CB Jalen Cheek sets Penn State visit date

Atco, N.J., cornerback Jalen Cheek is headed back to Happy Valley this upcoming Saturday, May 18.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Cheek has been on campus twice before. He first emerged last summer, when he attended the annual White Out camp at the end of June. Cheek then returned during the season to see the game against Ohio State.

Now, after earning an offer in the beginning of May, the 2021 prospect is beginning to build a relationship with cornerback coach Terry Smith.

“Ever since I got the offer, I’ve been talking with Coach Smith, the cornerback coach,” said Cheek. “We weren’t talking too much before the offer, but since then, we’ve been talking a good amount. He’s really cool. I like him.”

Since both of his previous visits were centered around Beaver Stadium, Cheek is still unfamiliar with parts of campus, as well as the Lasch Building. He hopes to have a better feel for both by the time he leaves.

“I haven’t been able to tour everything yet, so that’s probably one of the main things I want to do this weekend,” Cheek said. “But also, just seeing the campus life and building a relationship with the coaches. Also, just learning about how family-oriented they are. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”

So far, Cheek has also been able to visit Maryland, Rutgers and West Virginia. He’s also looking into attending one of Ohio State’s camps this summer. However, he’s also made it clear that the Lions should be a serious player moving forward.

“When I got the offer, I was pretty excited because of what I saw during that Ohio State game last year. The atmosphere was just crazy. I fell in love with that atmosphere,” said Cheek. “So, they’re pretty high on my list of schools.”

During his sophomore season, Cheek recorded 31 tackles, three pass deflections and one interception.