Penn State flips DB Elliot Washington from Alabama
One day after losing QB Marcus Stokes to Florida and missing on a pair of top targets, James Franklin and Penn State received good news on Friday afternoon as Venice (FL) safety Elliot Washington announced he flipped his commitment from Alabama to the Nittany Lions.
Washington is rated by Rivals as a four-star prospect with a Rivals rating of 5.8. While unranked nationally, he's ranked as the 44th best player in the state of Florida and the nation's 13th ranked safety. While rated as a safety, Washington will be a cornerback for the Nittany Lions.
Washington's flip to the Nittany Lions comes several weeks after the Alabama legacy made an official visit to State College. He also made a visit to Michigan State in June, who was perceived as the potential biggest suitor for Washington would he back away from his commitment to the Crimson Tide. With that, he also marks the second big recruiting win over the Spartans for the Nittany Lions over the last two weeks after they landed St. Thomas Aquinas DB King Mack on June 30.
With the commitment from Washington, Penn State now holds 16 commitments in their 2023 recruiting class and moves up to No.7 in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings. He's also the third player from the Sunshine State to commit to the Nittany Lions joining fellow future secondary members and Fort Lauderdale natives Conrad Hussey and the aforementioned King Mack.
With Washington's commitment, Penn State continues to build what is becoming a truly elite secondary class. On top of the commitments of Hussey and Mack, the Nittany Lions also hold commitments from Selma (AL) safety Dakaari Nelson and Bridgeville (PA) corner Lamont Payne. All but Mack is currently rated as four-star prospects by Rivals.