Matt Campbell and Penn State just lost an in-state commit in about as embarrassing a fashion as it gets
The Penn State Nittany Lions have done relatively well under Matt Campbell in terms of recruiting, until this happened.
The Penn State Nittany Lions just lost an in-state commit, and it’s got to be embarrassing. Zachary Gleason is a three-star cornerback from Pittsburgh, PA. He was committed to PSU and just flipped to West Virginia this week.
Before anyone says anything—I understand that Morgantown, West Virginia, is closer to his hometown than Penn State is. However, not by much. Morgantown is about an hour and 30 minutes away, give or take. And Penn State is about 2 hours, maybe a bit more. That’s not enough of a discrepancy to flip from a historically very good program with an elite coach to one that’s not very good at all.
Not to mention, if his family is from Pittsburgh, there’s a chance they’re Pitt fans. They are supposed to hate West Virginia. So, that’s got to be awkward. But the embarrassing part of this equation is undoubtedly the flip from a good program with a bright future to a worse program in a weaker conference. Fortunately, it’s just a three-star cornerback. Sure, Gleason is a good football player who’s probably flipping for more immediate playing time. But, PSU will be okay.
And, Gleason seems to be a good fit in Morgantown
Zachary Gleason fits West Virginia’s program
“The coaching staff was able to get Gleason on campus for an official visit, and after taking one to Penn State the weekend after, he elected to flip his pledge, giving the Mountaineers a talented prospect who is familiar with the program and the area. This is a player that should have every chance to compete early in his career and fits the mold of what the program is searching for at defensive back.
“Gleason is a major addition from a school that the Mountaineers have tried to break through into in recent years. The coaching staff has made Western Pennsylvania a key priority for a lot of different reasons, and landing a prospect the caliber of Gleason, who was previously committed to an in-state program, is a major coup for the Mountaineers football program.” Keenan Cummings, WV Sports