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The highlights are playing, the coaches are cheering, & Saeed Blacknall is on Face Time. Welcome to the PSU family! pic.twitter.com/cqWA7F42o1
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) February 5, 2014
This is where it starts...Blessed to be able to sign to become a D1 Student Athlete and represent the PSU nation.
— Saeed RaaShad (@RaaShad_TTG) February 5, 2014
Saeed Blacknall (Manalapan, NJ) flipped his commitment from Rutgers to Penn State on January 26 of this year. Although his flip surely had a lot to do with the uncertainty surrounding Kyle Flood and the Rutgers program, the new coaching staff (along with a very vocal recruiter by the name of Jason Cabinda) clearly had a lot to do with it as well. Blacknall had been committed to Rutgers since August 10.
I have officially committed to THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY #WeARE....
— Saeed RaaShad (@RaaShad_TTG) January 27, 2014
Blacknall has an extremely bright future at Penn State. He has nearly everything you want to see in a #1 or #2 receiver. With his 6'3" 210lb frame, he has the mold to dominate outside the numbers. He can go up and get the ball at its highest point, and he knows what to do with the ball after the catch. While he doesn't have De'Andre Thompkins-type speed, he knows how to maneuver his way through defenders. He is a little bit like Allen Robinson in this way, and while it's unfair to Saeed to give him the burden of being compared with A-Rob, there's reason to believe he could be a very similar receiver. I mean, they do have the exact same measurements. If you watch Saeed's tape, you will see all of this. The strong hands. The body control. The smart running after the catch. The elusiveness. It all seems verrrrrryy familiar to this writer.
If all goes according to plan, Saeed will pair with Chris Godwin to form an electrifying duo of wide receivers that Christian Hackenberg and Michael O'Connor will use to terrorize the rest of the Big Ten. But recruiting is still a fickle game, and things don't always turn out as planned. So maybe they'll decide to terrorize the entire NCAA instead.
Welcome to Penn State, Saeed!
Starzz:
247Sports: 4 stars (#31 wide receiver)
Rivals: 4 stars (#32 wide receiver)
Scout: 4 stars (#13 wide receiver)
ESPN: 4 stars (#14 wide receiver, #3 player in New Jersey)
Other Links of Interest:
Saeed Blacknall Commits to Penn State
Saeed Blacknall on MaxPreps (high school stats)
Saeed Blacknall's Official Penn State Football Profile
Follow Saeed on Twitter at @RaaShad_TTG.
Welcome to Penn State, Saeed!
