Signed: DT Aeneas Hawkins

WHAT HE DID: Hawkins missed his senior season as he recovered from a stress fracture in his foot. Archbishop Moeller finished its regular season 4-6 and was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. As a junior Hawkins totaled 65 tackles and 9.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He is the son of former NFL defensive back Artrell Hawkins.

WHAT HE WON: Rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals, Hawkins is considered the 13th-best player in Ohio for the Class of 2018. He’s ranked No. 20 at defensive tackle.

WHERE HE VISITED: Hawkins visited all over, including Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, but his most common destination was PSU and Cincinnati. When it came time to decide it was between the Nittany Lions and nearby Bearcats.

QUOTABLE: “I wanted to maximize the kind of player I can be and I felt like Penn State would’ve allowed me to do that. At Penn State, that’s not going to be an issue at all. If you just look at my class, we have a handful of really good defensive lineman that can come in and excel at defensive end or tackle. The competition is going to be really high.”

PHIL’S TAKE: Hawkins is a high motor three-technique defensive tackle. From what I’ve seen on film, he has a very explosive first step and does an exceptional job of using his hands to shed blocks. Hawkins also has the frame to easily add 20 pounds without losing any of his quickness. He has a similar body frame to present redshirt sophomore DT Kevin Givens.