Penn State adds in-state OL Nick Dawkins to Class of 2020
Penn State picked up its fourth offensive lineman and its first in-state commitment in the 2020 class Monday, as Parkland prospect Nick Dawkins announced his commitment.
Listed at 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, Dawkins earned an offer from the staff less than a month ago, attending a junior day March 23. He made it clear at the time that the Lions were high on his list, but also said that he had to see more of the school. Dawkins got that opportunity Monday, as he and his family visited University Park again, checking out the few things they weren't able to see during the previous visit.
“It’s cool because I grew up watching Penn State,” said Dawkins, when asked in March what it meant to earn an offer from the Nittany Lions. “When I was younger and going through the years, a lot of people in my school and family have been Penn State fans, so it’s cool. I’m a Pennsylvania kid, so to get a Pennsylvania State [University] offer is great.”
Dawkins is the son of former Philadelphia 76ers center Darryl Dawkins. The honor roll student also attended the game against Iowa back in October.
“It was an amazing game and the crowd was amazing,” Dawkins said previously. “Everyone was into it and was loud. It was great to see Beaver Stadium jumping!”
Over the past year, he earned just shy of 30 scholarship offers. Army, UConn, Northwestern, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse and Temple all earned visits from Dawkins. Louisville, Tennessee and West Virginia also offered.
The Allentown native joins Grant Toutant, Golden Achumba and RJ Adams in PSU's Class of 2020. Toutant is expected to begin his career at tackle, while Dawkins, Achumba and Adams will all likely be interior prospects.
Dawkins is currently a three-star prospect and the ninth-ranked player in Pennsylvania for the Class of 2020. He's the first scholarship prospect to come out of Parkland since RB Austin Scott.
Penn State now has the ninth-ranked recruiting class according to the Rivals Team Rankings. The Lions were as high as seventh overall following the additions of Adams and Cole Brevard, but fell back to 10th over the past week.
Join us inside The Lions Den to discuss Dawkins and the entire Class of 2020!