The early signing period for football prospects in the Class of 2020 is upon us, and Penn State is expected to bring in a larger-than-usual class throughout the day. On the Penn State blog today, I’ll be breaking down each of the signees. Here is my scouting report on defensive line prospect Amin Vanover.
Penn State DL prospect Amin Vanover. PHOTO BY PENN STATE ATHLETICS
Height: 6-4
Weight: 260
School: St. Joseph Regional HS (N.J.)
Projected position: Defensive end
Rating: Four stars by Rivals.com; Three stars by 247sports and ESPN
Other offers: Alabama, Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Georgia, Iowa State, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, TCU, Texas A&M, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia.
Projection: He is a former high school teammate of current Penn State defensive end Smith Vilbert – whose athleticism and frame the coaching staff loves – so the staff has been very familiar with Vanover for a long while. It’s difficult not to notice his explosive tendencies; he gets around a blocker, then hits another gear. He has long arms and uses his hands well to get around tackles. His footwork is solid, but can use work, and he plays hard. It’s difficult to find a play on Vilbert’s old high school film where Vanover is beaten. Vanover might be the most underrated player in Penn State’s 2020 recruiting class, and it should not be considered a shock if he forces his way into some playing time next season. He could wind up being a multi-year starter for the Lions.
Donnie Collins has been a member of The Times-Tribune sports staff for nearly 20 years and has been the Penn State football beat writer for Times-Shamrock Newspapers since 2004. The Penn State Football Blog covers Nittany Lions, Big Ten and big-time college football news from Beaver Stadium to the practice field, the bowl game to National Letter of Intent Signing Day. Contact: dcollins@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5368; @DonnieCollinsTT