Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499919
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 47 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M F ocused on bolstering its offensive line in the 2024 recruiting cycle, Penn State picked up another coveted prospect on April 25 when Eagan Boyer of Cornelius, N.C., announced his plans to sign with the Nittany Lions. Listed at 6-foot-8, 260 pounds, Boyer has the size and athleticism that offensive line coach Phil Trautwein has sought. The honorable mention all-state performer at Hough High School holds a three-star rating both from On3's scouts and in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted aver- age of scores from several recruiting sites. According to the Industry Ranking, Boyer is the No. 40 offensive tackle in the 2024 class and the No. 16 player in North Carolina. Boyer earned his offer from Penn State in mid-January. That gave him a little over two months to get acquainted with Traut- wein and other members of the PSU staff leading up to his April 1 visit to State Col- lege. He said following that trip that the relationship with Trautwein was a major reason why he was giving the Nittany Li- ons such strong consideration. "I've developed a certain way I want to be coached, and he definitely matches that," Boyer said. "He blew us away with his position meeting presentation and the level of detail. He coaches the small stuff as hard as anyone I've seen yet." It also helped that Boyer has family ties to Penn State, with his stepmother having graduated from the school. He wants to major in engineering, and the university's strength in that field of study also played into his choice. Boyer earned over 20 scholarship offers in the past year and visited more than a dozen of those schools. He checked out Auburn, Clemson, Michigan and Mich- igan State in March, then paid visits to Notre Dame, Tennessee and Wisconsin the following month. Boyer had been expected to take official visits to Auburn and Clemson, although Tennessee was seen as Penn State's pri- mary competitor. One of the reasons Boyer has been such a sought-after recruit is that he's very nimble for a player of his stature. "I'm really impressed with his agility and overall movement skills," said Charles Power, On3's director of scouting. "He's a guy who I think at one point was relatively skinny and has continued to add some good mass. What he showed on film is very encouraging, just with his movement skills and upside in pass protection." Boyer became the fourth offensive line- man to join Penn State's 2024 class, and the Lions may already have a fifth, de- pending one whether three-star Penn- sylvania athlete Caleb Brewer ends up on offense or defense. Power said the abun- dance of talent should give PSU the flexi- bility to bring Boyer along at his own pace. "I think with the way Penn State is re- cruiting the offensive line, Boyer is a guy they can redshirt, probably have him sit and develop, but with a lot of upside down the line," Power said. "When you look at what Penn State is doing on the offensive line, I'm very bullish on Phil Trautwein's evaluations and the way he's building that room." ■ When three-star offensive tackle Eagan Boyer committed in April, Penn State landed a prospect who is more highly regarded by college coaches than by the various recruiting websites. A close look at his film reveals what the coaches like so much about his potential. STRENGTHS Frame: There aren't many players who stand 6-foot-8 and have a wingspan like Boyer's. He's a mammoth roadblock for the offense that, when properly trained, will be hard to get around. He has the length to be an elite pass protector as well. Linear speed: Despite his size, Boyer is light on his feet. His linear speed and explosiveness out of his stance are impressive for such a long athlete. Pass-protection fundamentals: Boyer under- stands pass sets well, and has both a quick and standard pass set at his disposal. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Play strength: Understandably, a 6-8, 260-pound tackle might not have the strength and leg power to overpower opponents on every play. Boyer will need to gain over 40 pounds of muscle before he's ready to see the field. Reaction and redirect: Boyer's initial move- ments at the snap are excellent, but things can get dicey when he has to change direction and redirect based on a defensive counter. His change- of-direction skills on the run aren't in line with an elite prospect at the position. PROJECTION Right tackle: Boyer looks like he can develop into a high-quality pass protector in college. His length, early positional skills and quick feet are reasons for confidence. Yet his stiffness and lack of a complete profile make me lean toward right tackle at Penn State. Left tackle: If his profile develops correctly, Boyer is capable of being a left tackle down the line. He'll need to work on his mobility and recovery skills, but his height and length will allow him to make significant strides as a blocker. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N North Carolina Tackle Could Be A Force On Lions' Offensive Line RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M COMMITMENT PROFILE EAGAN BOYER Boyer earned more than 20 scholarship offers and ended up choosing Penn State over Tennessee after visiting State College in April. PHOT0 COURTESY BOYER FAMILY