DT D'Von Ellies commits to Penn State
Penn State picked up a very important piece to its Class of 2019 late Saturday night when defensive tackle D'Von Ellies announced his commitment during the Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii.
A 6-foot-2, 280 pound prospect from McDonogh in Owings Mills, Md., Ellies earned an offer from the Lions back in the summer and quickly built a strong relationship with defensive line coach Sean Spencer. He also visited University Park twice, the first of which came in September for the White Out against Ohio State. He then returned in November, taking an official visit for the game against Wisconsin. He actually signed with the Lions back in December, but kept his commitment quiet until this weekend.
"D'Von will bring plenty of energy to Penn State University, on the field and off the field," said Hakeem Sule, head coach at McDonogh. "His charismatic personality and dominant play at the defensive tackle position will make him a fan favorite. He is super athletic for a defensive tackle. He can dunk a basketball at 290 pounds. He is very nimble and light on his feet. He also has the power of a bull."
Throughout the fall, Ohio State was believed to be Penn State's top competitor. Ellies took an official visit to Columbus in late-November, but the Buckeyes ultimately filled their allotted scholarships during the early signing period. USC came into the mix later than the two Big Ten programs, but Ellies took a liking to Clay Helton and his staff during his official visit, which took place the weekend after Thanksgiving. His decision ultimately came down to the Lions and Trojans.
In all, Ellies totaled more than 20 scholarships. Other notable schools included Arizona State, Central Florida, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Pitt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
A first-team All-Metro selection by the Baltimore Sun, Ellies totaled 72 tackles in 2018, adding 17 sacks and another 11 tackles for loss. The three-star prospect is the seventh-ranked player in Maryland for the Class of 2019.
Penn State is now up to No. 10 overall in 2019 Team Rankings!
Join us inside the Lions Den to discuss Ellies and the rest of the Class of 2019