Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
3 8 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 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 4 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P enn State was not the first Power Five program or Big Ten school to extend a scholarship offer to Wisconsin offensive lineman Donnie Harbour, but it was the one that pushed hardest for his commitment. On April 18, 2023, Harbour did indeed commit. The three-star offensive line- man from Catholic Memorial High in Waukesha made his announcement long before he could officially put pen to paper and become a Nittany Lion. Harbour received more than 25 offers during his recruitment. He could have taken numerous official visits to check out his other suitors. Instead, he took just one, to Penn State, in June. He never wavered in his desire to build a strong relationship with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein and be a part of the class's nucleus. "The academics and staff stood out, how they treated me and broke everything down," Harbour told On3 following his commitment. "They kept it real with me. Also, the fan base [was a factor]. This is a great fan-base school." Trautwein was a key to it all. The Nit- tany Lion assistant has demonstrated an ability to identify his top targets early in any given recruiting cycle and lock them up while other schools are still doing eval- uations. Those longstanding connections have helped Penn State fend off late chal- lengers. Harbour began the 2024 recruiting cycle as a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking but ended it with a three-star evaluation. Nevertheless, he's confident that Trautwein can help him reach his potential. He continues to reshape his body while working on technique, a process that will continue when he arrives in State College for classes and workouts later this year. Harbour said Trautwein has already made a difference in his football career. "We're pretty close," he said. "I show him my film, and he teaches me. He shows what I did, good and bad. He gives me a motivational kick each and every day. And he shows me what they're doing, because I'm not going early to school, so he helps me out with the playbook." Harbour became accustomed to win- ning during his time at Catholic Memo- rial. The Crusaders secured a state title during his sophomore season and made deep postseason runs in the years that fol- lowed, in large part because of the strong blocking that Harbour provided. "Donnie was a three-year starter and has done a tremendous job in the class- room," Catholic Memorial coach Bill Young said. "He had a dominant sopho- more season and moved inside as a junior, becoming a road grader. Our strength has been running behind him. He's a great kid with great feet and athleticism." Harbour hopes those deep postseason runs will continue after he joins his class- mates at Penn State. "I just feel like Coach [James] Franklin is going to lead us to a national champion- ship," he said. "We talk about going there and competing at the highest level. We want to go win a natty. That's all we talk about." — Greg Pickel Harbour has been working with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein to prepare himself for his arrival in State College later this year. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER DONNIE HARBOUR Penn State had Wisconsin lineman's attention right from the start OL | 6-3 | 315 Catholic Memorial Milwaukee, Wis. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★ 511 45 4 On3 ★★★ — 94 9 ESPN ★★★★ 130 4 1 Rivals ★★★ — 21 4 247Sports ★★★ — 41 6 Statistics • Played defense in addition to offense and recorded 7 tackles for loss and a sack during his junior and senior seasons • Helped lead his Catholic Memorial team to a 37-4 mark during his three years as a starter • Helped lift the Crusaders to a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 4 state title as a sophomore Notable • Three-time all-state and all-region selection • Twice picked as the Parkland Conference's Lineman of the Year • Participated in the Under Armour All-Amer- ica Game and Polynesian Bowl Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on April 18, 2023 • Recruited by offensive line coach Phil Trautwein • Picked Penn State over Wisconsin and Tennessee • Officially visited on June 9, 2023 2024 Projection Harbor played in more all-star games than any of his classmates, in part because he was not able to enroll early. When he arrives this summer, the Wisconsin native is going to offer good size and plenty of talent, but he will be behind the returnees, as well as some of his classmates. Thus, a redshirt season is almost certainly on the horizon. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "From current Baltimore Colts starter Will Fries to ris- ing sixth-year senior Sal Wormley, Penn State likes power and size at right guard. Harbour offers both in abundance. While he needs to shed some weight and rebuild with muscle, he should eventually find himself at around 320 pounds after going through strength coach Chuck Losey's lifting program. Boasting good quickness and strong positional traits, he's a quality addition. "Harbour could also find a home at center if his length becomes an issue. I wouldn't say it's a natural fit, but most of Penn State's interior linemen have center flexibility, and the staff in- sists on cross-training players at some point." T H E H A R B O U R F I L E