Blue White Illustrated

| Z uriah Fisher stepped onto Penn State's campus for his o8cial visit last Sep- tember with his mind far from made up. He already knew about the football pro- gram from his previous visits to Happy Valley, based on conversations with the coaching sta7 and his observations from watching spring practice. Still, Fisher was con6icted. His uncle had played at Michi- gan State, and Fisher had developed a pos- itive relationship with the coaching sta7 of Penn State's Big Ten East Division rival. "I was de5nitely still 50-50," Fisher said of his mindset heading into that o8cial visit, which took place the weekend of Penn State's victory over Pitt. It didn't take very long for that to change. The o8cial visit gave Fisher his 5rst op- portunity to take in what Penn State of- fered beyond the football facilities. "We still talked a lot of football," he said. "But most of that visit was about everything else. It was more about Penn State as a school. They showed me around the campus a lot, and I spent a lot of time with [linebacker] Jesse Luketa and his friends. There was a lot more school stu7. I think that really showed me what Penn State is all about." By the end, Fisher's decision was made. He announced his commitment the fol- lowing Monday, becoming the third and 5nal linebacker in Penn State's 2020 class. Fisher, a native of Aliquippa, Pa., chose the Nittany Lions from a list of 23 Football Bowl Subdivision schools that had ex- tended o7ers, including Texas A&M, Ne- braska, Pitt, Kentucky and West Virginia. He is rated by Rivals.com as a three-star prospect, the No. 4 recruit in Pennsylva- nia and the 45th-ranked outside line- backer prospect nationally. As a senior, he helped lead the Quips to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the WPIAL cham- pionship game. Fisher said one of his best skills is his ability to anticipate what o7enses are going to do based on the body language of certain players. "I think I'm pretty good at reading guards," he said. "You can tell a lot by just looking at their 5ngertips, especially when they're tired. If their stance is real light and he's not putting much pressure on his hand, he's probably about to pull. If his stance is heavy, he's probably com- ing right at me. Just stu7 like that." Fisher said he still hopes to improve his coverage skills, noting that in the college game, linebackers are expected to cover tight ends and running backs consistently. "I want to make sure I can cover those guys," he said. There was some uncertainty about whether Fisher would come into college as a linebacker or defensive end, but he made it clear he plans to start his collegiate ca- reer as a linebacker. He's down to about 233 pounds a9er starting at 255 as a senior at Aliquippa, a change that should signi5- cantly improve his mobility at Penn State. "Honestly, I just stopped eating so much," Fisher said with a laugh. "I didn't really have a goal to lose 20 pounds or anything like that, but I did get a little too big and stopped eating so much. I think I'm at the right weight right now, and I know the coaches liked what they saw during hoops season. I feel good." Penn State gave Fisher a workout plan for the o7-season. The coronavirus pan- demic has made it a bit harder for Fisher to execute those workouts as written, but he said he's still 5nding a way to get them done as he pushes toward his goals. "I want to go up there and work hard," he said. "I want to be a great player and do everything I can to help Penn State win a national championship, but I haven't re- ally thought about personal goals or any- thing like that. I just want to win." ■ Official visit last fall sold Fisher on Nittany Lions THE FISHER FILE STATS Was a four-year letterman and team captain as a senior at Aliquippa... Finished with 75 tackles and four interceptions for a Quips team that went 11-2 in 2019... Helped the Quips win the WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA championships as a junior HONORS Named a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 45 outside linebacker nationally and the No. 4 prospect in Pennsylvania CLICK HERE to see video of Fisher in action. won national championships and played in the NFL. The guy has done it all. He means business, and I really appreciate that." Traore's rise from football newcomer to Power Five recruit was a quick one, and playing time may be hard to come by at Penn State for the next couple of years. But if his high school career is any indica- tion, Traore's three-star rating is a 6oor, not a ceiling. "He deserves every single opportunity that comes his way, because he earned it the old-fashioned way," Kell said. "His spirit and intelligence will shine just as bright for the Nittany Lions as they will during game days at Beaver Stadium. The sky is truly the limit." ■

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