Blue White Illustrated

| W hen the question came, asking why he had chosen Penn State over 17 other schools to o7er him a scholarship, Cole Brevard had his list at the ready. Brevard, a defensive tackle, said he be- lieves that Nittany Lion defensive line coach Sean Spencer is the best at his job in the nation. He thinks that James Franklin will be the 6rst African American head coach to win a national title – a goal of Franklin's that he's been very public about. But Brevard included o7-the-6eld as- pects in his rundown, too. He cited Penn State's alumni base, which is the largest in the country, as one of the main factors in his decision. Brevard never took an of- 6cial visit anywhere else. "I know when I graduate and hopefully get to the NFL, I'll still have the connec- tions," he said. Computers have been of interest to Bre- vard throughout his childhood, he said. He grew up around them and they've al- ways fascinated him – programming, coding, all of it. He's taken classes in high school that have only furthered that interest, including one his freshman year that involved pro- gramming a robot. Brevard learned how to program his robot to go through a maze, stop when it detects a red light and start when it detects green, and other tasks. Because of that interest, Brevard plans to use his Penn State scholarship to study cybersecurity, a pragmatic choice be- cause of the opportunities in that job market, but also in line with a passion. Brevard put it simply. "I'm a computer guy," he said. He's also a force on the football 6eld. The four-star defensive tackle is ranked as the No. 234 player in the class of 2020, is the No. 20 player at his position and the No. 2 player in his home state of Indiana, according to Rivals. He earned o7ers from Clemson, Michi- gan, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and several other Power Five schools but committed to the join the Nittany Lions' 2020 class in April and has remained 6rm ever since. Brevard led Carmel to an Indiana state title during his senior season. The Grey- hounds did not surrender more than 17 points in any of their 6ve state tourna- ment games. Rivals lists Brevard at 6-foot-3, 288 pounds. He's an imposing physical pres- ence, and he has learned how to leverage his frame and his strength in order to cre- ate opportunities for his teammates. "What I honestly think I'm best at is my ability to control the middle and being re- silient," Brevard said. "I don't like to be moved. So I'll just hold my ground as best I can, and it forces running backs to go outside where linebackers can make the tackle. I'm good at just taking up space so everyone else can make tackles." Asked what he hopes to improve before he steps on the 6eld as a Nittany Lion, Brevard cited his conditioning. He wants to be able to stay on the 6eld for larger chunks of time and hopes the training he'll take on at Penn State will help him accomplish that. Overall, though, the strongest feeling for Brevard is one of excitement – not just for football, but everything his experience at Penn State will bring. "I can't wait to go out there in State Col- lege and actually do college," he said. "I can't wait for the college experience." ■ and is moving the program in the right di- rection, but he also wants you to win as a person." Elsdon said he also looks up to Brent Pry, who will double as his defensive co- ordinator and position coach. The line- backer prospect sees Pry as a role model because of his interactive coaching style. Elsdon is excited to play at a school known for developing high-level players at the second level. But he also knows he'll likely have to be patient before breaking through. "If they ask me to do something, I'm going to do it," Elsdon said. "I'm just going to work, step by step. … I just want to be on the 6eld. If they want to put me on o7ense at fullback, I'd do that. I know they don't like the power-I stu7 any- more, but that's what I do. I'm not a self- ish guy. I'll get on the 6eld any way I can. If they want me to hold kicks, I'll hold kicks. I'm just going to do my part and take it day by day." ■ Academic pursuits were key factor for Brevard THE BREVARD FILE STATS Finished with 46 total tackles including two tack- les for loss as a senior at Carmel High... Helped lead the Greyhounds to an 11-3 record and a Class 6A state title HONORS Named a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 20 defensive tackle nationally and the No. 2 prospect in Indiana... Ranks No. 234 in the Ri- vals250 CLICK HERE to see video of Brevard in action.

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