Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1492675
3 2 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 3 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P enn State landed two more four- star prospects from Florida this year, one of whom is safety King Mack of St. Thomas Aquinas High in Miami. In the On3 Consensus rankings, the Nittany Lions' past six signees from the Sunshine State have all earned four-star designations. Cornerback Cam Miller and defensive tackle Zane Durant both contributed as freshmen last season. Now, the staff is hopeful that this year's additions, Mack and Venice High cor- nerback Elliot Washington, will follow suit. Mack's path to Penn State began in May 2021 when he earned an offer. He had totaled 37 tackles including 7 for loss and 3 sacks as a sophomore, but it may have been the sub-48-second 400-meter time he ran during track season that turned heads at PSU. Mack followed that up by putting to- gether his best football season statisti- cally in the fall of 2021, totaling 69 stops, 15 tackles for loss, 7 sacks and 7 intercep- tions in leading St. Thomas Aquinas to a state championship. From that point on, Penn State assistant coaches Anthony Poindexter and Ja'Juan Seider considered Mack one of their most important South Florida recruits. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound safety earned 30 offers and checked out Mi- ami and Notre Dame in the summer of 2021. A year later, he was serious about ending his recruitment and had nar- rowed his list down to Penn State and Michigan State. The Spartans hosted him for his first official visit on June 10, and PSU did likewise the following weekend. Some expected Mack to commit to the Lions while he was still on campus; one of his high school teammates, de- fensive back Conrad Hussey, had joined the Lions' class in April. Mack ended up waiting another two weeks to think it over and committed on June 30. "Penn State was just a different vibe," he said. "Once I got there, I knew that was the place to be. The way Coach [James] Franklin cares for the kids, he sees bigger than football. But he doesn't settle for a bachelor's degree. He wants you to get your master's degree. That separates and makes a difference be- tween being mediocre and being great. That just stood out for me. What they're building, it's wonderful." Hussey ended up signing with Florida State following several visits late in the recruiting cycle. Mack also had a few schools trying to pry him away. How- ever, as Andy Frank, Penn State's di- rector of player personnel, explained in December, the standout defensive back fit best at PSU. The effort to sign Mack "was a battle to the end," Frank said. "I think there were a lot of things around him that were pulling in other directions. But he was a Penn State kid and someone who felt at home here and wanted to be here. … He's a guy that you could see as a fu- ture captain." ■ Mack had 7 sacks and 7 interceptions for a St. Thomas Aquinas team that won a Florida state title in 2021. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 King Mack Heralded safety becomes Penn State's latest four-star Floridian RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M S | 5-10 | 175 St. Thomas Aquinas High Miami Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Consensus HHHH 93 8 23 On3 HHHH 113 7 22 ESPN HHHH 104 8 26 Rivals HHHH 149 9 32 247Sports HHHH 85 6 18 Statistics • Totaled 58 tackles including 5 for loss and 2 interceptions as a senior • Had 69 tackles including 15 for loss, 7 sacks and 7 interceptions as a junior Notable • Was a two-year team captain • Helped lead St. Thomas Aquinas to a 27-1 record and back-to-back state championships his last two seasons • Two-time all-state selection Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on June 30, 2022 • Recruited by running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter • Picked Penn State over Miami, Michigan State and Notre Dame • Officially visited on June 17, 2022 2023 Projection PSU returns four safeties who played in at least nine games last year, so there's plenty of depth at this position. That said, Mack has all the necessary skills to contribute as a nickel back right away. When you add in special teams, we expect him to find the field in 2023. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "With his range and ball skills, Mack would make an excellent free safety in most college defenses. Thanks to his reckless abandon in run support, he has an above-average chance to become an all-around player at the position." T H E M A C K F I L E