Ellis Becomes Commitment No. 1 in 2019

Penn State landed its first 2019 commitment Saturday evening, as State College native Keaton Ellis verbally committed to head coach James Franklin following the 33-14 win over Pitt.

A three-star prospect, it was no secret that the Nittany Lions were the team to beat. Since extending the offer, which took place back in June following an excellent performance at the staff’s Elite Prospect camp, Ellis has been on campus about a half-dozen times. The 6-foot, 160 pound cornerback held just two offers from Buffalo and Syracuse and was expected to see what other programs offer this season, but he ultimately decided to end the inevitable.

"Penn State checked all the boxes for me," Ellis said. "The fact that my family is so close was huge for me. Penn State is a great school academically, as well. The family atmosphere was big, too.

"I really felt the love from all the coaches. Obviously, they have elite level facilities, too. The fan base and game day atmosphere is unmatched. The list goes on and on!

Ellis is now the first player to join Penn State’s Class of 2019. He was one of a handful of top 2019 prospects in attendance Saturday, as four-star prospects DeMarcco Hellams and Brandon Smith were also on hand to take in Penn State’s win over the Panthers.

Blue White Illustrated will have much more on Ellis’ commitment in the coming days.