Blue White Illustrated

T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 5 WHAT HE DID Polk reportedly averaged more than 20 yards per punt return and more than 30 yards per kick return as a senior, helping li? Briar Woods to an 8-4 record and a spot in the Virginia 5A North region semi;nals. As a junior, he to- taled 450 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. During his sophomore and junior seasons, Polk teamed up with future Penn State teammate Trace McSorley to lead Briar Woods to a 25-1 record and a state championship in 2012. In addition to his football exploits, Polk also played basketball and ran track. As a sophomore, he won Group AA state titles in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. WHAT HE WON In addition to his three-star ranking from Rivals.com, Polk was named the 20th-best player in Virginia and the 72nd-best wide receiver in the country. WHERE HE VISITED Polk took an uno>cial visit to Penn State last March, making the four-hour trip to University Park with his father. He enjoyed the visit so much that he re- turned three days later with his mother and verbally com- mitted to the Lions while on campus. He returned several times during the summer and fall, including trips to Beaver Stadium for the Akron, Ohio State and Maryland games. Polk received 11 scholarship o=ers, including o=ers from Boston College, Maryland, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Wisconsin. But the only o>cial visit he took was to Penn State in January. QUOTABLE Polk: "I excelled this season because I learned how to read the defense better. I also worked on running bet- ter routes, as well as getting better at creating space for my- self. I've gotten bigger, faster and stronger." FRANKLIN SAYS "This guy can really run. He's a guy to get the ball to in space. Not only does he have the speed, but he has the quickness to make people miss. ... I think he'll show up at 175 pounds and have a chance to compete for us." PHIL'S TAKE Penn State recruited Polk in hope of bringing breakaway speed to the slot receiver position in three-wide- receiver sets. Polk is listed as having sub-4.5-second 40- yard speed and a 36-inch vertical leap. A former track stand- out, he has also run a 10.5-second 100-meter dash. He put that speed to good use at Briar Woods, excelling on the punt- and kick-return units. Because of his potential as a special- teams player, I can envision Polk seeing action this fall. BRANDON POLK RIVALS ★★★ POS WR HT 5-9 WT 163 HOME Ashburn, Va. SCHOOL Briar Woods WHAT HE DID On o=ense, Reid totaled 699 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns during the regular season and averaged 19.4 yards per catch. At cornerback, the position at which he's expected to play at the college level, he had two interceptions. He had four picks as a junior. Reid was a U.S. Army All-Amer- ica selection but was unable to play in the January game, as his recovery from a late-season knee injury continued. WHAT HE WON Reid helped lead St. Joseph's Prep to back-to- back state championships as a junior and senior, although he missed the ;nal three playo= games last year due to a le? knee injury he su=ered in the district championship. He was also a three-time Class AAAA All-State selection, and he was twice named CBS Philly's Player of the Year, winning the award in 2013 and '14. A four-star prospect, Reid is ranked No. 162 in the Rivals250. He's considered the 16th-best cornerback in the country and third-best overall prospect in Pennsylvania. WHERE HE VISITED In addition to PSU, Reid made uno>cial visits to Alabama, Ohio State, West Virginia, Maryland, Notre Dame and Michigan State during the spring and sum- mer prior to his senior year. While the Nittany Lions always ;gured to be contenders for Reid, his early-August commit- ment, which came one week a?er he visited the Spartans, caught many by surprise. QUOTABLE Reid: "I can't really pinpoint one particular rea- son [why] I committed, because there are so many great things about the school. Not only am I going to a school with one of the biggest alumni networks, but they are also known for having a great football tradition." FRANKLIN SAYS "He's a really unique guy, really driven, re- ally focused. He came to our barbecue this summer called the Lasch Bash. All the guys were out playing horseshoes and just having a great time. And this guy and Coach [Bob] Shoop just sat up watching ;lm for like ;ve hours. This guy came on his o>cial visit and he just wanted to talk football." PHIL'S TAKE Reid is physically gi?ed, boasting sure hands, 4.5-second 40-yard speed and a 34-inch vertical leap, and he's also a student of the game. He will bring true leadership qualities to the Penn State football program. Despite the fact that the Nittany Lions recruited four cornerbacks last year, I believe Reid will see action this coming fall. He has the po- tential to become a three-year starter. JOHN REID RIVALS ★★★★ POS DB HT 5-10 WT 181 HOME Mount Laurel, N.J. SCHOOL St. Joseph's Prep

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