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Dae'lun Darien, ladies and gentlemen.
Stats
Hometown/High School: Baltimore (Md.)/Dunbar
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 205 lbs.
Recruited By: Josh Gattis
Starz 'n Sheetz
Starz: 3* 247, Rivals, ESPN, 2* Scout
Sheetz: Temple, UConn, Monmouth, Old Dominion
Cinema
The Tale:
Was told to be a man and make tough decisions. I will be attending Penn State ⚪️ #WeAre #PSU @coachjfranklin pic.twitter.com/ZqN7IYZgaE
— Dae'lun Darien❗️7⃣ (@ddaelun1710) February 1, 2016
Penn State turned to Darien when Tre Nixon eliminated the Nittany Lions from his final group, just a few days before committing to Ole Miss. Since then, he has been one of Penn State's top targets, as adding a pair of fresh legs to the receiving corps was one of the goals in 2016, and to be able to grab a player as athletic and versatile as Darien is a big plus.
Darien had previously committed to Temple back in mid-November, and had been quiet since then. Around the time that the Penn State offer came into play, Darien took an official visit to Temple, followed by an official visit to Penn State. Whatever Penn State did on that visit to persuade him clearly did the trick, as Darien made the decision to flip his commitment from the Temple Owls, and is now the newest member of the 2016 class.
Outlook:
While Darien may not be the most highly-rated player in Penn State's 2016 class, he's certainly one of the most intriguing. He was a jack-of-all-trades for his high school team, seeing time at wide receiver, quarterback and defensive end. Needless to say, his athleticism is off the charts. The only problem is that he's not terribly refined at any of those positions just yet. However, his raw skill at wide receiver will give the Penn State coaching staff plenty to work with, as he could become an interesting mismatch for most defensive backs due to his stature.
After Dae'lun gets used to a college weight training and diet program and makes his way onto the field, expect to see a red zone nightmare for opponents, and someone who will be very reliable in jump ball situations, which will likely make him a quarterback's best friend on third down. Darien will almost assuredly redshirt his first season in order to gain a better understanding of how to play wide receiver, and to physically prepare for the college game.
Darien's commitment brings Penn State's class to 19. You can follow him on Twitter at @ddaelun1710.
Welcome to Penn State, Dae'lun!