National Signing Day 2017: Welcome to Penn State, Mike Miranda

The culmination of the recruiting season is just around the corner, as National Signing Day 2017 is only days away. Here at Black Shoe Diaries, we’ll have coverage of Penn State’s recruiting class, taking a player-by-player look at each member of the class, and taking a bigger picture look at the class as a whole. Thanks for stopping by, and if you aren’t already following, please follow @BSDTweet on Twitter for more recruiting news and notes.

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It’s amazing what effective recruiting and a full allotment of scholarships can do. Penn State fielded historically bad lines in 2014 and 2015, but an infusion of young talent helped the line vastly improve in 2016 and looks to develop into an exceptional unit in 2017 and beyond. Now the Nittany Lions have added another versatile lineman who will enter the program with the size and strength needed in the Big Ten.

Miranda pulled the trigger in April 2016 with his decision to come to Penn State. While fielding offers from a slew of others such as Nebraska, Northwestern and Pitt, Miranda felt comfortable enough with his decision to come to Penn State to commit well before his senior year, where he helped lead Stow-Munroe Falls High School to its best season in school history.

Highlights

Scouting Report

While Miranda was a standout at tackle in high school, offensive line coach Matt Limegrover expects to give him a look at center. As an early enrollee, Miranda is already on campus working with the team and will be able to participate in spring practice as he adjusts to his new position. Limegrover began keeping tabs on Miranda while still on the Minnesota coaching staff, and made it a commitment to develop a strong bond and bring the Ohioan to Happy Valley.

Miranda enters the program at nearly 300 pounds with a Big Ten-ready frame, so he should hit the ground running. Miranda was a standout in the classroom, which will bode well for learning a new position where he must constantly think on his feet and be the leader of the offensive line.

Outlook

This could go either way, but Miranda seems more likely to take a redshirt season in 2017 barring a string of injuries. His true freshman season could mirror Will Fries in 2016, who made appearances on the depth chart but ultimately was able to have his redshirt spared.

Miranda is an incredibly strong and hard-nosed player who gives every ounce of effort until the last echo of the whistle. He’s a smart, “lunch pail” type that obviously enjoys contact and pushing defenders around- something we should see plenty of during his time in blue and white.

It seems logical that the staff will hope to redshirt Miranda in the fall so he can adjust to his new position while continuing to hone his skills at the college level, now that the team has depth upfront. However, with his size and extra time on campus, he could be ready to contribute if called upon as a true freshman. Otherwise, expect him to find his way on the field immediately as a redshirt freshman in 2018.