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 a sure-handed receiver prospect who is no stranger to the highlight reel, Parker Washington.
Penn State WR prospect Parker Washington. PHOTO BY PENN STATE ATHLETICS
Height: 5-10
Weight: 195
School: Travis HS (Tex.)
Projected position: Receiver
Rating: Four stars by Rivals.com and 247sports; Three stars by ESPN
Other offers: Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Utah, Wisconsin.
Projection: Washington is exactly the type of player who could contribute early and be a consistent contributor for four years at Penn State, or get lost in the shuffle and play only sparingly. The positives are obvious: He has tremendous hands. He routinely makes extremely difficult catches. One-handed grabs on off-target throws are almost the norm. He has good enough speed, and a sense of how to stop-and-start, to work himself into the open field, and then take off. He has a handle on route-running. He’s a cerebral player who knows the defenses, understands how he’s being played, and can find the openings in the zones. He’s quicker than he is fast, though. He doesn’t have explosive speed. And, he’s just 5-foot-10, exactly the build of receiver Penn State has plenty of already. Washington is going to have to separate himself from what is already on the roster, and he’s going to have to show his game translates to a much faster league. But if he can, he’ll be a sure-fire factor on gamedays for years to come.
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