Ohio State commits outshine PSU pledge Pribula
While the six PIAA football championships on Friday and Saturday featured plenty of future college talent, the game that was most notable for Penn State fans was the 6A contest between St. Joseph’s Prep and Central York.
Nittany Lions Class of 2022 commit Beau Pribula served as the starting QB for Central York, while St. Joseph’s Prep included a prolific tandem in QB Kyle McCord and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., both of whom are committed to Ohio State for the Class of 2021.
If this game was any indication, Penn State fans may have to see plenty of McCord and Harrison over the next several years, as the duo proved nearly unstoppable in guiding the Hawks to a 62-13 win.
McCord, a 5-star signal caller, was 21-of-28 passing for 337 yards and four touchdowns, while Harrison Jr hauled in three passes for 73 yards and two scores.
Pribula, meanwhile, was 19-of-38 passing for 163 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed six times for 11 yards, made two tackles on defense, and punted six times for an average of 34.2 yards. The victory marked the third consecutive PIAA crown for St. Joseph’s Prep, while it was the first state title appearance for the Panthers
Committed. pic.twitter.com/4iHxPEguWB
— Beau Pribula (@beauprib) August 3, 2020
An example of the magic that #PennState commit @beauprib brings to the table on a weekly basis.
No such thing as a dead play with him behind center.
📹: @JackWascher I @centralyorkFB I @CentralYorkAth pic.twitter.com/diMfe0TRfS
— Logan Reever (@loganreever) November 22, 2020
If you didn't get to the gym today, this 52-yard @beauprib run will help you burn calories by just watching it. @centralyorkFB @CentralYorkAth @YAscores @theyaiaa @FOX43Sports pic.twitter.com/KwxP2r2c19
— Alex Cawley (@Cawley_TV) November 21, 2020
Thursday is always a fun day to look back and see what great plays we saw from the week prior. Take a look at @CentralYorkAth and @NittanyvillePSU #PennState commit @beauprib highlights from the Panthers big @piaadistrict3 playoff win @FOX43Sports @fox43 pic.twitter.com/JsfRxgZL6m
— Andrew Kalista (@KalistaAndrew) November 5, 2020
Team recruiting rankings
Ohio State is No. 2 in the national recruiting rankings from 247Sports, behind only Alabama. The Buckeyes have 20 commits, including 4 5-stars and 12 4-stars.
Michigan is No. 10 nationally, while Wisconsin is No. 16, Nebraska No. 18 and Iowa No. 21.
Penn State is No. 23 and is still with just 14 commits. The Lions have no 5-star commits and six 4-stars.
PSU target Wilson reopens recruitment
Several Penn State targets for the Class of 2021 have decommitted from other schools recently, and perhaps the most prominent of those players is defensive end George Wilson. From Virginia Beach, Virginia, Wilson ended his pledge to South Carolina last Wednesday. Since then, Auburn, Florida State, and Boston College have all extended offers.
Wilson has been a longtime target for Penn State, however, as the Nittany Lions offered in March. When he initially committed to the Gamecocks in July, Wilson also included Penn State, UNC, and Arizona State as his finalists. A three-star talent, Wilson ranks 356th nationally. The Nittany Lions currently have just one defensive lineman committed to the Class of 2021 – Indiana defensive end Rodney McGraw.
Nittany Lions offer 2021 DT Vaka
As Penn State still looks to add to its Class of 2021, the Nittany Lions extended an offer to Victory Vaka on Monday. Vaka, a three-star defensive tackle ranked 468th nationally, hails from Westlake Village, California. With the offer, Penn State joined nearly two dozen schools that have offered Vaka, including Big Ten foes Michigan, Maryland, and Nebraska. Penn State’s offer came shortly after Vaka announced his decommitment from Texas A&M. He initially committed to the Aggies in May.
Penn State makes top lists for IMG Academy duo
Two juniors from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida included Penn State in their top lists recently. Offensive tackle Aliou Bah trimmed his outlook to eight teams, with the Nittany Lions joining Florida State, Florida, Southern California, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Michigan State and Texas A&M. Bah, who is 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, has received a bevy of other offers, including from Big Ten schools Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, and Purdue.
Penn State offered him in November, and Michigan and Alabama both followed later in the month. From Memphis, Tennessee, Bah is ranked as a four-star prospect on the 247 composite, and the 324th player nationally.
Meanwhile, four-star defensive tackle Dominick James parred down his list to 11 teams, which includes Penn State, as well as Michigan, Nebraska, Auburn, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio State, and Southern California. James, evaluated as the 240th player nationally, hails from Alabama. In recent years, Penn State has scored commitments from players who attended IMG Academy, including Noah Cain, KJ Hamler, and Michael O’Connor.
Penn-Trafford standout garners PWO
A senior for one of the top teams in the WPIAL received a preferred walk-on opportunity with the Nittany Lions. Last week, Penn State extended the offer to Penn-Trafford athlete Brad Ford. On the same day, Ford received an offer from Edinboro University, a Division II school in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
He also previously garnered an offer from Baldwin Wallace. Ford, a First-Team All-Conference defensive back for the Warriors, compiled 246 yards receiving, 110 yards rushing, and six touchdowns, including a 99-yard rushing score. He helped guide Penn-Trafford to a mark of 6-2, falling to eventual PIAA 5A Champion Pine-Richland in the WPIAL semifinals.
