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N O V E M B E R   7 ,   2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 17 Penn State will host one of its top remain- ing Class of 2019 prospects, defensive tackle D'Von Ellies, this upcoming week for an of- ficial visit. A four-star prospect from McDonogh High in Owings Mills, Md., Ellies earned an offer from the staff at the end of July. He's been on campus a few times during the past year, most recently in September for the game against Ohio State. Now, he's set for what will likely be his final visit to University Park before he makes a decision in Decem- ber. "I think Penn State has a lot of momen- tum," McDonogh head coach Hakeem Sule said. "I think there's a lot of buzz in the air around their program the past few years. There have been a lot of local kids going there, and obviously he has a connection with P.J. Mustipher. Sean Spencer and Coach [James] Franklin have been really ag- gressive lately with their efforts. They're making it very clear to D'Von that he's an excellent prospect for them. They've done a great job at explaining the role that he could have in their program. "So I think they've done a very good job at painting the picture of all the different things that he can benefit from at Penn State. They believe that he can not only fit into their rotation, but would be an excellent fit for just the entire program and univer- sity." When you consider that early playing time is important to Ellies, his connection with Mustipher has only helped the Lions in re- cent months, as the freshman has played in eight of Penn State's 10 games. "He's definitely seen what P.J. Mustipher has done there, especially when it comes to early playing time and fitting into their ro- tation as a freshman," Sule said. "Obviously, for any kid coming out of high school, whenever you have a path to playing early, especially at a top school, it's more attrac- tive than sitting on the sidelines and waiting a few years. I think what they've done with P.J. has definitely caught D'Von's eye." Now that McDonogh's season is over, El- lies is expected to be on campus Friday evening and stick around town until Sunday. He already has a good feel for the game day atmosphere in and around campus but hopes to get another taste this upcoming weekend. "He's been to up to Penn State's campus a bunch of times now, so I know one thing he really likes is the atmosphere," Sule said. "Obviously, they have an excellent game day atmosphere in Happy Valley, so getting the chance to play in that kind of environment, in front of a crowd that's so passionate about football, is very appealing." Sule added that Penn State's coaching staff is excited about what Ellies could bring to the program both on and off the field. "D'Von's a great guy, so his personality is definitely something they like," he said. "But aside from that, on the football field, I know they love his athleticism. He doesn't have the height that P.J. has, but for his frame, he's incredibly strong and incredibly quick. He's a really athletic young man. At nearly 300 pounds, he's able to dunk a basketball with ease, so that just shows his explosion and athleticism." Ellies has only one additional visit set to Ohio State for its game against Michigan at the end of November. He's considering an official visit to Florida, but nothing has been confirmed. Those two schools, along with Penn State, appear to be the top options at this time. R Y A N   S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M R E C R U I T I N G Maryland DT set to visit for Wisconsin game CLASS OF 2019 NAME POS HT WT RATING HOME SCHOOL Hakeem Beamon DL 6-3 255 ★★★★ Chesterfield, Va. Manchester JaQuan Brisker DB 6-2 200 ★★★ Monroeville, Pa. Lackawanna College Lance Dixon LB 6-2 200 ★★★ West Bloomfield, Mich. West Bloomfield John Dunmore WR 6-3 170 ★★★★ Hollywood, Fla. Chaminade Madonna Keaton Ellis DB 6-0 160 ★★★ State College, Pa. State College Area Devyn Ford RB 5-11 195 ★★★★★ Stafford, Va. North Stafford Michael Johnson Jr. QB 6-3 202 ★★★★ Eugene, Ore. Sheldon Joey Porter Jr. CB 6-2 185 ★★★ Pittsburgh, Pa. North Allegheny Taquan Roberson QB 6-0 198 ★★★★ Wayne, N.J. DePaul Catholic Tyler Rudolph DB 6-1 205 ★★★★ Oakdale, Conn. St. Thomas More Emery Simmons WR 6-1 186 ★★★ Fayetteville, N.C. South View Brandon Smith LB 6-3 218 ★★★★ Mineral, Va. Louisa County Brenton Strange TE 6-4 217 ★★★★ Parkersburg, W.Va. Parkersburg Caedan Wallace OL 6-4 330 ★★★★ Princeton, N.J. Hun School Anthony Whigan OL 6-5 295 ★★★ Great Mills, Md. Lackawanna College Marquis Wilson DB 6-0 175 ★★★★ Windsor, Conn. Windsor Saleem Wormley OL 6-4 300 ★★★★ Smyrna, Del. Smyrna * As of Nov. 7 P E N N S T A T E C O M M I T M E N T S * C L A S S O F 2 0 1 9

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