Grosz: Sleeper pick emerges among Penn State's class of 2020 candidates
Over the 40-plus years I’ve covered the Penn State football program, I’ve had the opportunity to write about and observe some extremely impressive and unique profiles of a number of Penn State’s football recruits.
A member of Penn State’s Class of 2020, I feel, is one of the most unique I’ve ever encountered. That individual is wide receiver Malick Meiga (6-4, 195) from Cepeg du Vieux Prep School in Montreal, Canada. I personally consider Meiga to be Penn State’s “super sleeper” for the Class of 2020. I think at the conclusion of this update there will be many Lions Den members that will agree with me.
Meiga was a four-year letterman at Cepeg du Vieux. He also was a captain of the team his junior and senior years. Over that two-year career when he was a captain of the Cepeg du Vieux team Meiga totaled 67 receptions for 1,562 yards (23.3 YPC) with 13 TD receptions and helped lead Cepeg du Vieux to a 10-1 regular season league title last fall.
Mostly because he was an unknown commodity following his junior year at Cepeg du Vieux playing football at a prep school in Montreal, Canada, Rivals ranked Meiga as just a 5.7 three-star talent and the No. 96 wide receiver in the Class of 2020.
In fact, Meiga really didn’t emerge on the Class of 2020 recruiting scene until he attended The Opening regional in Ohio in April of last year. At that camp he ran a 4.53 40-yard time, 4.28 20-yard shuttle time, and posted a 36-inch vertical leap. Then, in May at a Nike Camp, Meiga posted a 4.42 40-yard time and a 4.19 20-yard shuttle time.
Penn State offered him five days after the Nike Camp and extended him an invitation to attend a Penn State prospect camp in June. He was totally impressive at that Penn State prospect camp in June. Meiga and his family attended the Lasch Bash last July 27 and five days later, on August 1, 2019, he verbally committed to Penn State.
Cepeg du Vieux head football coach Renaldo Sagesse told BWI that Meiga’s personal situation was such that he really wondered if Meiga would ever be able to reach his goal of playing college football in the United States when he arrived at Cepeg du Vieux. It didn’t take long for Coach Sagesse to realize that Meiga would do whatever it would take for him to reach that goal.
“Malick is a grade-A kid,” Sagesse said, “He came in with aspirations to play in college and he understood the type of work he had to put in. He had a pretty special situation with his mother living in France, where he had to live on his own with his brother and fight through this and go to school. He did everything that was required. He’s the type of kid you want to coach because he’s eager to learn. Once he gets the tools, he’ll put the work in. He has a great mentality and a great mindset. You wish you had an entire team of players just like him. He really took ownership of his studies like we haven’t seen before. He has God-given talent and the work ethic that it takes to reach his dream. I’m happy to see him going to a great college like Penn State.”
Personally, I believe Meiga has the most upside potential of the five wide receivers in Penn State’s Class of 2020. He’s 6-4, 195, has 4.42 40-yard speed, possesses a great pair of hands, and knows how to use his frame to shield off defenders. You have to love his 36-inch verbal leap.
Since Meiga didn’t play American high school football I suspect he will be redshirted this fall as he transitions from the Canadian game, but anything is possible.
To me what makes Meiga’s development super important is that he is the only wide receiver on Penn State’s 2020 scholarship roster that stands 6-foot-2 or better besides Daniel George (6-2, 210). He’s the perfect prospect physically to play the X-wide receiver position.
I’m sure Penn State’s new offensive coordinator, Kirk Ciarrocca, wants an X-wide receiver to go to that’s 6-4, 195, with 4.42 40-yard speed that can verbally stretch the field with the passing game. Personally, down the line that is the role Meiga will have the opportunity to perform. I think he’ll be prepared to do the job.
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