Fred Gaskin III, a Class of 2024 four-star safety out of Vanguard High School in Ocala, Florida, has narrowed his school choice down to eight, and Penn State made the list.
TOP 8‼️ @jgpvisuals pic.twitter.com/E21UjFTDnu
— Fred Gaskin III (@IiiGaskin) January 11, 2023
Penn State’s in the running with Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, Michigan, Ole Miss and Tennessee. Gaskin’s the No. 37 player in Florida, the No. 19 safety in the country and the No. 228 overall player from his class, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
Gaskin (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) has 21 offers from Division I programs and is also a dual-threat quarterback for Vanguard. He completed 127 of 204 passes for 1,492 yards and threw 18 touchdowns, also rushing for 582 yards and five scores. Defensively, he recorded 29 tackles, 12 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Scouts like Gaskin’s size and versatility at safety.
He’s capable of playing in the slot as well as a two-high safety. Gaskin playing quarterback helps with play recognition and defending routes. He’s also a hard hitter in the box that will contribute to defending the running game. Gaskin is capable of putting on 10-15 pounds on his frame and becoming a feared safety at the Power Five level.
Penn State would like to add Gaskin to a recruiting class that only includes one 2024 commit, Cooper Cousins, a four-star offensive lineman out of McDowell High School in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Penn State has five defensive backs committed to its 2023 class.
They are; Elliot Washington (Venice, Florida), Zion Tracy (St. Thomas More), Lamont Payne (Carnegie, Pennsylvania), DaKaari Nelson (Livingston, Alabama), King Mack (Miami, Florida).
As far as the immediate future goes, Penn State is coming off an 11-2 season that ended with a 35-21 win over Utah in the Rose Bowl Jan. 2. Penn State finished the season ranked No. 7 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls. The team opens its 2023 season against West Virginia Sept. 2 at Beaver Stadium. We’ll see if Fred Gaskin is part of the future starting in 2024.
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