Washington D.C. Defensive Tackle DeAndre Cook Commits to Penn State
Defensive tackle DeAndre Cook has committed to Penn State. In recent months the Washington D.C. product has been trending toward the Nittany Lions, and his official visit to Happy Valley the weekend of June 16th locked this recruitment down.
Cook joins Xavier Gilliam as a defensive tackle commit in Penn State's 2024 recruiting class. This commitment gives the Nittany Lions a pair of defensive tackle commits this cycle. In a perfect world, Penn State will add 2-3 more defensive tackles this cycle.
Cook also took official visits to Rutgers, North Carolina, and Boston College. However, even with these other official visits, following his official visit to Happy Valley the Nittany Lions were going to be difficult to beat.
"It felt like home," Cook told Happy Valley Insider when asked why he chose Penn State. "Everything that other schools were missing they had. So it just became a point-blank decision at that point," he added.
"I felt like I could be myself," Cook said about what stuck out most about his time on campus during his official visit. He also complemented Zane Durant as a host for the visit.
Cook is already looking ahead to when he can play official visit host. "I'll be Bryce's host when he comes up here," Cook told Happy Valley Insider. Bryce is top 100 2025 defensive tackle Bryce Jenkins, who is a teammate with Cook at Friendship Collegiate Academy.
When asked if Penn State's staff will use him at defensive end or defensive tackle Cook simply responded "d tackle." Cook also stated that he believes his quickness and experience at defensive end can help him be disruptive on the interior of the defensive line.
Cook raved about his relationship with James Franklin and Deion Barnes. "A real cool dude. We can vibe off each other, joking, our backgrounds, anything," Cook said about his conversations and relationship with Barnes.
Cook will look to add some weight and size to his frame when he gets to campus and gets into Chuck Losey's strength and conditioning program. That said, he is already a sturdy 260 pounds and could see the field early in his collegiate career.
What Penn State is getting in Cook:
Cook is explosive off the ball. He is relentless with a great motor and never gives up on a play. Cook uses his hands well and has a great first step when firing out his stance. While Cook's technique could use some work, he is a violent player and extremely physical on the field.
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