Breaking Down the Class of 2020: Defense

Penn State signed all 27 players in its Class of 2020 back in December. That may have taken the fun out of National Signing Day this year, but there's still plenty for fans to be excited about it.

As of Wednesday morning, the Nittany Lions ranked 12th nationally in the Rivals.com Team Rankings, which is actually two spots higher than where the class ranked when it was finalized in December. This will be the fourth straight year that James Franklin and his assistants sign a class inside the Top 15.

Penn State also signed 13 four-star prospects, eight of whom made the Rivals250. The remaining 14 players all earned a three-star rating.

Get to know the team's defensive players here!

WHAT HE DID Mostella was a three-year letterman and a team captain as a senior at East Kentwood. During his junior season, he helped lead the Falcons to a 9-2 finish. He wasn’t a fixture on the camp circuit, but Rivals.com analyst Josh Helmholdt had several opportunities to see him play at East Kentwood and said that his size and athletic ability make him an intriguing prospect. “The part about Mostella’s game that folks get excited about, rightfully, is his length for the defensive end position,” Helmholdt said. “Physically, he looks like he should be playing small forward on the basketball court. Another strength of Mostella’s game is his motor. In all the times covering him, I cannot recall Mostella taking a play off, and I can recall several times seeing him chasing plays across the field and playing to the whistle.”

WHAT HE WON Mostella received a three-star rating from Rivals.com and was the 34th-ranked player in Michigan. In addition, he twice earned All-Conference recognition.

WHERE HE VISITED Mostella attended the 2018 Blue-White Game and earned an offer from the Nittany Lions the following month. He also attended the Ohio State game in the fall, but then he went quiet for about eight months. Last May, it became clear that the Lions were still very interested. As it turned out, that interest was mutual. Mostella took two official visits in June – the first to Penn State at the beginning of the month, and another to Iowa two weeks later. He then took two weeks to think it over before announcing his commitment to Penn State on July 5. Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern and Ohio State were a few other schools that extended offers to Mostella, whose father, Marcellus, played for Auburn from 1993 to ’96.

QUOTABLE - East Kentwood head coach Tony Kimbrough: “Bryce’s ability as a player starts with his high energy. He goes all out, not only in games, but in practice as well. His length is his gift. He played a major role in the overall success of our program. His leadership came by way of his work ethic in the off-season, spending countless hours in the weight room and doing extra conditioning while everyone else was gone. He’s got the tools to be really special.”

PHIL’S TAKE Mostella is one of the most interesting members of Penn State’s class. At 6-foot-6, he has the frame to add 30 to 35 pounds, which would make him a candidate for the strongside defensive end position. Mostella uses his hands well to shed blocks, but he will definitely be redshirted his freshman season after arriving at PSU in January. He needs to improve his upper-body strength to become an every-down player at the college level. By enrolling early, Mostella will have an opportunity to get off to a strong start in Dwight Galt’s strength and conditioning program.

WHAT HE DID Taylor was a four-year letterman at Lima Senior High and a team captain as a senior. He came on strong as an upperclassmen, finishing with eight sacks as a junior and nearly doubling that total as a senior. Taylor finished with 57 total tackles and 14 sacks in his final high school season, by which time he had already committed to Penn State. Josh Helmholdt of Rivals.com said that Taylor’s unique skill set helped him stand out at the high school level. When Helmholdt scouted him at the Cincinnati Rivals Camp last summer, Taylor was 25 pounds below his current listed weight. “From a size standpoint, Taylor is an atypical 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds for a defensive end,” Helmholdt noted. “Yet he plays longer than that, and one reason is because he has a 77-inch wingspan. The other reason is because his first step is so explosive, offensive tackles do not have time to get into their set. His height, or lack thereof, actually helps him with leverage because he’s able to quickly get into and under 6-6, 6-7 offensive tackles.”

WHAT HE WON Taylor received a three-star rating from Rivals.com. He was the 28th-rated weakside defensive end nationally and the No. 14 prospect in Ohio.

WHERE HE VISITED Taylor attended a junior day last March and received an offer from the staff two days later. He then took his official visit to University Park on the weekend of June 20-22, right before the start of the summer dead period. That was the trip that put the Nittany Lions at the top of his list. Taylor ended up committing six days later, on June 28. Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Tennessee all extended scholarship offers, but he was sold on the Lions. “I’m really grateful for the love and appreciation they’ve shown me,” he said “There’s just a lot of tradition at Penn State, and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

QUOTABLE - Lima Senior head coach Andre Griffin: “Brandon worked very hard this off-season to meet his goals. He was very excited when he committed to Penn State. ... We at Lima Senior High School are proud of Brandon, and Penn State has some new fans in Ohio."

PHIL'S TAKE Taylor played almost all of his senior season at the strongside defensive end position. He has an explosive first step and uses his hands well to shed blocks. Although he’s already put on quite a bit of weight since last summer, I believe he has the potential to add another 20 pounds. If he keeps growing, it will be interesting to see whether he eventually ends up moving to the three-technique defensive tackle position. However, he has an excellent outside pass rush, which is why I expect him to begin his career at defensive end.

WHAT HE DID Brevard was a key player on a Carmel team that reached the state title game each of the past two seasons. As a senior, he had 46 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack, helping lift the Greyhounds to the IHSAA Class 6A championship with a 20-17 victory over Center Grove in the title game. The year before, he had 32 tackles, including five tackles for loss, for a team that fell to Warren Central in the IHSAA final. The Greyhounds finished 11-3 both years. As a sophomore, Brevard posted a career-best 54 tackles, including five sacks and a forced fumble. He also competed in lacrosse and track and field during his time at Carmel.

WHAT HE WON Brevard received a four-star rating from Rivals.com. He was the 20th-rated defensive tackle nationally and the No. 2 prospect in Indiana, and he made the Rivals250, checking in at No. 233. In addition, Brevard was a two-time All-State selection and a three-time All-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference choice.

WHERE HE VISITED Brevard earned an offer way back in February 2018, becoming one of the first 2020 commits to pick up a scholarship offer from Penn State. He returned for the Ohio State game in the fall and also visited to watch spring practice in March 2019. In April, he attended the Blue-White Game and announced his commitment the following day. The Rivals250 prospect earned offers from Clemson, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon, among others. He was planning to take official visits to Indiana and Wisconsin in June but canceled those trips once he committed. He enrolled at Penn State in January.

QUOTABLE - Carmel head coach John Hebert: “Cole Brevard has been a driver of our team culture for the past three years. His extremely high level of effort and his unselfishness distinguished him as being much more than just talented, big and strong. Cole is one of the most loved members of our program, and that has very little to do with him being a national-level player. We all know that he is going to be a big success at Penn State.”

PHIL’S TAKE Brevard played the nose tackle position in a 3-4 defensive scheme at the high school level. He dominated at the point of attack and showed the ability to beat double-team blocks. Despite his size – 6-foot-3, 305 pounds – he has an explosive first step, keeps a firm wide base and shows surprising lateral mobility moving down the line of scrimmage toward the football. In addition, Brevard uses his hands extremely well to shed blocks. He will most likely play the one-technique defensive tackle position at Penn State, but he may have the lateral quickness and footwork to also play the three-technique spot. I believe he’ll be able to compete for a spot on the three-deep depth chart this coming fall, and he definitely appears to have the potential to be a multiyear starter.

WHAT HE DID A four-year letterman and two-year captain, Izzard began his career at St. Vincent Pallotti before transferring to DeMatha his junior season. As a freshman in 2016, he had eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss. He totaled 18 sacks and 17 tackles for loss the next two seasons, leading up to a dominant performance as a senior in which he totaled 60 tackles, including 20 TFL and 10 sacks. Despite weighing 280 pounds, Izzard saw most of his action at defensive end, displaying great quickness and speed. BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr described him as having a “twitchy motor and fluid movement.” Izzard also competed in track and field during his time at St. Vincent Pallotti. He made honor role five times.

WHAT HE WON Izzard, who is expected to move inside to defensive tackle at the college level, received a four-star rating from Rivals.com. He was the 33rd-rated defensive tackle nationally and the 15th-ranked prospect in Maryland.

WHERE HE VISITED Izzard earned an offer from Penn State in June 2018 following camp. He took four total visits to University Park that year, followed by two more unofficial visits in February and March of 2019. He elected to use his official visit for the final visit weekend in June. Izzard committed before heading home, announcing on June 22. The DeMatha prospect earned just shy of 30 scholarship offers. Alabama, LSU, Maryland, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech joined the Nittany Lions in his top seven schools. Of those schools, LSU elicited the most interest, although he never made it to Baton Rouge for a visit.

QUOTABLE - DeMatha head coach Bill McGregor: “Coziah was co-captain of our team and led the team in sacks. He was a really dependable go-to guy all year for us. He played both outside ends and moved inside a few times. A great young man, great character, very dedicated and overcame a lot of adversity. Hopefully, he’ll have great success at Penn State. I know he’s going to a great program and coaching staff.”

PHIL’S TAKE After viewing Izzard’s highlight video, I was surprised to observe that he played primarily at the left defensive end position as a senior. He’s listed at 285 pounds, but on the tape he displays the athleticism and lateral mobility of a player 15 pounds lighter. It’s likely that Penn State will want him to move inside to the three-technique DT position. If that’s indeed the case, the coaches will be looking for him to play the position in a manner similar to Kevin Givens and Anthony Zettel, using his quickness and mobility, plus his explosion off the ball, to get penetration into the opponent’s backfield and supply an inside pass rush.

WHAT HE DID A native of Liberia, Mulbah and his family moved to the Harrisburg region only four years ago. His first taste of organized football was as a member of the freshman team at Central Dauphin East. When he transferred to Susquehanna Township the following year, he was understandably raw at first. Mulbah saw action on both the JV and varsity teams as the coaches worked to get him up to speed. Varsity coach Joe Headen called it “a baptism of fire,” but by the start of his junior season, Mulbah was looking like a potential college prospect. As a senior, he finished with 19 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Mulbah also lettered in basketball and wrestling.

WHAT HE WON Mulbah received a three-star rating from Rivals.com. He was the 58th-ranked defensive tackle nationally and the seventh-ranked player in Pennsylvania. In addition, he won All-Conference recognition following his junior and senior seasons and was team MVP in 2019.

WHERE HE VISITED Schools started showing interest in Mulbah following his junior season, but it wasn’t until last June, when he camped with Penn State’s staff, that college coaches began to fully appreciate his potential. James Franklin and his staff ended up offering a scholarship three days later, and Mulbah committed on June 22. He enrolled at Penn State in January.

QUOTABLE - Headen: “There’s still so much for him to learn, and that’s what all the college coaches liked. They like the fact that he’s big, has some ability and is raw. I know that’s one thing that... Coach [Brent] Pry and Coach Franklin really liked about him. They saw a guy who they can really develop and mold into the player they want. He has some very impressive measurables, too. He tested great at Penn State and has always put up impressive numbers for us. But I’d say his biggest strength right now is his strength, which shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s put on so much muscle and has really always been able to push guys around. ... When he can match his strength and also read formations and understand concepts, that’s when it will all come together. That’s when he’s going to really show everyone the player he can be.”

PHIL’S TAKE A relative newcomer to the sport, Mulbah has probably the most upside potential of any member of Penn State’s Class of 2020. He has good lateral mobility, an explosive first step off the ball and uses his hands extremely well to shed blocks. Mulbah has an excellent understanding of leverage, which likely comes from his participation in Susquehanna Township’s wrestling program. He was a January enrollee at Penn State and will benefit greatly from the opportunity to get started in Dwight Galt’s strength and conditioning program. Mulbah, who bench presses around 300 pounds and squats over 500, has the frame to play the three-technique defensive tackle position.

WHAT HE DID Vanover played two seasons at Abraham Clark High School in Roselle, N.J., before transferring to St. Joseph's in Montvale. From a statistical standpoint, he was a very consist player, totaling eight sacks as a sophomore and junior. During his final season, Vanover finished with 8.5 sacks. He also had 49 tackles in 2019, 17 of which were for negative yardage. Rivals.com analyst Adam Friedman described him as a disruptive pass rusher but added that the strongside defensive end spot might not be his ultimate destination at the college level. “Don’t be surprised if he eventually moves to the interior of the defensive line at Penn State,” Friedman said, “especially in pass-rushing situations.”

WHAT HE WON Vanover received a four-star rating from Rivals. He’s the 12th-ranked strongside defensive end nationally and the ninth-ranked player in New Jersey. In addition, Vanover was a two-time All-Conference and All-State choice.

WHERE HE VISITED Penn State extended its offer to Vanover last February, and that led to a visit in April for the Blue-White Game. It felt as though the Nittany Lions were well-positioned following his trip, but he went quiet throughout May and June. Then, on June 28, following a week in which Penn State earned three commitments from defensive linemen, Vanover made a surprise announcement in the evening, committing to the Nittany Lions. Over the course of his recruitment, he earned more than 20 scholarship offers from such programs as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas A&M. But James Franklin was persistent, and his efforts paid off. “That’s how you know when a coach really wants you or not,” Vanover said. “He took my commitment and he was after me 100 percent, never stopped. I wanted to commit somewhere I would be treated well. The coaches are all about the team. I just felt comfortable there.”

QUOTABLE - Former St. Joseph’s Regional head coach Augie Hoffman: “Amin is a great player and an even better person. He’s explosive. He really made a difference up front for us. He was the standout but did a great job of perfecting his craft at the position. He really came into his own this year, stepped up when he needed to and led by example.”

PHIL’S TAKE Vanover played the strongside defensive end position as a senior, but Penn State lists him at 270 pounds, so it will be interesting to see if he stays at that spot or moves inside to become a three-technique defensive tackle. In his senior highlight video, he looks to be a dominant outside pass rusher who uses his hands very well to shed blocks. He has excellent lateral mobility and explodes off the ball at the point of attack. Physically and athletically, I believe Vanover can play either the strongside DE position or the three-technique DT spot. It will all depend on how much weight he adds once he gets into Penn State’s strength and conditioning program. I expect him to redshirt this coming fall.

WHAT HE DID Described by North Schuylkill coach Wally Hall as “a fierce competitor who loves the game of football,” Elsdon totaled 344 tackles, including 59 tackles for loss, over the course of his four-year varsity career. He made a big impression as a freshman, totaling 50 tackles, and he followed it up by making 80 stops the next year. His performance as a sophomore set the stage for what turned out to be his best season statistically, a junior year in which he finished with 115 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two interceptions and three blocked punts. Elsdon finished his senior season with 97 tackles, including 19 tackles for loss and five sacks, helping the Spartans win their second consecutive Schuylkill League championship.

WHAT HE WON Elsdon received a three-star rating from Rivals.com and was the ninth-rated prospect in Pennsylvania. Following his senior season, he was named to PennLive’s All-Pennsylvania High School Football Team. As a junior, he won first-team Class AAA All-State honors from the Pennsylvania Football Writers and was the Schuylkill League’s Defensive Player of the Year. He also was named to both the WNEP Super 16 Dream Team and the All-EasternPAFootball.com team that year.

WHERE HE VISITED Elsdon was on Penn State’s radar screen dating back to his junior season, but it was a strong performance at a prospect camp last June that opened up his opportunity for a scholarship offer. He returned a week later for the Whiteout Camp and again impressed. Elsdon left University Park with an offer that afternoon and went on to commit three days later, on June 25. Overall, he earned just shy of 30 scholarship offers. Multiple Ivy League schools pursued him, including Harvard and Yale, as did Power Five programs like Louisville, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Virginia and West Virginia. The Mountaineers were believed to be the favorites until the Lions offered. Elsdon enrolled at Penn State in January.

QUOTABLE - Elsdon: “I just want to be on the field. If they want to put me on offense at fullback, I’d do that. I know they don’t like the power-I stuff anymore, but that’s what I do. I’m not a selfish guy. I’ll get on the field any way I can. If they want me to hold kicks, I’ll hold kicks. I’m just going to do my part and take it day by day.”

PHIL’S TAKE Elsdon is what many football observers would call an old-school type of player. He finished the Rivals.com evaluative process as a 5.7 three-star performer, but one other recruiting service gave him a four-star rating and listed him among its top 160 players in the country. In many respects, he reminds me of Paul Posluszny coming out of high school. He’s fundamentally sound, has great football instincts, reads his keys perfectly at the point of attack and plays a truly physical brand of football with excellent tackling technique. Elsdon is a real student of the game and one of the most underrated members of Penn State’s class. I think he has a chance to be a three-year starter at the Mike position.

WHAT HE DID Fisher was a four-year letterman and a team captain as a senior at Aliquippa. This season, he finished with 75 tackles and four interceptions for a Quips team that went 11-2. As a junior, he helped lead Aliquippa to a 17-1 record and the WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA championships. Fisher, who also lettered in basketball, combined size and athletic ability in a way that BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr described as unique. “There’s big, and then there’s Fisher, who is comically larger than the players around him on film,” Carr said. “He’s every bit of 6-3, 255 pounds and has a massive wingspan that he uses well. There are times on film when Fisher is larger than the guards who are trying to block him. While he doesn’t always make overly violent contact, Fisher has the ability to drag a ball-carrier down with one hand and to knock blockers off their assignment and get to the runner. When he attacks the line of scrimmage, he’s an imposing run-stuffer who does not allow yards after contact. Fisher also has a long, powerful stride that is useful for eating up ground in the open field.”

WHAT HE WON Fisher received a three-star rating from Rivals.com. He was the 45th-rated outside linebacker nationally and the No. 4 prospect in Pennsylvania. Following his senior season, he was named Tri County West Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

WHERE HE VISITED Fisher, whose uncles, Kelvin and Keith, played football at Arizona State and Michigan State, respectively, visited Penn State for the first time last March and left campus with an offer. He then returned for unofficial visits in June and July before using his official visit to attend the game against Pitt. Fisher ended up announcing his commitment the following Monday, Sept. 16. Michigan State proved to be Penn State’s top competitor, and he was on the verge of committing to the Spartans in the summer, but the Nittany Lions’ staff convinced him to wait and take an official visit to University Park first. Overall, he earned more than 20 offers. Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, Pitt, Texas A&M, Virginia and West Virginia were among the schools that pursued him.

QUOTABLE - Aliquippa head coach Mike Warfield: “Zuriah is a leader who leads by example. He’s an exceptionally talented athlete with size and speed and potential to grow. Most important, he’s a great, humble kid who is easy to be around. I’ve seen Zuriah grow into a mature young man who wants to be great. I am so proud of him and who he has become.”

PHIL’S TAKE Fisher was one of the fastest-rising prospects in the Class of 2020, and after watching his highlight video, it’s obvious why that was the case. He’s one of the most athletic middle linebackers I’ve seen on film in recent years. What is truly surprising about Fisher’s video is the way he defends the pass. He’s listed at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, but he has the athleticism of a 225-pound outside linebacker. Unless he adds another 15 to 20 pounds, his best spot at Penn State will be either the Will or Mike position. Fisher reminds me of former Penn State MLB Brandon Short. The difference is that Fisher is 15 pounds heavier and two steps faster.

WHAT HE DID McDonogh head coach Hakeem Sule said of Jacobs, “He wants to win, and that’s the only thing that matters to him.” Jacobs did plenty of winning in high school, as the Eagles went 11-1 and reached the MIAA Class A championship game last fall. He excelled on both sides of the ball during his time at the school, winning All-District notice as both a linebacker and receiver. Jacobs initially made an impression as a pass-catcher. During his first two seasons, he totaled 68 receptions for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns. Those performances set the stage for a huge junior season in which he caught 55 passes for 1,015 yards and 12 TDs. Later in his career, Jacobs transitioned to defense. As a senior, he made 36 tackles, including 15 tackles for loss and five sacks. BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr said that Jacobs’ experience on offense could help him on defense at Penn State. “The Nittany Lions have struggled to take the ball away on defense, despite playing in a zone-heavy scheme,” Carr said. “Natural ball skills are not typical for a defender, especially a linebacker. But Jacobs has the unique skill set of being a wide receiver and an outside linebacker in high school, and he has fantastic instincts with the ball in the air.”

WHAT HE WON Jacobs received a four-star rating from Rivals.com and was the sixth-ranked inside linebacker nationally and seventh-ranked player in Maryland. The highest-rated prospect in Penn State’s 2020 recruiting class, Jacobs recently moved up 17 spots to No. 60 in the Rivals250. He was a three-time All-District and All-MIAA choice and was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game following his senior season.

WHERE HE VISITED Jacobs picked up an offer in June 2018. He returned for a game later that year before announcing his commitment during a junior day visit in February 2019. Following his commitment, Jacobs emerged as one of the leaders of the class. Aside from the Nittany Lions, his top 10 included Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Notre Dame, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

QUOTABLE - Sule: “He made the transformation to the defensive side, bought into that role, embraced it and excelled. His future is at linebacker, but we were in a position where Curtis could do multiple things for us, offensively and defensively. He served on our leadership council the last two years and was a captain for us. This year, he really made his mark because he wanted to prove himself as a leader, and he became more of a vocal leader. He had that mentality where he wanted to bring the fight back to McDonogh football, and we saw that every day in practice and every week during the games.”

PHIL’S TAKE The most impressive play on Jacobs’ highlight video is the first one: a punt that he returns 48 yards for a touchdown. That play shows what a special athlete Jacobs is. He started his high school career as a wide receiver, then moved to safety and eventually to outside linebacker as a senior. At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, Jacobs fits the OLB mold that Penn State has established in recent years by signing such players as Micah Parsons and Brandon Smith. Jacobs is a pure athlete who will bring outstanding speed and athleticism to either the Will or Sam position at Penn State. He has the talent to contribute this coming season, but it will be interesting to see if that happens given the depth that PSU has built at that position group.

WHAT HE DID Johnson’s coach at Life Christian Academy, Charles Scott, called the young defensive back a “tenacious, violent tackler and a guy who will blanket you in coverage.” He certainly did his share of tackling during his two seasons as a letterman at the school, totaling 100 stops and forcing two fumbles. He blanketed opposing receivers, too, finishing his junior season with seven pass breakups and three interceptions. Johnson was also part of a Life Christian Academy team that won the Powerade seven-on-seven championship last summer. And in addition to his football accomplishments, he competed in basketball and track and field, twice winning All-State and All-Region honors in the latter sport.

WHAT HE WON Besides receiving a three-star rating from Rivals.com, Johnson was listed as the 52nd-rated cornerback nationally and the No. 10 prospect in Virginia. He received All-State honors following his junior and senior seasons and was rated fourth in the Fab 15 rankings of top Virginia seniors.

WHERE HE VISITED Johnson earned an offer from Penn State during his first unofficial visit, which took place in March 2019. It appeared as though the Nittany Lions were in a good position after that visit, but he then made a surprise commitment to North Carolina State about two weeks later. However, he backed out of that pledge after spending only about a month as a member of the Wolfpack’s class and returned to Penn State for an official visit during the third week of June. Johnson went on to announce his commitment on July 2, choosing the Nittany Lions over Texas A&M. The Virginia resident also took visits to Ohio State, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He enrolled at Penn State in January.

QUOTABLE - Johnson: “I’m a hard worker on the field. I’m a dog. I’m a leader. I’m going to try my hardest, and I’m going to try to get my teammates to try their hardest.”

PHIL’S TAKE Once he adds about 20 pounds, Johnson will provide Penn State with the type of length, speed and athleticism it’s looking for at the field cornerback position. Like one of last year’s CB signees, Marquis Wilson, Johnson has great hands and excellent ball skills. He shows signs of being able to play press man-to-man coverage and appears to be a special teams demon, having blocked three punts during his senior season. Johnson was a January enrollee, but I envision him redshirting this fall as he works to add weight. He’s one of the best pure athletes in Penn State’s class.

WHAT HE DID Brown helped Lackawanna go 21-1 during his two seasons at the junior college. During his freshman season, the Falcons went 11-0 with a victory in the El Toro Bowl. Playing cornerback initially, Brown had 40 tackles, five interceptions and three pass breakups that first season. He followed it up by making 34 tackles, breaking up five passes and totaling three interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble as a sophomore. Falcons assistant coach Josh Pardini said that Brown is reminiscent of Jaquan Brisker, another safety who used his experience at Lackawanna as a springboard to Penn State. Like Brisker, Brown “can get you tackles for loss and rush off the edge,” Pardini said.“But he also has great ball skills and can play man coverage and zone coverage.” Before heading to Lackawanna, Brown played football and basketball at Trenton Central. As a senior on the boys’ basketball team, he led the state in steals with an average of 6.8 per game.

WHAT HE WON Brown received a three-star rating from Rivals.com and was the 12th-rated junior college prospect nationally. He was a first-team NJCAA All-American in 2019, as well as the Northeast Football Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. At Trenton Central, Brown was a three-time All-Conference player and claimed first-team All-State honors following his senior season. He was chosen to take part in the Phil Simms North/South All-Star Game, winning defensive MVP honors.

WHERE HE VISITED Brown attended Penn State’s prospect camp last June, earning an offer that afternoon. He took a week to think it over before returning to University Park the following weekend and committing while on campus. Kent State was the only other program that had extended an offer to Brown before the Nittany Lions got involved, but multiple schools, including Maryland and Texas Tech, were trying to get him on campus at the time of his commitment.

QUOTABLE - Pardini: “He’s probably a safety or maybe even a linebacker at the next level. Honestly, he’s similar to [Los Angeles Chargers linebacker] Kyzir White in a lot of ways. He played corner for us last year. He did a helluva job, just because he’s so talented, but moving forward, I see him as a safety or even a box safety. We’ve been honest with him. We told him right from the start that he’s probably going to grow into that role.”

PHIL’S TAKE Brown saw action at cornerback and safety at Lackawanna. He’ll play the latter position at Penn State, where his run-stopping ability will be a big asset. He’s physical and is an excellent open-field tackler with superb form. He’s also quite capable of playing a number of different zone coverage schemes. Lackawanna relied heavily on zone coverage, but Brown has the athleticism, flexibility and speed to play man-to-man coverage against a tight end or running back coming out of the backfield in passing situations. He will have three years to complete two seasons of eligibility at Penn State.

WHAT HE DID Jennings was a four-year starter, primarily at cornerback, and a three-time team captain at Oak Park. As a freshman, he made 40 tackles and broke up 12 passes, and he continued to pile up impressive statistics throughout his career. During his last two seasons, Jennings combined to make 109 tackles and four interceptions, and he also recovered four fumbles. He finished his career with seven interceptions.

WHAT HE WON Jennings received a four-star rating from Rivals.com. He’s the 13th-ranked safety nationally and the fourth-ranked player in Michigan. Jennings won All-State recognition after each of his last three seasons, claiming honorable mention honors as a sophomore, second-team honors as a junior and winning first-team notice following his senior season. He was a four-time All-District performer and was also chosen to take part in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 2.

WHERE HE VISITED Jennings attended a junior day in February 2018 and ended up earning an offer during the spring evaluation period in May. He then returned for the Lasch Bash barbecue that summer, which is when it became clear that the Nittany Lions had a real shot. He took a few unofficial visits to various schools in the spring of 2019, including another trip to Penn State. Official visits to Kentucky, Pitt and Penn State followed in June. Jennings saved his PSU visit for last and committed to the Nittany Lions about five days after the visit. He enrolled at Penn State in January.

QUOTABLE - Oak Park head coach Greg Carter: “He’s a great kid. He’s been a starter for four years in our program and has been a great leader. He’s definitely going to be missed, not just on the field, but in how he carries himself off the field. He’s been a lockdown corner for four years and moved around to safety a little this year. He’s a great tackler. He has great leadership ability as a lead-by-example guy.”

PHIL’S TAKE At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Jennings has the size and athletic ability to contribute at either the field safety or boundary cornerback position at Penn State. His run support is exceptional, he’s an outstanding open-field tackler and he has the ability to play press man-to-man coverage, as he showed throughout his high school career. By enrolling at Penn State in January, Jennings might have set himself up to see significant action this fall. The Lions need to develop depth at the safety spots, and there will certainly be openings on the punt- and kickoff-coverage units. There’s a chance that Jennings won’t redshirt in 2020.

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