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Before We Begin, an Important Lavert Hill Update
Lavert Hill is still committed to Penn State.
Jake Zembiec *Down With The Sickeness Voice*
We're pretty excited about Jake Zembiec at Penn State. This is because he has a really good, accurate arm and he is mobile for a pocket passer. As it turns out, Zembiec can also ruin people with his ability to block. Look at what he did over the weekend:
Dual threat QB ... I pass and block!!! #RightStickForward pic.twitter.com/XkO6SoZwUl
— jake zembiec (@jakezembiec) September 12, 2015
Zembiec had a really good game – 16-for-24, 228 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT – but his best moment came when he ruined that poor defender. My goodness.
Sean Clifford Can Spin It
Hey, on the topic of quarterbacks, our friend Greg Pickel over at PennLive did a post on 2017 commit Sean Clifford's first three games in the 2015 high school season. It features a highlight video which I cannot recommend checking out enough, because hoo boy, Clifford looks like he can play. Not only is he showing off a powerful arm, but he seems remarkably composed for a high schooler and is throwing his guys open in some instances. We can't wait to see him in the Blue and White.
Clifford is a four-star prospect and remains the only commit in the class of 2017.
Weekend Roundup
Lions247 did a full recap of how Penn State's commits did over the weekend. The most notable performances belonged to Zembiec, who we touched on above, Miles Sanders (156 rushing yards, two touchdowns including one on a 57-yard reception), and Daniel Joseph (one TFL, a 91-yard pick-six).
We Have Visitors
Penn State hosted a handful of visitors over the weekend. You can check the whole list out over on Lions247 ($).
Better Know a 2017 Prospect: Paris Ford
In today's edition of our top-notch 2017 recruit feature, we take a look at four-star Pittsburgh safety Paris Ford, one of the many ultra-talented prospects out of the 412 in next year's class. Most notably, four-star cornerback Lamont Wade and four-star linebacker David Adams come from Pittsburgh, and like those two, Ford boasts quite the offer sheet. The Seton-La Salle star holds scholarship offers from Akron, Arizona State, Auburn, Bowling Green, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, 5b, Temple, Tennessee, Toledo, UCLA, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Ford measures in at 6-foot-1, 180 lbs., and according to 247 Sports, he runs a 4.53-second 40-yard dash. He is the No. 96 recruit in America, the No. 6 safety in the country and the No. 3 player in the state of Pennsylvania, per 247's composite rating.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Ford is Happy Valley bound at the moment, as his crystal ball is split between the Fighting Irish (50 percent), the Buckeyes (30 percent), and the 5b's (20 percent). Still, the Nittany Lions have been recruiting Ford hard for a long time, and that doesn't look like it will let up any time soon. He was offered all the way back on Dec. 26, 2014, took an unofficial visit the following March, and attended Lasch Bash this July. It would be a shock if Penn State slowed down its recruitment of Ford, because he is a big time playmaking safety who hits as hard as he tracks the ball in the air. While Penn State has brought in a few safeties over the last few classes – Marcus Allen, Koa Farmer, Ayron Monroe, John Petrishen, Jarvis Miller, potentially Garrett Taylor, and Andrew Pryts – Ford probably has the highest upside of the lot. Long story short, Paris Ford would be an outstanding addition in the class of 2017.