THE SKINNY
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 190 pounds
Hometown/High School: Detroit, Michigan (Martin Luther King High School)
Ranking: ★★★★ (0.9121 247Sports Composite)
Notable Offers: Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan State, USC
HIGHLIGHTS
THE TALE
As we discussed earlier this week in Blessed & Honored, all signs point toward this being a great week for the Nittany Lions on the recruiting trail in the state of Michigan. Well, that first domino has fallen in the form of four-star safety Jaylen Reed.
Reed attends Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, which is the alma mater of Penn State safeties coach Tim Banks. Back in January the Nittany Lion coaching staff hosted a junior day that focused largely on players from the state of Michigan. This large contingency of visitors from the Wolverine State included Reed.
Ever since this visit Reed has been high on Penn State. As the post visit high started to settle, it was clear that the Nittany Lions were trending upward for Reed. Originally, Reed announced he would commit to the college of his choice on May 10, before moving his commitment date up to today. As soon as Reed announced the May 10 date, the 247Sports crystal ball predictions started pouring in for Penn State. Now, Reed has made it official and committed to the Nittany Lions.
OUTLOOK
Reed is one of the better safety prospects that the Nittany Lions have landed in recent cycles. He is hard nosed, tough, physical, and not afraid of contact. Due to this he willing to play in the box and is strong against the run. When watching his Hudl tape the first word that came to my mind was violent.
He is strong in man-to-man coverage. He possesses good instincts and has an absolute nose for the football. These strong instincts contribute to Reed’s ability to break on the ball when in coverage. Reed can also be a play maker when he gets the ball in his hands. Between offense, defense, and special teams, he scored 5 touchdowns as a junior in high school. This was paired with 119 tackles, 11 TFLs, 8 forced fumbles, 6 sacks, and an interception.
When Reed arrives to campus, Penn State will likely be looking to replace both starting safeties as seniors Lamont Wade and Jaquan Brisker are likely to be the duo this fall. While players currently on the roster such as Enzo Jennings, Trent Gordon, and Tyler Rudolph will be ahead of Reed when he arrives, and a redshirt will be likely, there will be an opportunity to make an impact as a true freshman.