Blue White Illustrated

ment this spring, while Rucci is a legacy prospect; he's the son of former Nittany Lion o8ensive lineman Todd Rucci. It may be tough for the sta8 to land all four of those players, but the odds are in their favor to sign at least two. Leigh continues to pick up big o8ers, but most believe that LSU and Penn State are his top two schools. Milum is leaning toward Penn State, Notre Dame and West Virginia. DEFENSIVE END The Nittany Lions are o8 to a strong start with two Rivals250 prospects: Aaron Armitage of Blair Acad- emy in New Jersey and Elijah Jeudy of Northeast High in Philadelphia. Both players have already taken four visits to Penn State and plan to return again this spring. Neither will rush his commit- ment, but the Lions should be strong contenders when the time comes. Fans should also keep an eye on two New Eng- land prospects: Kechaun Bennett of Su9eld, Conn., and Jason Onye of War- wick, R.I. Both have only been on campus once so far, but they, too, are planning to return this spring. One other player of note is Jahzion Harris of Brooklyn, N.Y. The Rivals250 prospect visited Penn State for the 7rst time in December and said he was impressed. Ohio State is also in the mix with Harris. DEFENSIVE TACKLE As of early January, Penn State had extended o8ers to nearly 20 defensive tackle prospects. Of those players, about half had visited University Park at least once. A few notable players for fans to monitor include Marcus Bradley of Gaithersburg, Md., Elliot Don- ald of Pittsburgh, Dorien Ford of Baldwin, Pa., Tywone Malone of Oradell, N.J., and George Rooks of Jersey City, N.J. Bradley has seen his stock rise quickly since the end of the season, and there's no end in sight. Fortunately for Franklin and his sta8, the Maryland native spoke highly of Penn State a;er visiting for the 7rst time in December. There's a long way to go with the Rivals250 prospect, but it was a great start. Donald and Ford are two of the top overall prospects in Pennsylvania, while Malone and Rooks are both among the most recruited players in New Jersey. Ford has already taken six visits to Penn State, while Donald has been on campus four times, including a trip last month. If the sta8 could land those two and Bradley, fans should be happy. Adding Malone or Rooks then would be the cherry on top. LINEBACKER Three linebackers appear to have serious interest in the Lions. Ja- mari Buddin of Belleville, Mich., Greg Penn of Hyattsville, Md., and Demeioun Robinson of Gaithersburg, Md., all took multiple visits to Penn State in 2019. Of those three, Robinson is likely at the top of the team's recruiting board, although Penn and Buddin are also being pursued by some of the nation's best programs. Fans should also keep an eye on Kobe King of Detroit and Nahki Johnson of West Mi:in, Pa. King visited in the spring with his brother Kalen, while Johnson has been on campus a few times. The in-state prospect committed to Pitt in June, but Brent Pry and Terry Smith will continue to pursue one of western Pennsylvania's top prospects. CORNERBACK By the start of the new year, Penn State had already extended of- fers to more than two dozen cornerbacks, a strong indication that the position will be a high priority in 2021. There's no de- bate when it comes to the identity of the sta8's top overall target. Rivals100 prospect Tony Grimes of Norfolk, Va., sits atop Penn State's recruiting board and is highly coveted by many of the region's other top programs. He's taken two visits to University Park so far and should re- turn for an o9cial visit between April and June. Jalen Cheek of Atco, N.J., and Shafeek Smith of Philadelphia are two other regional prospects to monitor, and Penn State has also hosted a few national prospects, including Jordan Hancock of Suwanee, Ga., Jordan Oladokun of Tampa, and Steven Ortiz of Goodyear, Ariz. There's a lot still to be worked out at this position. SAFETY Just like at cornerback, Penn State has already extended scholarship o8ers to more than two dozen safety prospects. Derrick Davis of Monroeville, Pa., and Tysheem Johnson of Philadel- phia have been heavily pursued by the Lions for upwards of a year now. Both have o8ers from some of the nation's top programs, but we expect Penn State to be among the favorites. During a visit this past season, the Lions also made a strong impression on Je8rey Davis Jr. of West Hartford, Conn. Johnson is planning to make a decision in May and will be back in University Park at some point this spring. Davis has trained with fellow New England natives Tyler Rudolph and Mar- quis Wilson for the past two years, so that could help the sta8's chances down the road. ■ NAME POS HT WT RATING HOME SCHOOL Nate Bruce OL 6-3 325 ★★★ Harrisburg, Pa. Harrisburg Liam Clifford WR 6-1 190 ★★★ Cincinnati, Ohio St. Xavier Nick Elksnis TE 6-6 220 ★★★ Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville Episcopal * As of Jan. 12 C L A S S O F 2 0 2 1 P E N N S T A T E R E C R U I T S *

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