Linebacker recruit gives Lions a verbal

July 2, 2018

By Philip Cmor pcmor@altoonamirror.com The Penn State football team set off some fireworks in advance of the Fourth of July on the recruiting front on Sunday. Lance Dixon, a speedy, four-star linebacker from Michigan, gave the Nittany Lions a verbal commitment via a video uploaded to Twitter while he was attending The Opening Finals in Texas. “I was looking for a school with a loyal coaching staff, a place where I was treated like family. I wanted to play for a program that put me in the best position to succeed on the field, a place that knows a thing or two about linebackers. ...

PSU gets athletic lineman

June 2, 2018

The L.C. Bird High School football program has produced Minnesota Vikings safety Anthony Harris and Notre Dame’s Jalen Elliott, so, when Blue Devils coach Troy Taylor says Hakeem Beamon might be the most highly-regarded recruit to come from the Virginia football power, that is no small praise. “He is a big kid that can really run. He has great feet and has good body control for a kid his size,” Taylor told the Chester, Va. Village News last month. That should get Penn State football fans fired up, because Beamon is set on becoming a Nittany Lion. The Lions filled another ...

Lions pick up two, including top LB

May 22, 2018

If things go as planned, the Penn State football team will put an elite defense on the field in a couple of years. The Nittany Lions certainly will have elite-level defensive talent. After signing top-five man-child Micah Parsons in its last recruiting class and a strong player for top-five wrecking-ball defensive lineman Zach Harrison this year, the Lions added five-star linebacker and top-30 national recruit Brandon Smith from Virginia to its list of verbal commitments on Monday. Penn State also got closer to filling out its defensive backfield recruits with a pledge from ...

Nittany Lions getting faster in secondary

May 21, 2018

By Philip Cmor pcmor@altoonamirror.com Penn State’s defensive backfield recruiting for the class of 2019 has the feel of a sprint now — the Nittany Lions have more good players in the mix than they have scholarships. With safety JaQuan Brisker on board after a surprise commitment late Thursday and his friend, Tyler Rudolph, set to announce a decision today, Connecticut four-star cornerback Marquis Wilson made sure there was a spot at the inn for him when he went public with a pledge to the Lions early Sunday evening. “I’ve decided to create a new chapter at Happy ...

Nittany Lions land prized running back recruit

May 19, 2018

About a month ago, it looked like Ohio State was in the driver’s seat in the recruitment of blue-chip Virginia running back Devyn Ford. However, when Ford crossed the finish line on Friday afternoon, he was riding with James Franklin, and it was Penn State taking the checkered flag. Ford, Rivals’ top-ranked back in the country and ninth-best player in the class of 2019, unveiled his intentions and a Penn State T-shirt at a press conference at North Stafford High School. He is the fifth player to commit to the Nittany Lions now that Lackawanna College and former Gateway safety ...

Lions add standout safety

May 18, 2018

Penn State might be about to go on a run of football commitments. It got started a little earlier than expected late Thursday night. JaQuon Brisker, the Lackawanna safety rated as one of the top junior college prospects in the country, announced he had committed to the Nittany Lions on Twitter shortly before midnight. Brisker, who recently had made a visit to Penn State with Lackawanna offensive tackle Anthony Whigan, selected the Lions over Alabama and West Virginia. He was expected to make another trip this weekend. “They were saying it was the right fit for me and my ...