Blue White Illustrated

March 16 Newsletter

Penn State Sports Magazine

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M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 11 Hainsey set to visit PSU this weekend F O O T B A L L R E C R U I T I N G R Y A N   S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M Penn State will get another opportunity to make a lasting impression on Ri- vals100 offensive lineman Robert Hain- sey this coming weekend. Over the past two seasons, the 6-foot- 5, 276-pound IMG Academy prospect has been to State College more than any of the staff's other top remaining Class of 2017 targets. Since moving to Florida from Monroeville, Pa., his communica- tion with the coaches has held firm, which is why many believe the Nittany Lions will be in contention when it comes time for him to make a decision. "I still talk to the coaches a lot," Hain- sey said. "I talk to Coach [Matt] Limegrover a lot. Also, Coach [Joe] Moorhead has been hitting me up and Coach [James] Franklin hits me up some- times. I've always been cool with Coach Terry [Smith], so everything has been good. Nothing has changed with them." Because Hainsey has already seen basi- cally everything the school and football program have to offer, he said that his main goal on Saturday will be to show his IMG Academy teammates – four-star offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz and three- star cornerback Elvis Hines – what the staff could offer them. "It's going to be cool to be up there with them," Hainsey said. "I've basically seen everything already, so I just want to have fun with the coaches and my friends. I want my boy Elvis to see everything. I know what he can do and I think he really fits their style of play. I think Coach Terry will really like him. "So, just spending time with my friends, hanging out, seeing everything and watching practice. That's what I'm looking forward to the most." Although Hainsey has been communi- cating with both of Penn State's new of- fensive coaches over the past two months, his trip this weekend will be his first opportunity to speak with Moor- head and Limegrover in person. "I'm looking forward to that, for sure," Hainsey said. "I think Coach Limegrover has a lot of upside. I think he's going to build a solid unit there. I feel like they al- ready have some pieces for that and they're going to bring in more. Every- thing will be good with him there. "With Coach Moorhead, I've been talk- ing to him more, but I'm still trying to get to know him more. I'm looking forward to really getting to know what he's like." While he's home for spring break from March 18 to April 3, Hainsey is also plan- ning to visit a few other top Big Ten schools. Following Penn State this week- end, he'll travel to Ohio State (March 26), Michigan State (March 31) and Michigan (April 1). He'll also fly back north April 16 for Notre Dame's Blue-Gold Game. Hainsey said there's also a chance he will check out a few Southeastern Con- ference programs with his teammates when they return to IMG. "Since I'm not with my parents at school, it's been diffi- cult finding transportation to the schools down there," he said. "But I think a group of us are going to take a bus tour soon. My coach just mentioned something to me about this the other day. I know they're interested in going to Auburn, Alabama, maybe a few other schools, so I'll proba- bly get to some of those schools at some point. I'm just not sure right now." Hainsey said he hasn't thought much about when he'll make a decision. He said his goal is to narrow down his list this summer, then use his official visits in the fall. "My mindset is to just decide whenever I feel comfortable with every- thing," he said. "Right now, I'm just fo- cused on narrowing my schools down. Once I get them narrowed down and I se- riously consider where I stand, then I'll figure out where I'll go from there. "I do plan to take my official visits dur- ing the season though. I think those visits are an important part of the process." Originally a member of the Rivals250, Hainsey made a major jump in the most recent Class of 2017 rankings, moving up 182 spots. He's currently the No. 56 prospect in the nation overall, as well as the eighth-ranked offensive tackle and the 13th-ranked prospect in Florida. Hainsey has earned nearly two dozen scholarship offers. Among the schools on that list are Auburn, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, North Car- olina, Ohio State, Pitt, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. CLASS OF 2017 NAME POS HT WT RATING HOME SCHOOL Damion Barber DE 6-3 220 ★★★ Harrisburg, Pa. Harrisburg Sean Clifford QB 6-2 197 ★★★★ Cincinnati, Ohio St. Xavier Yetur Matos DE 6-5 230 ★★★★ Fredericksburg, Va. Chancellor Dylan Rivers LB 6-3 220 ★★★ Stephens City, Va. Sherando CLASS OF 2018 NAME POS HT WT RATING HOME SCHOOL Micah Parsons DE 6-3 235 N/A Harrisburg, Pa. Central Dauphin * As of March 15 VERBAL COMMITMENTS*

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