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football Edit

Signed: Michael Miranda

WHAT HE DID Miranda was so dominant throughout high school that at the end of his career, league coaches didn’t just select him as the best offensive lineman. They also voted him best offensive player at any position, bypassing a bunch of ball-carrying skill players en route. He even received the honor over his own quarterback, who had a host of FBS offers himself. When Miranda camped at Penn State, his advanced technique and strong fundamentals impressed the coaching staff and reinforced their decision to extend an offer.

WHAT HE WON Miranda is the first lineman to win the Offensive Player of the Year award in the Suburban League’s brief history. In helping spearhead Stow-Monroe Falls’ 9-1 regular season playing left tackle, Miranda also received first-team All-District and All-State honors in Ohio’s Division I. Miranda has a three-star rating from Rivals.com and is ranked 19th nationally at offensive guard. He’s rated 15th overall in Ohio and received MVP honors at the Rivals Camp Series in Columbus in April 2016.

WHERE HE VISITED Northwestern, Pitt, Syracuse and Virginia all earned at least one unofficial visit from Miranda, and he gave each of those schools serious consideration. But it was Penn State that won out when he announced for the Nittany Lions in April of his junior year. He went on to visit Beaver Stadium for each of PSU’s seven home games in 2016.

QUOTABLE Miranda: “[The coaches] have a really good attitude, and I feel like that rubs off on the team. I just felt more comfortable around them because of their attitude. I have a similar mindset, so I saw a staff that I know I’ll fit in with.”

PHIL’S TAKE Miranda is a very physical player who knows how to use leverage and is extremely disciplined at the point of attack. He was a January enrollee and will most likely see action at center in spring practice. With Brian Gaia having graduated, there’s a chance that Miranda could push for playing time as the backup center this fall. But a redshirt year seems more likely. He has the frame to play at 310 pounds at the college level.

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