Advertisement
football Edit

DB Elijah Gaines Returns to Penn State

Defensive back Elijah Gaines and his family made their way to State College Thursday to visit Penn State.

A three-star prospect, Gaines plays at Episcopal in Alexandria, Va., but he’s now back home for the summer with his family in Queens, N.Y. Despite the fact that he only received an offer from the Lions in April, he’s already familiar with the school, as this was actually his third trip to University Park.

In addition camping at Penn State two years ago, Gaines was also on campus in March 2018 with a former teammate, Litchfield Ajavon, for a personal day with the staff. However, he said that this was his first time touring all of campus.

Gaines poses for a photo with head coach James Franklin.
Gaines poses for a photo with head coach James Franklin.
Advertisement

“I liked the campus tour, meeting with the academic advisors and hanging out with the coaches,” Gaines said. “It was a really fun visit. One of my favorites.”

Last season, Gaines primarily played cornerback at Episcopal, but Penn State likes him best at safety. He said that the majority of schools recruiting him like him there, although there are some that have mentioned corner.

“I was with Coach Banks all day. They like me at safety,” Gaines said. “We talked about family, football and academics. I really like Coach Banks, too. He’s a real genuine person and it was great spending the day with him. I feel like our relationship is gonna grow stronger over time.”

So far, Gaines has earned 17 scholarship offers, but he’s also only been able to take a few visits since he’s away from his family for school. Because of that, he’s in no rush to decide.

“I plan to make my decision in December. I’m in no rush at all," said Gaines. "I want to take my officials in the fall and then make my decision in the winter.”

He went on to add, “Penn State is definitely one of the top schools I’m considering. So far, I’ve visited Michigan, Virginia and Duke. I plan to visit North Carolina and Notre Dame later this summer.”

During his junior season, the 2020 prospect totaled four interceptions in nine games, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He’s currently the 13th-ranked prospect in Virginia.

Advertisement