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Penn State Football: Top 3 recruiting targets left in 2021 for Nittany Lions

By Chris Peterson

Nov 30, 2019; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin leads his team out of the tunnel prior to taking the field against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2019; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin leads his team out of the tunnel prior to taking the field against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jake Robbins (12) throws with pressure from defender George Rooks (55). (Syndication: The Record)
Jake Robbins (12) throws with pressure from defender George Rooks (55). (Syndication: The Record) /

4-star defensive lineman George Rooks

The second recruit on this list is likely someone that Penn State football fans are both familiar with and tired of hearing about and that’s four-star defensive tackle George Rooks.

Rooks is out of New Jersey and St. Peter’s prep and while Notre Dame generally gets those kinds of recruits, Rooks appears to be choosing between Penn State, Boston College and Michigan.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, Rooks is an intriguing prospect because he could wind up as a defensive tackle or a defensive end. Ideally, I see him as a three-technique down the road, but he could also play the five-technique or be a traditional 4-3 edge defender.

He visited Penn State during the 2019 season and actually did so on night the Nittany Lions beat Michigan football. So he’s familiar with the school, but he’s wavered constantly about his decision. It was supposed to come out before his high school season and here we are about to head into the late signing period and he still hasn’t committed.

However, the Nittany Lions feel like they are in a good position. Rooks would help satisfy the need for defensive lineman and on top of that,  as the No. 259 overall prospect in the 247 composite rankings, he would be the second-highest rated defensive commit in the class.

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