Eight Nittany Lions make final Rivals250 for Class of 2020
Penn State saw all but one of its committed players move up in the final Rivals250 for the Class of 2020.
The top overall player in the class, linebacker Curtis Jacobs, made one of the biggest moves, jumping 17 spots to No. 60 overall. Jacobs’ rise stems from his performance at the Under Armour All-America Game earlier this month. In addition to his performance in the actual game itself, he was one of the most consistent linebackers in practice throughout the week. That body of work earned him a spot on the Rivals.com all-star list of players that participated in either the Under Armour All-American Game or the All-American Bowl.
“Jacobs has good size and he covers a lot of ground,” said Mike Farrell. “The Penn State signee is also very physical and is a big hitter. He could play inside or outside in college and was all over the field in Orlando.”
The Baltimore native was the only Nittany Lion to finish in the Rivals100, but the class had seven other prospects within the Rivals250. Tight end Theo Johnson remained just outside the top 100, moving up one spot to No. 106 overall. The Canadian held his own during the start of Under Armour practice, but was ultimately forced to sit the game out when he injured his shoulder in practice. Wide receiver Parker Washington and running back Caziah Holmes didn’t play in either of the national all-star games, but both moved up a handful of spots. Washington is now up to No. 157 overall, moving up eight positions, while Holmes moved up four spots to No. 172.
The next big move was safety prospect Enzo Jennings. Back in the summer, Jennings was one of the highest-ranked defensive backs in the country, but he ultimately ended up sliding outside of the Rivals250 when they were last updated in December. That ended up being a mistake, as Jennings proved to be one of the best defensive backs at the Under Armour game. Because of that, Rivals moved him back into the top 200, at No. 198 overall.
“I thought he played well,” said Farrell. “He showed good anticipation and closing speed and he has good size. I think he could be a corner or a safety at the next level, and that versatility is important. I liked his individual coverage skill better than I thought I would.”
Three other Nittany Lions that made the final 250 include defensive tackle Cole Brevard and two offensive linemen: Golden Achumba and Jimmy Christ. There wasn’t much of a change with the trio, as Brevard and Christ both moved up one spot each and Achumba stayed at the same position.
One notable player that did fall out of the Rivals250 was wide receiver KeAndre Lambert. The Virginia native was added to the Rivals250 last month, just making the cut at No. 246 overall. With 16 new players joining the final 250, plus Lambert’s performance in the All-America Bowl not being enough to promote him any further, the recent enrollee dropped out of the final list.
Below is a list of the recent changes for Penn State's committed players:
60) LB Curtis Jacobs - Up 17 spots from No. 77
106) TE Theo Johnson - Up 1 spot from No. 107
157) WR Parker Washington - Up 8 spots from No. 165
168) RB Caziah Holmes - Up 4 spots from No. 172
198) Saf. Enzo Jennings - Rejoined the Rivals250
233) DT Cole Brevard - Up one spot from No. 234
241) OL Golden Achumba - Stayed the same
246) OL Jimmy Christ - Up one spot from No. 247
WR KeAndre Lambert - Dropped out of the Rivals250. Was previously No. 246.
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