Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
1 0 0 A U G U S T 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 P enn State had long been at the top of DeAndre Cook's list of potential col- lege destinations, but the recruiting process is all about exploring one's op- tions, and the three-star defensive tackle from Washington, D.C., had his share. Rated by On3 as the nation's No. 83 de- fensive lineman and the No. 4 prospect in the District of Columbia, Cook ended up committing to the Nittany Lions on June 30, but not before tak- ing official visits to Rutgers and North Carolina. "Before I took m y o f f i c i a l s , Penn State was at the top," said Cook, a stand- out at Friendship Collegiate Acad- emy. "Then, as my visits started, I did start weigh- ing my options more. When I got to UNC, they be- came a serious option for me. But then, when I went back to Penn State, I realized that I needed that refresher. "The answer was really always Penn State. I liked UNC, but I realized after that visit that I needed to be strong and pull the trigger on them." Cook visited PSU for the first time during his freshman year in 2021, but it wasn't until this past spring that his re- cruitment really took off. In March, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound interior lineman began speaking more regularly with just- hired defensive line coach Deion Barnes. Those conversations were followed by an unofficial visit on April 1. By the time he left campus, Cook had an offer from the Nittany Lions. As spring progressed, it became clear Penn State was going to be a serious player, but Cook had to take his official visits first before truly sorting it all out. The trips to Rutgers and North Carolina in early June gave him something to think about, but then he visited Penn State on the weekend of June 16-18 and came away feeling that he knew where he wanted to be. He did make one more official visit the following weekend to Boston College, but that was primarily to "make sure that feeling for Penn State wasn't a fluke." Cook said his official visit to PSU confirmed the positive feel- ings he had got- te n f r o m h i s earlier trips and allowed him to reconnect with Barnes. "They did ev- erything right," Cook said. "A lot of schools pushed that one thing they were a m a z i n g a t , but I'd never hear about other things. It wasn't like that with Penn State. They showed me everything at Penn State I needed to know. "I also had a great relationship with Deion. He's real. If you ever got to sit in a room with me and him, we're probably not going to be talking about football. We were both raised similarly and just relate well." He added that the atmosphere inside the Lasch Building also left a strong im- pression. "It's one big family," Cook said. "Ev- eryone works together at Penn State. The coaches are in tune with the players. Ev- eryone is there to help and support each other. Then once the whistle blows, it's straight business. Everyone gets to work. I love that combination of how it works on and off the field at Penn State." ■ COMMITMENT PROFILE DEANDRE COOK Cook took official visits to Rutgers, North Carolina and Boston College in June, but none were able to sway him away from the Nittany Lions. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER In three-star prospect DeAndre Cook, Penn State finds itself with a mid-level re- cruit at a position where fans are clamoring for more. But not all three-star prospects are built the same. Does Cook possess the skills to outperform his rating, given time? Let's take a look: STRENGTHS Frame: I'm not sure it's genetically possible to do better than a 35-inch reach. Cook's 6-foot-3 frame is massive and ideal for put- ting on weight and playing defensive tackle in the Big Ten. Burst: As a high school defensive end, Cook can threaten the edge with a great first step and get underneath the pads of offensive tackles. Like other straight-line athletes, he shines when he's on the run. Gap penetration/fundamentals: Cook showed exceptional improvement in his de- fensive fundamentals last season. His pad level came down significantly by the end of the year. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Strength: While he's a big, intimidating presence, Cook doesn't yet exhibit the raw strength of a dominant defensive tackle. That's partly due to his technique, but he's also undersized for his frame. Block shedding/hand usage: Sometimes, Cook rushes the passer with seemingly no plan and doesn't take advantage of his reach to stack and shed linemen quickly. Agility: Cook struggles to react to plays and adjust to opponents who evade his ini- tial contact. While that matters less on the interior, he does need to be able to react to screens and players making moves at the line of scrimmage. PROJECTION One-technique defensive tackle: Penn State doesn't play with a strict delineation between the two defensive tackle positions, but one-technique tackles are less apt to find themselves playing in space, meaning that this role might be a better fit. Three-technique defensive tackle: Cook possesses most of the athletic traits needed to be a quality pass rusher. If he can work on his bend and change-of-direction skills, he could play here. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N Official Visit Clinches D.C. Defensive Tackle's Choice RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M