WHAT HE DID A native of Detroit, Hamler transferred to
IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for his senior year but did-
n't get to play during the regular season due to a torn ante-
rior cruciate ligament that he su>ered in a preseason game.
Prior to his transfer, Hamler attended Orchard Lake (Mich.)
St. Mary's, the same high school as former Penn State All-
American Allen Robinson. As a junior, playing the same po-
sition as Robinson, Hamler caught 31 passes for 623 yards
and four TDs. He also saw time at cornerback and helped
lead his team to the Division 3 state championship.
WHAT HE WON Originally a three-star prospect, he ended up
earning four stars from Rivals.com and is ranked as the na-
tion's 45th-best wideout and the 48th-best overall prospect
in Florida. At the April 2016 Rivals Camp Series in Columbus,
Ohio, he walked away with MVP honors for WRs/TEs.
WHERE HE VISITED Hamler was one of the more hotly pur-
sued prospects in this class. Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio
State, Oregon and Notre Dame started o> as the early fa-
vorites. He took trips to each of those schools, including an
o?cial visit to Eugene to see the Ducks. His er.
QUOTABLE Hamler: "I really like the coaches. They're great
coaches, but good people, too. One thing they really stressed
to me is that they don't care about my size. They see that I'm
a great player and a good person. That meant a lot to me."
STAFF SAYS James Franklin: "K.J. came to camp and ran re-
ally fast. And as fast as he runs this way, he can stick his foot in
the ground and go in a lot of di>erent directions."
PHIL'S TAKE If he hadn't su>ered an ACL injury last sum-
mer, it's likely that Hamler would have been one of the top
ers from both of the in-state pow-
ers, Michigan and Michigan State, and visited them early
and o@en. He also had dreams of playing for Oregon as
part of its high-=ying o>ense. He was fast becoming one
of the best prospects in the Great Lakes region, but in June
before his senior year he made a move that would ulti-
mately impact the outcome of his recruitment.
That's when Hamler announced that he was trans-
ferring from Orchard Lake St. Mary's near Detroit to
IMG Academy, an athletic preparatory school
based in Bradenton, Fla. He believed the move
would not only boost his athletic develop-
ment but would also bring him additional re-
cruiting exposure. Not even a month a@er
publicizing his intent to transfer, for exam-
ple, Tennessee extended a scholarship o>er.
In the end, however, it was an o>er that
Hamler had previously received that turned
out to be the only one he needed. But it
wasn't until a@er a devastating knee injury
during his senior year that he recognized it.
Hamler had never seen Penn State before
but had heard all about it. Allen Robinson,
U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L
|
Hamler brings speed
to PSU receiver corps
K.J.
HAMLER
Rivals.com
