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Oh, Hello: VA Linebacker Dylan Rivers Commits to Penn State

James Franklin hauled in a four-star linebacker and the second member of the class of 2017.

By Bill DiFilippo

siren

Dylan Rivers, ladies and gentlemen!

Stats:

Stephens City, VA (Sherando)

Height/Weight: 6'2"/210 lbs.

Recruited By: Brent Pry

Starz n' Sheetz:

Starz: 4* 247, ESPN, Scout, 3* Rivals

Sheetz: Arizona, Clemson, Duke, Maryland, NC State, North Carolina, Old Dominion, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia

Cinema:

Finding cinema for Rivers is tough, as his Hudl is private and there are no clips of him on YouTube, but trust us, this kid can play.

The Tale:

Man, it's been a while since we've had a commit, no? It feels like it's been a longer dry spell than usual. That dead period broke about 90 minutes before Penn State's game against Michigan kicked off, when four-star Virginia outside linebacker Dylan Rivers pulled the trigger and decided that he wants to spend his collegiate years in Happy Valley.

Rivers is one of the many young men who are in town for the Nittany Lions' game against the Wolverines. He is (hopefully) the first commit of the weekend and the first defensive commit in the class of 2017. The 6-foot-2, 210 lb. Virginia native has unofficially visited Penn State a few times – this year alone, he has visited in January, March, July and for the team's game against San Diego State.

In the end, it looked like Rivers was going to choose Happy Valley or Blacksburg, as Virginia Tech was also recruiting him hard and considered the other favorite for his services. There's no way of knowing for sure, but there's certainly a chance that Hokies coach Frank Beamer's announced retirement at the end of the year played a big role in Rivers' decision.

Rivers is the No. 231 prospect in America, the No. 13 outside linebacker prospect, and the 12th-best player in Virginia, according to 247 Sports' composite score. With his commitment, Penn State now has the No. 36 class in the country and the Big Ten's fifth-best class in 2017.

The Outlook:

Rivers plays linebacker on defense and tight end on offense in high school, but he's a linebacker at the next level. ESPN loves his physical attributes, saying that he is strong and fast. The Worldwide Leader also loves the mentality he brings to the team, saying that he has "a real lunch pail, tough guy work ethic."

His attitude and physical tools could lead to Rivers playing early, which wouldn't be a huge surprise, considering how James Franklin and co. like to get young guys reps on special teams. Outside linebacker is also a position where the Nittany Lions could use some bodies going forward, as the team will likely have Troy Reeder, Manny Bowen, and 2016 commit Cameron Brown as the main guys at the position when Rivers steps on campus. It's still too early to figure out for sure, but there's definitely a chance that we see Rivers early and often.

You can follow Rivers on Twitter right here: @dylan_rivers.

Welcome to Penn State, Dylan!

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