Previewing Penn State Football’s Massive Recruiting Weekend
Penn State Football has a huge official visit weekend coming up. After hosting five-star Brandon Arrington last weekend, the Nittany Lions now play host to a lot of top targets.
Here is what to look for this weekend.
Top Footprint Defenders Make the Trip
Penn State‘s top overall target, Joey O’Brien, is set to return to campus this weekend.
The in-state Safety has a huge list of official visits planned and Penn State is the beginning of that tour of visits. After seeing State College, he will visit Clemson, Oregon, Tennessee, and Notre Dame.
The timing of O’Brien’s visit to Penn State is not perfect.
Ideally, Penn State Football would love to get a later date. However, getting him on campus at the same time as his friend Khary Adams, is a win for Penn State.
To go along with that, Khary Adams, the Maryland Cornerback, is expected to attend the official visit weekend. Adams feels like he could be close to making a pledge to the Nittany Lions. His moving his official visit date up is a great sign for Penn State, however, I would be surprised if he committed this weekend.
Top Ohio Linebacker, Cincere Johnson, is coming to State College this weekend. It appears that Penn State is playing from behind with Johnson. I would be surprised if Johnson did not wind up a Buckeye, but you never know what can happen on an official visit weekend.
Wide Receivers Come to Happy Valley
After the commitment of Davion Brown, Penn State Football is still actively pursuing Wide Receivers.
Messiah Hampton is a talented wideout expected to be on campus for an official this week. The New Yorker has seen his recruitment explode over the last few months.
At one point, Hampton seemed ready to commit to Penn State, however, Oregon has gotten heavily involved and he has trended away from Penn State at this point.
Getting Hampton on campus could help chip away and get Penn State back into the mix.
The second Wide Receiver making the trip up to State College, is Florida native, Brian Williams. Williams has seen his recruitment quickly pick up. He collected offers from Penn State, Alabama, and Georgia in April. Setting up an official visit with Penn State, shows that the staff is taking him seriously. I’m still not sure how this one will play out, but getting Williams on campus is a good thing for the Nittany Lions.
Defenders Make Long Trip
Texas Safety, Jordan Deck, tells NittanyCentral he will take his official visit this weekend.
Deck is a prospect that is interested in Penn State. For about three wee,ks he was trying to make it up to spring practice, but it never worked out. Now, Jim Knowles gets Deck on campus. Deck is someone who is not at all opposed to leaving Texas and is one to keep an eye on for Penn State.
Dorian Barney, a Cornerback out of Georgia, will make the journey up to Happy Valley this weekend. Barney is a former Alabama commit, and now Penn State has become involved. Barney said he had a really good in home visit with Penn State recently and can make an impact with him on campus this weekend. Texas A&M, Colorado, Georgia Tech, and Michigan are also in line to get an official visit. Barney will be a tough pull for Penn State, but they are certainly not out of it.
Arizona product, Camren Hamiel is an intersting player to pop up on campus this weekend. Admittedly, I don’t have a ton of information on the Defensive Back. However, getting an official visit means that he is a seriosus prospect for Penn State and Terry Smith. Hamiel is not at the top of the Cornerback board, but getting an official visit is something to keep an eye on.
MORE Penn State Football News from NittanyCentral:
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Top Penn State Football Recruits of the Last 20 Years – And How They Turned Out
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Jim Knowles Reveals How Penn State Closed Offseason’s Biggest Hire
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Inside Penn State Football’s Growing Relationship With Malvern Prep Powerhouse
Purdy was born and raised in central Ohio and served for four years writing for his high school's newsletter. Currently studying Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania, Ian has been a lifelong Nittany Lion fan.