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Already enrolled at Penn State since mid-January, the former 4 star QB recruit will provide critical depth behind Christian Hackenberg. Michael O'Connor's commitment to Penn State is without question, one of the most critical of this 2014 class. Had Penn State hired someone other than James Franklin, it's possible that he would be signing his LOI to play elsewhere and the Nittany Lions would once again, find themselves in a bind with regards to quarterback depth.
Things initially got very dicey when O'Brien left for the NFL, and O'Connor was forced into a holding pattern while he waited to find out who his next potential coach would be, as a few embedded tweets below illustrate:
Penn State quarterback commit Michael O’Connor delays enrollment: http://t.co/myYGIjRdnP
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 3, 2014
Then it was hinted that O'Connor's decision to stay would all depend who the Penn State search committee decided to hire.
Penn State verbal Michael O'Connor thinks James Franklin would be a great hire http://t.co/sPiT7Lz4zt
— Penn State football (@psufootball) January 4, 2014
Shortly after the hiring of James Franklin was officially announced, O'Connor pledged his allegiance to the Blue and White once and for all and subsequently enrolled in classes for the Spring semester.
QB Michael O'Connor tweeted that he is 100% committed to Penn State and is enrolling early tomorrow. Another positive for Franklin
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) January 12, 2014
Furthermore, Penn State has added a little more International flavor to its roster and in turn, given Canada native Akeel Lynch a teammate who truly understands the sacredness of Tim Horton's, hockey pucks, and maple syrup.
Welcome to Penn State, Michael!
Starz:
247Sports: 4 stars (#17 quarterback)
Rivals: 4 stars (#7 quarterback)
Scout: 3 stars (#35 quarterback)
ESPN: 4 stars (#6 quarterback, #83 overall)
Other Links of Interest:
An Interview with Michael O'Connor
Michael O'Connor's High School Stats on MaxPreps