Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/450893
P enn State's incoming recruiting class is loaded with prospects who have the potential to compete early in their careers. Of those players, the one who is likely to receive the most scrutiny this off-season is offensive tackle Paris Palmer. At 6-foot-8, 305 pounds, the juco prospect from Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pa., is as physically ready as one can be entering his +rst year in a Foot- ball Bowl Subdivision program. But phys- ical hurdles are only part of the challenge that incoming players such as Palmer must face. They also have to exhibit mental discipline as they move up to the FBS level, and they must adapt quickly to the college lifestyle. Fortunately for Penn State, Palmer is al- ready well aware of what he needs to do. "I'm just going to do the best that I can to take care of everything I can control," he said. "Of course I want to get bigger, faster, stronger. I want to come in and learn the playbook quickly enough that I can really compete in the spring. Of course I want to play and all that, but I also know that it's going to be a process and I will have to adjust to some things. "I just want to take Coach [Herb] Hand's guidance and control what I can control. I know there are big expectations, and I have big goals, too. But it's not going to just happen right away. I have to earn things and I have to do this the right way." Over the past few years, Palmer has worked hard to put himself in position to make an impact at an FBS school. As a high school senior, his physical stature was obvious. The Plymouth, N.C., native attracted the attention of programs Palmer eager to seize opportunity at PSU | THE PALMER FILE STATS Helped Lackawanna College av- erage 374.9 yards of total o0ense and 189.9 rushing yards per game in 2014 HONORS Named a four-star recruit and the nation's ninth-ranked juco prospect by Rivals.com... First-team All-Northeast Football Conference U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L ON THE BLOCK After sitting out his first sea- son at Lack- awanna, Palmer (75) developed into a four- star juco re- cruit, win- ning first- team All- Conference honors. Pho- to by Denise Duda CLICK HERE to see video of Paris Palmer in action.