After a week off, the deeper look into Penn State's most recent committed recruiting class continues with New York running back Akeel Lynch. From St. Francis High School, just south of Buffalo, Lynch was a three-/four-star recruit, depending on the service, and held offers from some of the top regional schools (Syracuse, BC, UConn) as well as some national programs (Oklahoma, Iowa).
His senior season at St. Francis was quite productive, as Lynch carried the ball 225 times for 2,136 yards, running at an insane 9.5 yards per carry. Topping that were the 25 touchdowns over his 10 games, or 2.5 scores per game. Over a two game stretch in October, Lynch ran for 436 yards and 11 touchdowns. Granted Big Ten defenses are slightly better than western New York and northeastern Ohio schools, but if even a fraction of that production follows Lynch to Penn State, fans have nothing to worry about with Silas Redd's departure in two years.
Speaking of Redd, many fans will see similarities in the two backs. Both are from the northeast, an area that doesn't seem to get too much recruiting hype, but from which Penn State fans know solid players can be recruited. Redd and Lynch have similar size (only about an inch and 5-10 pounds separate the two) and running styles (not a big bruiser, but a muscular back with speed).
Lynch was initially on the Penn State radar early in the Class of 2012 recruiting cycle, but relations seemed to cool throughout the year. Lynch committed to Boston College last July, but many outside of Massachusetts (and probably some inside) never thought that commitment would stick. When the new coaching staff took over in January, the connection was rekindled, as Bill O'Brien and running backs coach Charles London (Lynch's geographic and positional recruiter) identified Lynch as a top target.
Lynch was a Gatorade Player of the Year, maintains an A-minus grade level, and volunteers with the elderly and underprivileged citizens. Suffice it to say, Mr. Lynch should be a fan favorite of many Penn State fans.
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