Jordan Lucas, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Stats
Home/HS: New Rochelle HS (NY)/Worcester Academy (MA)
Height: 6'-6'1"
Weight: Quite a variance across the site, so we'll average and say 185 lbs.
Starz 'n Sheetz
Stars: 3* (247Sports, Rivals, Scout)
Offer sheet: Akron, Massachusetts, Old Dominion, Temple
Cinema
The Tale
Lucas is the first commitment of the Bill O'Brien era, and is indicative of the type of player you'll see fill out this class. That's not to say that Lucas is a bad player (quite the contrary, actually), but if you are anticipating offer sheets with names like Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Oregon for the remaining committments, you're in for quite a surprise.
Originally planning to commit to Temple last week, Lucas postponed that decision until he heard from the Penn State coaches about an offer. That word came through Monday evening, following an in-home visit and follow-up phone call. Lucas was visited by Coaches Roof, Vanderlinden, and Butler.
Lucas had heard from Penn State in the past, and even took an unofficial visit, but didn't receive his offer until Monday, and accepted on the spot. Other schools that were pursuing Lucas, though that hadn't offered, include Connecticut, Virginia, and Rutgers.
Outlook
In what could turn out to be a huge steal in the Class of 2012, Jordan Lucas comes to Penn State as a consensus three-star player, but with tape that would suggest otherwise. There are some reports floating around that grades were an issue, which could explain his one year stint at a post-graduate academy in Massachusetts, but whether or not those reports are true is immaterial now. He has cleared Penn State's still-high academic standards and plans on being on campus this summer.
Lucas is a quick, slippery player on offense, but will project into the defensive backfield at Penn State. Whether this means safety or corner is debatable, as different analysts have different projections for Lucas. He can play on the line at cornerback, but also has quick closing speed for a safety. Penn State did not have a defensive back taller than 6'1" on last year's official roster, so Lucas already comes in on the high side. However, we still don't know what kinds of players Coach Butler and Coach Roof will be looking for in the next few years.
The downside here, through no fault of Lucas', is that his offer and commitment come almost simultaneously with Penn State's in-home visit with Armani Reeves. Did the staff learn something in that meeting that would suggest the need to offer Lucas? That's unclear as of yet. Reeves and teammate Cam Williams are set to be on campus in a couple of weeks (where Coach O'Brien would have off regardless of the Patriots standing in the playoffs). With national signing day 15 days away, the decisions for those two players appear to be coming down to the wire.
Either way, welcome to Penn State, Jordan!