSU and Pitt were the Lions' top competitors, but Porter made it clear throughout the process that he was high on Penn State, especially a6er the Lasch Bash. With Porter on board, the Lions now have 3ve defensive backs in the Class of 2019. However, at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, he could potentially outgrow the position in the coming years, ending up at either linebacker or safety. F O O T B A L L R E C R U I T I N G For daily and breaking news updates on Penn State football recruiting, visit bwi.rivals.com. KEY PROSPECT Porter chose the Nittany Lions over LSU, Miami, Nebraska and Ohio State, among other schools. Photo cour- tesy of Rivals.com