Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
3 0 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 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / C o o p e r Co u s i n s b e ca m e Pe n n State's first 2024 commitment all the way back in January 2022. There wasn't much to make of it at the time. Cousins was still nearly two years away from signing with a college program, and he only had a handful of offers at that point in his recruitment. But he had the one that he wanted. Cousins picked up an offer from Penn State while visiting for a game during his sophomore year at Erie (Pa.) Mc- Dowell. With home just a few hours away, Penn State was a natural fit. In an age when options are kept open and schools never stop calling, Cousins le- gitimately shut down his recruitment when he gave coach James Franklin his word. On signing day this past December, Franklin described Cousins as "a high- production, highly rated guy who was low maintenance." The way Franklin remembers it, the coaches extended their offer while CO- VID-mitigation measures were still in place, so the meeting with Cousins and his family took place outside. "He walked away and came back like four minutes later and said, 'We're James Franklin described Cousins as a "highly rated guy who was low maintenance." The heralded offensive lineman from Erie, Pa., was verbally committed to the Nittany Lions for nearly two years before signing in December. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER COOPER COUSINS Penn State's first commitment of the 2024 recruiting cycle never wavered OL | 6-6 | 319 McDowell Erie, Pa. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★★ 50 1 1 On3 ★★★★★ 27 1 1 ESPN ★★★★ 103 1 2 Rivals ★★★★ 110 5 1 247Sports ★★★★ 53 2 2 Statistics • Helped pave the way for nearly 2,000 yards on the ground for McDowell last season Notable • First-team Pennsylvania Football News Coaches 6A All-State selection in 2022 and '23 • Played in the NBC All-American Bowl in Janu- ary 2024 • Was a two-time team captain and helped lead McDowell to a District 10 title in 2022 Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on Jan. 29, 2022 • Recruited by offensive line coach Phil Traut- wein • Picked Penn State over Kentucky and Pitt • Officially visited on June 9, 2023 2024 Projection Offensive linemen may get some experience, but most are pegged for redshirt seasons as soon as they step on campus. That's not neces- sarily the case with Cousins. He enrolled at Penn State in January and is expected to compete for the vacant center position now that last year's starter, Hunter Nourzad, is off to the NFL. It won't be easy to win the job; senior Nick Dawkins is the frontrunner entering spring ball. But the Nittany Lion staff believes that Cousins has the ability to see the field early and play multiple positions. He came in with the requi- site size and is the strongest member of Penn State's 2024 class. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Few play- ers make good on the promise of size, frame and potential as quickly as Cousins has. The 6-foot-6 offensive lineman committed to Penn State two years ago and began working with the staff to prepare for his time in Happy Valley. Since then, he's grown into a full 319 pounds of useful weight and looks ready to compete in his first semester on campus. "The aggression and finish that Cousins plays with are uncommon. He's strong enough to pancake lesser players regularly and has the positional fundamentals to move comparable talent. Pass protection is still a work in progress, but it is for all high school linemen." T H E C O U S I N S F I L E