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CLICK HERE to see video of Jordan in action. on the other side of the 6eld talking to the other teammates. They'd be talking to him and hugging him and he'd go up and down the line, so it would just be very nice. I told Ellison that really brightens my day." But when Jordan morphs into what he calls "football mode," that side of his per- sonality gets put on hold – if only for the handful of seconds that follow the snap of the ball. The e7ort was enough to earn him an initial four-star Rivals250 rating, which eventually became a three-star rating in the 6nal evaluation of the recruiting cycle. It was enough, too, for him to be named the All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year by The Baltimore Sun. Enrolling at PSU this summer, he's the highest-rated fresh- man at arguably the position of most ur- gent need for the Class of 2016. Moreover, he 6ts the student-athlete template that the coaching sta7 covets, prioritizing academics, athletics and cit- izenship as a whole – which is also a reason why he chose the Nittany Lions in the 6rst place, as he hopes to study either business or journalism. "One thing that stood out for us was the fact that they graduate their student-athletes," Ronald said. "They've been doing it even before the NCAA has started to hold schools more accountable for that. ... That was big for us." Jordan appears to have the ability to even- tually become an every-down contributor along the defensive front. When that is, however, remains to be determined. As of mid-May, Jordan was continuing to rehab a knee injury that he su7ered in the 6nal game of his senior season, an injury he played through during Under Armour All- America week in Orlando, Fla., in January. Even though he has a compassionate, introspective side, his demeanor is just the opposite when he's in action on the 6eld, and it's a reason why coaches from the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast and South- eastern conferences called o9en through- out his recruitment. "What makes me that way on the 6eld is the passion," he explained. "I use that as motivation. When people used to tease me and think I'm weird and stu7, it was like, Wait until he's on the football 6eld. ... I'm going to use all my motivation and my aggressiveness on the football 6eld and let it speak for itself. So yeah, I'm a good person and I'm weird sometimes when I'm being myself o7 the 6eld, but I know on the 6eld it's a serious time." That worked out well for Gilman School, to which Jordan commuted an hour each way from his Upper Marlboro home. He was a consistent force on the defensive line throughout his career. And even if it's another year or two until he's making plays for PSU on game day, his impact could be felt immediately, as he looks to bring the Nittany Lions a little extra charm and good karma. ■ THE JORDAN FILE STATS Set the school record at Gilman for most career sacks (52), including 17 as a senior and 16 as a junior... Set a school single-game record with 5.5 sacks against Friendship Collegiate as a junior... Had 71 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and a safety as a senior, helping Gilman finish 10-1 and win the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Associ- ation A Conference title HONORS Named a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 11 player in Maryland and No. 40 defensive tackle nationally... Named All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year by the Baltimore Sun... Was a two- time consensus All-State choice... Chosen to play in the Maryland Crab Bowl the defensive end from St. Joseph's High in Montvale, N.J. Hardy spoke highly of his conversa- tions with recruiter Ricky Rahne and possible position coach Sean Spencer. Spencer presented 6lm of Carl Nassib, an NFL Dra9 pick and consensus All- American last season. That was one of the more memorable aspects of Hardy's visit. He was able to speak with Franklin, and the head coach made it clear that he was one of the Lions' most important recruits in next year's cycle. A return visit is likely for the Lasch Bash. JUICE SCRUGGS Scruggs, a standout at Erie Cathedral Prep, is set to become one of the more highly touted o7ensive linemen in Pennsylvania's 2018 class now that Penn State and Michigan State have o7ered. Considering PSU's prox- imity and MSU's recent recruiting suc- cess at Cathedral, these are likely to be two of Scruggs' favorite o7ers. By no means will they be his last. Both the Lions and Spartans are going to have to fend o7 competition for Scruggs, but PSU has laid a strong initial foun- dation. "The o7er was one of the most exiting moments of my life," he said. "The visit was incredible." JEREMY RUCKERT A tight end from Lindenhurst, N.Y., Ruckert had barely 6nished his lunch upon arrival before he was called into Franklin's o8ce to receive the news. Calling it "a great ex- perience," Ruckert earned a scholarship o7er from Franklin, his ninth total. On May 23, two days a9er his PSU o7er, he received his 10th – from Alabama. CLASS OF 2019 DEAN ENGRAM The son of former Penn State great Bobby Engram, Dean Engram recently concluded his freshman year at Gonzaga High in Washington, D.C., and has not yet emerged on the varsity team. But the Lions clearly like him already. Tweeted Dean Engram, "Blessed to receive an o7er from Coach Franklin at Penn State." ■ Ryan Snyder contributed to this report. RECRUITING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

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