Signed: Fred Hansard

WHAT HE DID During his three seasons at the Hun School, Hansard helped lead the Raiders to 23 wins and just one loss. That’s the best three year stretch at the Hun School in at least a decade. This past season, Hansard recorded 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. He also forced three fumbles and recovered another two, all while winning the MAPL championship with an 8-0 record.

WHAT HE WON Hansard earned All-Region and All-State honors his senior year. He also played on USA Football’s U-19 national team against Canada in the North American Football Championship on Jan. 28. Hansard is a four-star prospect and a member of the Rivals250, coming in at No. 137 nationwide. He’s the eighth-ranked defensive tackle and the second-ranked player in New Jersey for 2017.

WHERE HE VISITED Hansard earned more than 30 scholarship offers. Some of the top schools included Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC. He took unofficial visits to Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers and Tennessee, but ultimately ended up committing to Florida in August following a trip to Gainesville. However, as the season progressed, as well as his relationship with the PSU coaching staff, Hansard returned to State College for two visits in November. Following his official visit, Nov. 26-27, Hansard made the decision to switch his commitment to the Lions.

QUOTABLE "One thing I really liked is how important academics are to them. They're pretty much one of the top schools in the entire nation for academics. That's very important to the coaches. Also, we talked a lot about family. That was good. I liked what they were saying about that. They're just a very close group and they look out for each other. That's always important."