Cine previews Penn St. official visit
Four-star safety Lewis Cine is set to return to Penn State this weekend for an official visit.
Back in February, the Everett, Mass., native transferred to Trinity Christian in Texas so he could work with NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who’s an assistant coach at the school. That moved proved fruitful for Cine, as he’s added a handful of elite offers from some of the top programs down south.
However, before he made that move, it became clear that Penn State was one of a few programs that caught his eye. The Nittany Lions have remained in a strong position ever since.
“The relationship I have with them is still really strong,” Cine said, when asked about his relationship with Penn State’s coaching staff. “I’m talking to Coach [Justin] King, Terry [Smith], [Tim] Banks and Coach Franklin. I’m talking to all those boys. I talk to them probably a good three times a week, sometimes more. It’s a good amount.
“I probably talk to Terry the most. I really like Coach Smith’s personality. He always keeps it real with me. I can always be myself with Terry. I can talk to him about whatever it is and I know he’s going to give me the best advice. I can be real with Terry and I know he’s always going to be real with me. That’s the type of person I trust. That’s the type of coach I want.”
Cine’s last visit to Penn State took place way back in September, as he attended the game against Indiana at the end of the month. He also camped with the staff in July, which ultimately resulted in an offer a few weeks later. Since he hasn’t been on campus in over eight months, there’s a lot that Cine has to catch up on. With that said, he noted two things in particular that he hopes to get out of this weekend.
“I have a lot to catch up on,” Cine said. “If there were two things I really want to get out of this weekend, one would be chilling with the players. I want to get to know those guys better. I’ve met some of them, but to spend the weekend with those guys, that’s big.
“I would also say that I just want to see all the facilities again and mainly the campus. I haven’t seen the whole campus yet. I’ve been around the town and campus a little bit, but not much. So, I just want to get a feel for the college life and what it’s like there.”
Cine said that his father and cousin will also be joining him on campus this weekend. His father is yet to see University Park.
“It will be good for him to see the place,” Cine said, referring to his father. “I just want him to enjoy it, too. I’ve seen it all before. I’ve been around a lot of colleges. I’ve seen a lot of campuses and I’ve met with a lot of staffs. My dad hasn’t done all of that, so it’ll be nice for him and my cousin to get a feel for the school and enjoy it.”
Cine has one additional official visit set to Texas June 15-17. Since transferring to Trinity Christian, he’s also checked out Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
“Before my season starts, I plan to make a decision,” he said. “I haven’t thought about any specific dates yet. I’m trying to take the visits that I feel like I still need to take, get them out the way, then I’ll decide. I’m not going to rush it. When I feel like it’s right, I’ll make the decision.”
A member of the Rivals100, Cine is currently ranked No. 68 in the nation. He’s the fourth-ranked safety and the eighth-ranked prospect in Texas for the Class of 2019.