3/28/2017 football Edit

PSU in Strong Position w/ Hawkins

Four-star DT Aeneas Hawkins and his mother spent two days in State College last week.

Ryan Snyder • Happy Valley Insider

Recruiting Analyst

Cincinnati defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins has been no stranger to Penn State over the past year, but his most recent visit, which took place this past week, may have been his best yet.

Arriving Thursday afternoon, Hawkins was able to see a little bit of everything, similar to trips before. However, unlike those previous visits, Hawkins and his mother also spent the night in State College, giving him an opportunity to spend time with some of the current players.

"I spent the entire time with the defensive staff and head coach," Hawkins said. "I went to dinner (with them) and then spent the night. I got to hang out with Antonio Shelton and Shane Simmons and I met some other young guys like KJ Hamler and Lamont Wade.

"I also got to see spring ball the next day. The thing that stands out most is the energy around the entire program. They were amped man."

Hawkins also made it clear that his relationship with the entire Nittany Lion coaching staff is beginning to stand out compared to other programs.

"Man, I'm not closer to another set of coaches," he said. "Part of that has to do with the amount of time I've spent there. Coach Franklin has made a constant effort to help me and my family."

Originally, the four-star planned to make a decision in May, but he recently decided to back off of that timetable. He's already set a visit to Ohio State this upcoming weekend, April 1. He'll also likely head out west before the end of spring practice.

"USC, UCLA, Cincinnati and OSU," he said, when asked which schools he'd like to visit before the end of April. "USC and UCLA (should) both be within the next few weeks. I'll be back at (Penn State) a couple times before I decide. PSU is still a top school. They're in good shape."

A member of the Rivals250, Hawkins has now earned more than 30 scholarship offers, many of which are from the nation's best: Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, to name a few. He's currently ranked No. 15 overall at defensive tackle and No. 10 in Ohio for the Class of 2018.