National Signing Day 2016: Welcome to Penn State, Zechariah McPhearson

Welcome to Black Shoe Diaries' coverage of National Signing Day 2016. Our goal is to make sure that you know everything you need to know about every member of Penn State's 2016 recruiting class, including what fans should expect from them, some highlight tape and more. We truly appreciate you taking the time to follow along with our coverage of all things Penn State recruiting-related over the past year, and we can't wait to continue to ramp up our coverage for 2017. So whether you've been reading the site for years, or a first-time reader who just stumbled upon Black Shoe Diaries, we hope you stick around.

To read up on all of the other members of the 2016 recruiting class, simply head back to the main draft board, where recruits will be added as their official letters of intent roll in.

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It is no secret that Penn State has made a living plucking talent out of Maryland over the years. This year is no exception, and with just cornerback in the class, they got a good one with Zechariah McPhearson. Zechariah is the younger brother of PSU walk on wide receiver Josh, and was long considered a Penn State lean. With an older sibling on the team, he has been no stranger to Happy Valley, and verbally committed to the Nittany Lions over Blue White Weekend in April.

From Happy Valley to the DMV, a #B1G welcome to the Blue and White family, @ZMcphearson! #PSUsigningday pic.twitter.com/G0WCXcGIzP

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) February 3, 2016

Vitals

Position	Cornerback
High School	Riverdale Baptist School (Md.)
Height/Weight	5'11"/183 lbs.
247Composite Rank	(0.8927)
Positional Rank	#32 cornerback, #11 player in Maryland
Commitment Date	April 18, 2015

Highlight Tape

Scouting Report

When watching Zechariah's highlights, what really jumps out is that nothing jumps out. He is just an all around solid defensive back. He does everything very well, and thinks the game at a high level as well. He combines those smarts with very good speed, and very fluid movements. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of John Reid. Like Reid, his size will hurt him early on in run support and dealing with the physicality of bigger receivers, but that is something that many young corners need to learn.

Outlook

With the depth ahead of him at cornerback, it seems unlikely to see McPhearson in the 2016 season. He is probably capable of playing, but getting him ready physically is a luxury the Lions can afford at this point.

Everything Else

• Zechariah McPhearson Commits to Penn State
• Zechariah McPhearson's Hudl
• Zechariah McPhearson's 247 Profile