Hines Previews PSU Official

Four-star prospect Anthony Hines III is set to take an official visit to Penn State this upcoming weekend.

A native of Plano, Texas, Hines has emerged as one of the nation’s most coveted Class of 2017 linebackers, earning 90 scholarship offers. His relationship with Nittany Lion head coach James Franklin, as well defensive coordinator Brent Pry, is also impressive, as it dates back to the eighth grade.

“Anthony has been speaking with them for a long time,” said Hines’ father, Anthony Hines. “When they were still at Vanderbilt, they were actually one of his first offers. Coach Pry offered him in the summer going into his eighth grade year. That was actually Anthony’s second camp that he ever attended.

“So, we’ve both been able to get to know them real well. When he was younger, I spoke with the coaches then. Now that he’s older, he does all the talking, but we both know them well.”

With so many offers to chose from, Hines has been able to visit many of the nation’s top programs, although this weekend’s visit, which will begin Friday afternoon since Plano East has a bye week, will be his first trip to State College. Over the past year, Hines has also stayed in contact with dozens of coaches, giving him a good feel for when they’re being genuine and when they’re not. According to Hines’ father, both Franklin and Pry have gone about his recruitment the right way.

“They’ve always been honest with Anthony and I,” said Mr. Hines. “We don’t get the coachspeak from them. That’s a really big plus. They’re both two very classy guys. They’re actually the only two members of the staff we’ve gotten to know, so we’re looking forward to getting to know the rest of the coaches this weekend.”

As for what sparked his interest in visiting Penn State, Hines said that, in addition to their relationship with Franklin and Pry, Penn State’s tradition, especially at the linebacker position, is intriguing.

“The main thing is Coach Pry and Coach Franklin,” said Hines.. “He really likes those two coaches, but also, they have a lot of tradition. There are only a few schools in the entire country that have tradition like Penn State. That’s a big lure for Anthony. It’s Linebacker U, so he really wants to see what Penn State has to offer when it comes to facilities and academics and really just their whole culture. He would be living there for four years, so he wants to get a feel for what it’s like to live in Happy Valley.”

So far, Hines has taken just one official visit, which was to Texas A&M, Sept. 2-4, for the season opener against UCLA. He’s still deciding on which schools will receive his final three officials, but those visits should come before the end of the season, as Hines plans to make his decision on Nov. 29.

In just three games this season, Hines has recorded an eye-catching 64 tackles. 12 of those tackles have been for a loss of yards, including three sacks. As a junior, Hines recorded 205 tackles in just 10 games.