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 top defensive tackle prospect Cole Brevard.
Penn State DT prospect Cole Brevard. PHOTO BY PENN STATE ATHLETICS
Height: 6-3
Weight: 288
School: Carmel (Ind.) HS
Projected position: Defensive tackle
Rating: Four stars by Rivals.com, 247sports and ESPN
Other offers: Clemson, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue, Tennessee, Washington State, Wisconsin.
Projection: Brevard is a solid combination of big and quick. He’s big enough to command a double team and is willing to occupy them to allow teammates to make plays. But he’s also good enough with his hands to get off blocks and has good enough footwork to stretch the play to the sideline. He has an explosive first step, and while he typically lined up over the center as a high school nose, he has a shot to be an even better three-technique player in Penn State’s defense. There’s untapped pass-rush ability here, and he’ll have a chance to work himself into the rotation in 2020. You get the feeling he’s one of those players who will have a really good career for the Nittany Lions, even if he does so quietly.
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