Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
4 2 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 L ackawanna College head coach Mark Duda had already spent 20 minutes talking about Penn State safeties Jaquan Brisker and Ji'Ayir Brown. Set to star for the Nittany Lions during the 2021 season, the former Lackawanna standouts were points of pride. But Duda couldn't help but add another name to the conversation. The most recent com- mitment from the Falcons to Penn State, another talented safety, represented yet another reason for optimism. Tyrece Mills, an On3 Consensus three- star prospect (and a four-star by ESPN and On3's own rankings) who pledged to the Nittany Lions in May and signed on Feb. 2, could be special. "The next one they've got coming in, Mills, is a tremendous player. He's going to be unbelievable," Duda said during a conversation with BWI that was mostly about Brisker and Brown. "He's like a combination of the two. I try to tell those guys, he wants to knock your head off, but he also has pretty good ball skills in the back. He'll be something, too. Tyrece is going to be something." Penn State head coach James Frank- lin agrees. Pointing to the characteristics that allowed Brisker and Brown to shine as Nittany Lions, he said Mills, the No. 12 junior college prospect in the country ac- cording to the On3 Consensus, offers the same potential. "With Tyrece, we saw some simi- lar traits," Franklin said. "You're talking about a guy from the region — he's from Philadelphia Northeast High School — who has been able to go to Lackawanna and continue on that path of great safeties who have decided to come to Penn State." In seven games last season, the 6-1, 195-pound Mills made 35 tackles, includ- ing 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack, plus a forced fumble. Demonstrating his cov- erage skills, Mills also made three inter- ceptions in addition to breaking up five passes. Franklin said Mills' versatility could soon prove useful to the Nittany Lions. "I think the biggest thing is his physi- cality. You're talking about a guy who I think can play really … any three of the safety spots, which is the two deep safe- ties, but also that field 'backer/safety player that we'd like to play with," Frank- lin said. "We're excited to get him on campus." Mills won't be able to join the team until after the spring semester, and thus will miss practice in March and April. But as Franklin noted, there's a bonus element to Mills' recruitment that figures to easily offset his absence this spring. Despite having competed for the past two seasons at Lackawanna, Mills can still play three seasons over four years with the Nittany Lions. "Whether you're at Penn State or whether you're at Lackawanna, that COVID year still has the same impact," Franklin said. "So, you're talking about getting a junior college guy who has three years of eligibility here, and there's tre- mendous value in that. It's kind of a hy- brid high school/junior college type of player. "We're excited about his potential, and we're excited about his future." ■ Mills is the No. 12 junior college prospect and No. 1 juco safety in the country in the 2022 recruiting cycle accord- ing to the On3 Consensus. PHOTO COURTESY LACKAWANNA COLLEGE In Tyrece Mills, Lions Land Another Promising Juco Safety N AT E B A U E R | N B A U E R @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M TYRECE MILLS S | 6-1 | 195 LACKAWANNA COLLEGE PHILADELPHIA, PA. RANKINGS (JUCO) STARS NAT. POS. STATE consensus ✪ ✪ ✪ 12 1 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 7 1 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 3 1 – ✪ ✪ ✪ 21 – – ✪ ✪ ✪ 11 2 2 STATISTICS • Made three interceptions and broke up five passes in seven games for Lackawanna last season. • Recorded 35 tackles and forced a fumble. • Made nine interceptions during his senior season at Northeast High School. NOTABLE • Named the Class 6A Public Player of the Year in high school. • Led Northeast to three Philadelphia Public League titles. • Is the third safety from Lackawanna to sign with Penn State since 2018, joining Jaquan Brisker and Ji'Ayir Brown. RECRUITMENT • Received additional offers from Maryland and Mississippi. • Earned a Penn State offer on March 30, 2021 and committed to the Nittany Lions on May 5. • Was recruited by cornerbacks coach Terry Smith. • Was one of two players — offensive lineman Vega Ioane was the other — to join the Lions' class on the traditional February signing day. PROJECTION Mills will most likely play a depth role at safety this season and could also appear on special teams. THEY SAID IT James Franklin, Penn State head coach: "I think his biggest strength is coming downhill and sup- porting the run like [former PSU safety] Marcus Allen did, but he also has the athleticism and ball skills to make some plays in those areas, as well." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Mills blends great coverage awareness and instincts with a downhill tackling mentality. He was versatile in his usage at Lackawanna, lining up deep, in the slot and off the edge as a pass rusher. His nose for the football will be an asset as long as he cuts down on his propensity for missing tackles."