Jamil Pollard, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Stats
Home/HS: Westville, NJ/West Deptford
Height: 6'4"
Weight:270
Starz 'n Sheetz
Stars: 4* (247Sports, Rivals), 3* (Scout)
Offer sheet: Boston College, Alabama, Iowa, East Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, Rutgers
Cinema
The Tale
Pollard was the fifth commitment of the Class of 2012 for the Nittany Lions way back in the scandal-less days of April, when quarterback debates dominated the Penn State chatter. However, a couple months later in July, Penn State revoked their scholarship offer from Pollard when it turned out his grades weren't up to Penn State standards. Hard work, dedication, and a commitment to greater things paid off for Pollard, as he re-received a scholarship offer recently, and has reaffirmed his commitment to Penn State.
There's a twist, though. While Pollard is once again a member of the Class of 2012, his recruitment is by no means over. The finalists for Pollard's services were Boston College and Penn State, each of which are going through some uncertain times (PSU for obvious reasons, BC because Pollard's recruitment for the Eagles was handled by Mike Dawson, who recently resigned). By his own admission, Pollard will keep looking during the last five-or-so weeks until Signing Day. Which begs the question, "Why commit now?", to which I don't really have an answer. If Pollard doesn't like how things turn out at Penn State, don't be surprised to see him decommit. Which then opens the door for an unprecedented (maybe? I'm lazy, and didn't look this up) third commitment to the same school if Pollard changes his mind.
Outlook
As you can see in the video above, Pollard is a load of a man-boy, able to push people away quickly and efficiently. He could project on either side, as is typically the case with these big mudders, but looks like he'll end up on the outside of the o-line.
His commitment came at the 2012 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl, being held in Dallas and also attended by current PSU commits Eugene Lewis and Nyeem Wartman (Pollard's roommate for the event). The Bowl has an impressive collection of top recruits (most committed, some still undecided), and a replay of the event will air on January 2 if you're looking for another chance to see Jamil play.
As long as he keeps his grades up, Pollard could be a solid re-addition to this class and some good news for a fan base starving for information.
Welcome (back) to Penn State, Jamil.
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