Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
4 0 M A R C H 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M M aleek McNeil might just be the most unique member of Penn State's 2022 recruiting class. It's hard to even figure out where to begin when telling the story of the offensive line prospect from Walter Panas High in New York. At 6-foot-7, 355 pounds, McNeil is eas- ily the biggest player in the Nittany Li- ons' latest signing group, and in addition to excelling on the offensive line, he was the Panthers' punter. He also played four years of high school basketball and spent three years on the track team. He leaves the prep level with his school's record in the shot put: 50 feet, 11 inches. The previ- ous record had stood since 1956. Put it all together, and McNeil, sixth- best player in New York state according to the On3 Consensus, comes to Penn State with a lot of size, plenty of ability, and some versatility to boot, thanks to his athleticism. As with most new offensive linemen, it will take a couple of years for the three- star recruit to see the field. But he'll be an enthusiastic and hardworking member of the program from the second he steps foot on campus. "For me, the process has been all about finding the best overall fit, and Penn State checked all of my boxes, plus some," Mc- Neil told BWI. McNeil committed to Penn State last May, a month before the end of the NCAA's extended pandemic-related dead period. At the time, his top three consisted of Boston College, Rutgers and the Nittany Lions. Many of his peers decided to wait un- til the June official visit window ended before locking in their choice. But Mc- Neil chose a different path. Planning to major in business and computer sci- ence, he knew where he wanted to be, and no other school was going to sway him during a 48-hour, all-expenses- paid trip. So, he announced his verbal commitment on May 1 and signed in December to close out one of the least- dramatic recruitments of the cycle at any school. "At first, I thought that I was going to need [official visits] in order to make a decision, but ultimately I didn't," Mc- Neil said. "I could have waited until summer, went and had a lot of fun on [official visits], done summer camps and got more offers when other programs finally got to see me work, but my deci- sion would have been the same. "The recruiting process is also stress- ful. So, the best thing for me to do was to commit now and go focus on my craft and let the staff use their time to go lock in the rest of the team." McNeil will arrive on campus later this year. He will quickly get to work learning position coach Phil Trautwein's system in hope of one day filling a tackle role. "With Traut, I like his family-first style and the way we relate and commu- nicate," McNeil said. "He's been honest, too. He's going to be hard on me, he's going to push me to the max physically and mentally, and it probably won't be pretty at times. His approach is actually really similar to that of the PSA Cardi- nals, the Nike AAU basketball team that I grew up with — tough on you, but you know it's out of love." ■ McNeil chose not to wait until the end of the NCAA's dead period to make his decision, announcing for the Nittany Lions on May 1, 2021. PHOTO COURTESY THE MCNEIL FAMILY Maleek McNeil Brings Size And Versatility To Lions' O-Line G R E G P I C K E L | G P I C 9 2 @ G M A I L . C O M MALEEK MCNEIL OT | 6-7 | 355 WALTER PANAS HIGH CORTLANDT MANOR, N.Y. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE consensus ✪ ✪ ✪ 891 65 6 ✪ ✪ ✪ – 73 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ – 95 10 ✪ ✪ ✪ – – 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ – 77 6 STATISTICS • Played on the offensive and defensive lines and also was the punter at Walter Panas. • Holds his school's shot put record (50 feet, 11 inches). • Played four years of varsity basketball. NOTABLE • Was named to the Lower Hudson Super 11 team. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Penn State on May 1, 2021. • Recruited by offensive line coach Phil Traut- wein. • Picked Penn State over Rutgers and Boston College. • Officially visited on June 25, 2021. PROJECTION As is the case with most offensive line recruits, McNeil is expected to redshirt as a true freshman. THEY SAID IT Bill Castro, Walter Panas head coach: "Maleek was a tremendous addition to our football team this past season. He was a great player for us in all three phases of the game. He dominated on both the of- fensive and defensive line and was also an X-factor on special teams as our punter, as well as producing four blocked kicks. Maleek was an awesome team- mate, always coaching and encouraging his peers. We will miss his presence next year, but he has defi- nitely left our program better than how he found it." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "The impressive thing about McNeil is that not only does he have the length, it seems he's consciously using it. You don't always see that with high school prospects. He sets up with a wide base and kicks out quickly on his first step to travel a distance that most other athletes need at least two steps for."