Hines Enjoys PSU Official
It’s not often that Penn State gets the opportunity to host one of Texas’ top overall prospects, but the Nittany Lions did just that this past weekend, as Plano East linebacker Anthony Hines III made the trip north with his family.
A four-star prospect with 90 scholarship offers, Hines and his father have been in touch with the coaching staff for years now, but they were never able to see Happy Valley for themselves until now. According to his father, Anthony Hines, the family is happy that they made the trip.
“It was a great time,” said Mr. Hines. “The atmosphere (throughout the campus and town) was really good. The camaraderie on the team was also very good. We also liked the whole game day experience. It was really cool. Their fans are great.
“Their campus is unbelievable. The whole area around State College, with the mountains and the trees, it’s very nice. Also, the people were really nice. We stayed at the Nittany Lion Inn and were very impressed. That place and the people there were awesome. It was great. We’re very happy we made the trip.”
While Penn State’s campus and facilities left a good impression, the athletic program’s commitment to academics also caught their attention. That was clear during a presentation from head coach James Franklin.
“They really did a wonderful job showing us the academic side,” said Hines’ father. “Coach Franklin’s presentation was very good. We learned a lot about what life is like at Penn State. Between their graduation rate and their new academic building, I thought all of that was awesome.
“As a parent, I love what they’re doing to bring their program back to prominence, both athletically and academically.”
On the field, Penn State’s need for linebackers was never more evident than on Saturday, as all three starters in the season opener against Kent State game either didn’t dress or were out of the game by the second half.
“We’re aware that linebacker is a position of need for them,"said Mr. Hines. "They expressed how much they’d not only love to have him be part of their program, but in a way, they really need someone like him, too. They need a guy that can come in and contribute right away, so that’s certainly a plus.”
Following the game Saturday, Hines was hosted by redshirt sophomore linebacker Koa Farmer, but he also spent a lot of time with freshman defensive end Shane Simmons. In fact, Hines and Simmons have a friendship that dates back a few years.
“He hung out with Koa and Shane for awhile. Anthony actually played on Team USA with Shane a year or two ago, so he enjoyed getting a chance to hang out with Shane and all of the players. I know he enjoyed that. That was pretty cool for him.”
Hines has now taken two official visits this season, the first of which was to Texas A&M. It’s still unclear where he’ll visit next, but Hines still plans to make a decision before the end of November.