P L A Y E R B I O S
WHAT HE DID Dalton became one of the more sought-a@er
tight end prospects in the country a@er catching 51 passes for
766 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior to lead Marshers prior to the spring evaluation pe-
riod. In addition to Penn State, he picked up o>ers from Ala-
bama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Nebraska, North Carolina,
Rutgers, Pitt, Syracuse and Virginia. He visited Penn State in
late March and again in April, and also traveled to Tuscaloosa
to check out the Crimson Tide. In May, he chose the Nittany
Lions over the Tide, in part because he liked the "college
town feeling" that he experienced during his two visits to
State College. He was one of four players to enroll at Penn
State for the spring semester.
QUOTABLE Dalton on his development as a blocker: "That's
what I really focused on, and I think you could tell that when
you watch my ense. At 6-
foot-4, he should be capable of adding 10 to 15 pounds with-
out sacrierence between those two players is that Dalton
comes to PSU with more experience as a blocker than Gesicki
had coming out of high school. Because he's already on cam-
pus, Dalton could be a factor at tight end this fall. But if Gesic-
ki, Brent Wilkerson, Nick Bowers and Jonathan Holland all re-
main at the position, I would expect Dalton to be redshirted.
DANNY
DALTON
RIVALS ★★★
POS TE HT 6-4 WT 240
HOME Marshfield, Mass.
SCHOOL Marshfield
WHAT
HE DID
With a penchant for making acrobatic catches
in tra?c, Darien caught 45 passes for more than 600 yards
and scored eight touchdowns on a Dunbar team that went 9-
3 last season. He also played quarterback and defensive end,
helping the Poets reach the Class 2A semiense-
Defense Bowl and the Big 33 Game.
WHERE HE VISITED A@er receiving o>ers from Connecticut
and Syracuse, Darien committed to Temple in November and
made an o?cial visit to the school in mid-January. The Nit-
tany Lions were looking to add a receiver to their class but
initially were focused on Florida prospect Tre Nixon. When
Nixon announced for Ole Miss in January, they turned their
attention to Darien. The versatile athlete had been acquaint-
ed with Penn State assistant Sean Spencer since before the
start of his junior season and had made two previous trips to
University Park. He trekked to PSU again in late January and
announced on Feb. 1 that he would sign with the Lions.
QUOTABLE Darien: "I just felt that Penn State had a better
opportunity for me. I feel like I'll succeed there if I work
hard. It wasn't really the coaches or the campus that stood
out. I liked both Temple and Penn State's coaches. Penn
State's facilities were nice, but I would honestly say that the
depth chart played the biggest role. I think it sets up well for
me to play at a big school like Penn State."
STAFF SAYS Gattis: "Dae'lun Darien is 6-4, 195 pounds and
ran a 4.5 this summer. I think a lot of people get caught up in
the length and they automatically assume this guy is too big
to play receiver. Well, a 6-4 receiver is rare. A 6-4 tight end is
average. Dae'lun Darien is a pure wide receiver."
PHIL'S TAKE Darien has excellent size, and he combines it
with 4.5-second 40-yard speed. Given his long frame, he
could grow to about 225 pounds before his career is over. He
should ense, but he'll
likely need to be patient as he awaits his opportunity. Even
with Geno Lewis having le@ for Oklahoma, the Lions should
be deep at wideout this coming season, which means Darien
will probably redshirt as a freshman.
DAE'LUN
DARIEN
RIVALS ★★★
POS WR HT 6-4 WT 195
HOME Baltimore, Md.
SCHOOL Dunbar
Penn State Athletics
Penn State Athletics
