Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499919
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 4 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State was always expected to pick up a few commitments coming out of its spring game, but you won't find many people who predicted that Wisconsin offensive lineman Donovan Harbour would be one of those players. A 6-foot-4, 330-pound interior offen- sive lineman from Waukesha, Harbour announced his commitment April 18, three days after visiting State College for the first time on the weekend of the Blue- White Game. A four-star prospect in the On3 In- dustry Ranking, Harbour earned an offer from offensive line coach Phil Trautwein in April 2022. Trautwein and members of PSU's recruiting staff had been speaking regularly with the Catholic Memorial star, although the trip in mid-April was his first opportunity to have extended one- on-one conversations. "It was amazing. I loved the atmo- sphere," Harbour said. "I loved how they were having fun while competing with each other and making each other better." Harbour picked up his first Power Five offer in December 2021 and added over 20 more in the months that followed. He narrowed his list to seven schools this past December. In addition to Penn State, he included Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin. For a multitude of reasons, PSU turned out to be the right fit. "The academics and staff stood out," Harbour said. "They kept it real with me, and there's also the fan base. This is a great fan base school." According to the On3 Industry Rank- ing, Harbour is the No. 178 overall pros- pect nationally. He's also the 10th-ranked interior offensive lineman and the No. 2 player in Wisconsin for the 2024 class. Ten days after his commitment, the 2022 Wisconsin Football Coaches Asso- ciation Large School All-State pick was joined in Penn State's class by one of his Catholic Memorial teammates, four- star running back Corey Smith. Harbour helped Smith rush for 1,209 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, and the Crusad- ers parlayed their strong ground attack into a 13-1 record. As of late May, Harbour was one of four offensive linemen in the Nittany Lions' 2024 class. ■ Four-star offensive line prospect Dono- van Harbour doesn't block or move like Penn State's recent recruits at this position group. The 330-pound Wisconsin native is an outlier in a group that features current freshmen Alex Birch- meier, J'ven Williams, Vega Ioane and Anthony Donkoh. Here's a look at what the Lions see in Harbour: STRENGTHS Base/control: From a fundamental standpoint, there are times when Harbour looks like a sea- soned pro. He played left tackle last fall due to an injury to another player and never faced an opponent who could challenge him with speed. His smooth, controlled kick slide prevented most from even trying. Power: Harbour has incredible power and po- tential as a run blocker. In double-team situ- ations, he's able to move players and create massive holes. Technique: Despite some limitations, he has good quickness. Harbour can reach-block adequately, and his blocks on pulling plays are great. Once he gets his hands on a defender, his massive anchor takes over, and he secures backside gaps well. Quickness: When you turn on his sophomore film, you can see the athleticism that made Har- bour a top-200 player in the country. The pop he shows coming out of his stance at 300 pounds is noticeable and falls in line with what Penn State looks for in its guards. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Weight: Gaining this much weight was obvi- ously a choice, either by the coaching staff or by Harbour himself. Sometimes our choices back- fire, and Harbour got too big. He'll have to lose a good amount of that weight and regain the athleticism and mobility he lost. Mobility and pad level: Harbour tiptoes around the field when pull blocking instead of running with a natural, controlled gait and good pad level to control his movements. He must ad- dress this significant area of work before he'll see the field at Penn State. Length: Harbour lacks elite length. His power and technique make up for it, but it's there, and it's one of the reasons Harbour struggles to find a good pad level without hunching over while setting up before the snap. PROJECTION Right guard: Penn State likes power and size at this spot. Harbour has both. Although he needs to drop some weight, he should eventually find himself at around 320 pounds. With good quick- ness and strong positional traits, he's a quality addition. Center: Moving Harbour to center is also an option if his length becomes an issue. I wouldn't say it's a natural fit, but most of Penn State's interior linemen have the ability to play center, and the staff insists on cross-training players at some point in their careers. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N A Surprise Commitment Bolsters PSU's 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 DONOVAN HARBOUR Harbour joined Penn State's class after returning home from his visit to State College for the Blue-White Game in mid-April. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER