THE SKINNY

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 240 pounds

Hometown/High School: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania (Aliquippa H.S.)

Ranking: ★★★ (0.8466 247Sports Composite)

Notable Offers: Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas A&M

HIGHLIGHTS

THE TALE

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, BSDers of all ages, for the first time in over 30 years the Penn State Nittany Lions have landed a verbal commitment from a player out of Aliquippa High School. On Monday afternoon, three-star defensive end Zuriah Fisher made the call in favor of the good guys.

Fisher’s announcement comes on the heels of his official visit to Happy Valley this past weekend. Prior to his official visit Fisher had already visited Penn State more than any other school, and his OV to campus was enough to put the Nittany Lions over the top.

Originally, Fisher was set to announce his college decision in August. Obviously, he would decide to delay this decision and that worked in favor of the Nittany Lions. At the time, signs pointed toward him committing to Michigan State. This was largely due to Fisher having officially visited East Lansing, but not State College.

In addition to Fisher being a heck of a football player, it is great to see Penn State finally tap into an in state power such as Aliquippa. While the Quips do not churn out Power 5 prospects at the rate they once did, it is still one of the best programs in the state of Pennsylvania.

OUTLOOK

Fisher players linebacker for the Quips, primarily MIKE anchoring down a strong defense. Nature, however, has other ideas for the Aliquippa stand out. Already checking in at 6-foot-3, 240+ pounds Fisher’s future will be on the defensive line.

With his length and athleticism Fisher will be a defensive end for the Nittany Lions. While Penn State’s 2020 defensive line class is loaded one thing it lacks is a true pass rusher, Fisher should be able to fill this need.

Fisher is a disruptive pass rusher for the Quips and sheds blocks well, thanks in large part due to his great length which allows him to disengage from blockers and get seperation. He also does a good job of diagnosing the play and getting to the football. While he will play with his hand in the dirt in college, he could also play as a stand up defensive end in pass rushing situations.

At the collegiate level he will need to begin to learn to play with his hand in the dirt. Luckily, he will get to work with one of the best defensive line coaches in the country in Sean Spencer.

247Sports composite rankings currently rank Fisher 1,140th nationally. Maybe I am looking at it through blue and white colored glasses, but I find it hard to believe 1,139 high school football players better than Fisher. If his strong senior season continues, I’d expect his rating to rise.