Penn State’s safeties room knows from experience that things don’t always go according to plan, and if they don’t, Vaboue Toure will have to answer the bell.
Last season, the team’s top returning safety, Kevin Winston Jr., lost almost all of the campaign— along with the chance to become a first-round draft pick— due to a season-ending injury suffered between Week 1 and 2.
Now, with Winston and Jaylen Reed gone, Penn State doesn’t have a lot of proven depth at safety behind Zakee Wheatley.
So Toure is going to have an expanded role anyway coming into his redshirt freshman season. The role will get even bigger if unforeseen circumstances strike Penn State again.
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 210 pounds
Hometown: Pleasantville, New Jersey
Before Penn State: Vaboue Toure was a standout at Irvington High School, becoming a team captain during his senior season. He committed to Penn State the summer after his junior season, which ended with him picking up 89 tackles, forcing a fumble, picking off four passes and receiving a pair of fumbles, running each back for a touchdown. He followed that up as a senior, ending the year with 90 tackles, rushing for eight touchdowns offensively and returning a punt for a score. The four-star recruit signed with Penn State in December.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Last year: Although Toure redshirted his freshman season, he got more playing time than most of his classmates. Toure played in five games and even picked up five tackles against UCLA.
He’s a player this coaching staff is excited about.
Where he stands: Although Penn State has plenty of talented safeties— King Mack and Toure’s classmate Dejuan Lane amongst them— there isn’t a lot of proven depth behind Wheatley, who became one of Penn State’s best players toward the end of last season.
The departures of Reed and Winston to the NFL should create an opportunity for Toure to get more playing time, even if it isn’t in a starting role.
A quote by Toure: “Me and family loved the way Coach (James) Franklin and the staff respected us in a great manner and really made it hard for us to not enjoy the experience. My parents and I loved the way Coach Franklin prioritized education and graduating with a degree.
“What I enjoyed most about the visit was getting to sit down and chop up my film and some game film with Coach Poindexter. One thing that stood out to me was the new weight room, simply because I had never seen it before. It amazed me.” — Toure to Blue-White Illustrated after his commitment
A quote about Toure: “Vaboue is a young man that brings physicality and toughness to anyone’s defense. He prides himself on leading by example on and off the field. Vaboue enjoys being coached tough and enjoys the process of becoming a better person. Penn State is getting a humble human being that enjoys conquering everything the world has to offer. He has gained those traits from his hard-working parents who have showed Vaboue the value of resilience, hard work and dedication, which he carries with him every day.” — Toure’s high school coach, Smoke Pierre, to BWI
