Three players set to enroll at Penn State this week
Penn State welcomes three new members to its football program this week.
Junior college safety Jaquan Brisker is arguably the most notable player enrolling this week. Although senior Garrett Taylor returns for his final season, it's still unclear who will play with him in the back of Penn State's secondary. Junior Lamont Wade and sophomore Jonathan Sutherland both made strides during spring practice, but Brisker is also aiming to contribute right away.
"I want to be the best player I can be. I only have a couple years, so I need to make an impact early and that’s what I’m planning on doing," Brisker said during our Q&A at the end of April.
"I don’t want to sound arrogant or cocky because I know there are great players already there, but I’m planning to come in and start right away. I don’t want to just help out here and help out there. I want to be the starter and make a difference on this defense."
In 2018, Brisker led Lackawanna to an undefeated, 11-0 season. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Northeast Football Conference. Playing a hybrid outside linebacker position, he totaled 64 tackles, including 17 for a loss of yards with nine sacks. In 2017, when he strictly played safety, Brisker had 54 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions and four pass breakups.
He's not the only junior college prospect moving in this weekend. Walk-on punter Bradley King, who also played at Lackawanna, will begin taking classes Monday. During his freshman and sophomore year, King put nearly 30 percent of his punts inside the 20-yard line. In 46 attempts this past season, he had just one touchback. King averaged 33.2 yards per punt in 2018, with a long of 60 yards.
The staff will also welcome one of its top overall recruits in the Class of 2019: offensive lineman Caedan Wallace. A four-star prospect and member of the Rivals100, Wallace was the third player to join the 2019 class and he quickly became one its leaders. A three-year starter at the Hun School, Wallace totaled more than 120 pancake blocks. He participated in both the All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl and was named New Jersey’s Prep Lineman of the Year.
Classes for Penn State's first summer session end June 21. The second session begins June 26. That's when the staff is expected to add transfer prospects Weston Carr and George Campbell, as well as the rest of the Class of 2019.