Blue White Illustrated

D espite suffering a serious knee injury at the end of his senior season, cor- nerback Daquan Worley is looking to claim a spot in the Penn State secondary this fall. It's unclear whether James Franklin will redshirt Worley to make sure he doesn't experience any setbacks as he recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, an injury he suffered in the final regular-season game of his high school career. But Coatesville (Pa.) High coach Matt Ortega has made it clear that Worley will be ready to go physically come August, and that he'll be hungry to get back on the field. "He's been doing really, really well," Ortega said in late June. "He's actually been working out on our game field these last couple of weeks. I was just out there not that long ago, and sure enough, Daquan was out there working out, all by himself. "He's just such a motivated kid as it is. Now, after this injury, he's even more ready to get back out there." After losing to North Allegheny in the PIAA Class AAAA championship game his junior year, Worley and his Coatesville teammates had unfinished business head- ing into the 2013 season. The three-star prospect did more than hold his own on the offensive side of the ball, racking up 1,246 yards on 130 carries, an average of 9.6 yards per attempt. Numbers like those might seem to in- dicate that he's destined for a career at running back, but it was his play at cor- nerback that most impressed college coaches across the region. "He didn't have a bunch of stats that catch your eye or anything, but that's be- cause teams rarely threw his way," Ortega said. "His greatest strength on the football field is him playing man-to-man. He's just an excellent cover corner. He can lock down on anyone, but he also can be very physical. "His speed, his athleticism – that's all there. But it's his physical nature that I think Penn State fans are really going to like. He's an all-around player." Like so many of Penn State's incoming players, Worley is expected to have an impact that goes beyond his performance on the field. With football becoming a year-round sport, even at the high school level, Worley has proved his worth count- less times throughout the past few off- seasons. "Not only was he our most explosive player on offense and defense, but he was also our best leader. What he brought to the table wasn't measurable," Ortega said. "When he went down, it was a major loss for us. He just brings so much energy to the table. He's a guy who really leads the team. He's a major loss for us, but he's a great pickup for Penn State. "He's the complete package. He really is." Ortega estimates that Worley is back up to about 90 percent of his pre-injury fitness level. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound defensive back arrived at Penn State on June 28 with the rest of the Class of 2014, so now it's up to the Nittany Lions' trainers to make sure he's ready to practice come Aug. 4, the first day of preseason camp. It will take another month or so to de- termine whether he'll be full-go by then, but it already looks as though Penn State is getting one of the state's most under- rated prospects. "He has the work ethic and the internal motivation that is honestly kind of miss- ing in a lot of kids these days," Ortega said. "He's the kind of guy who isn't going to take no for an answer. He's going to go out on the field and do whatever he has to do to get better. If it takes a couple extra hours after practice, he'll be there. "I can honestly say that I've never had a kid who works as hard at being the best he can be as Daquan Worley, and I've coached some pretty good players." ■ 'THE COMPLETE PACKAGE' Defensive back Daquan Worley stands out both as a player and as a leader | THE WORLEY FILE S T A T I S T I C S Rushed for 1,779 yards and 20 touchdowns during his junior season. ... Totaled 1,246 yards and 11 TDs on 130 carries as a senior before suffering a season-ending knee injury. H O N O R S Was rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, as well as the 53th-best cornerback prospect in the nation and the 17th best player in Penn- sylvania. CLICK HERE to see video of Worley in action.

• Cover