Penn State faces uncertainty with four-star signee Lonnie White

Penn State head coach James Franklin addressed the immense multi-sport potential of Lonnie White last Signing Day, referring to him as “our version of Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders”. Fresh off of his final baseball season at Malvern (Pa.) Prep, that elite athletic arsenal again elicits attention ahead of the 2021 MLB Draft.

Considered a four-star receiver recruit, according to best online casino usa, White signed with Penn State last December but professional possibilities as a center fielder may ultimately interfere with that football future, as detailed in a Wednesday article from Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I’m told not to think about it, but it’s kind of hard not to,” White told Brookover. “It is what it is. Either way I go, I’m going to be ready for it.”

Brookover reported the 6-foot-2, 210-pound prospect produced a batting average of nearly .400 this spring, totaling five home runs, 11 doubles and 25 RBIs. MLB.com currently ranks him 52nd overall among players preparing for the 2021 Draft, which occurs July 11-13. In that pick range, franchises typically come to the negotiation table with signing bonuses north of $1 million.

“Malvern Prep has had eight players drafted from its baseball program, most notably a pair of first-rounders in the 1990s… White has the upside to outperform all the drafted alumni, if he can be signed away from his intent to play both football and baseball at Penn State,” reads his MLB.com scouting report. “Strong and physical, White is easily a plus runner with speed that allows him to play an outstanding center field… and should make him a threat on the base paths. The biggest question will be if scouts can see enough of him playing baseball to take his huge ceiling early enough to sign him away from his two-sport college commitment.”

Malvern Prep baseball coach Freddy Hilliard told The Inquirer via best real money online slots he considers White “a one-in-a-million player” and was candid in sharing why he believes baseball is his best bet. White’s initial college commitment was to the Clemson baseball team, and his long-term potential in that sport was a significant topic of conversation throughout Penn State recruiting efforts.

“From the very beginning, we talked about it,” Franklin said last December. “We talked about, at one point, he was leaning toward just playing football. And then what happens is, he goes and plays baseball, he has success in baseball, and as you guys have seen he’s very highly thought of [as a baseball prospect]. So, then it kind of switched back. We’re excited about getting him. And I think he’s one of these guys, when he plays baseball, he thinks baseball is his deal. When he’s playing football, football is his deal. It just kind of depends on the timing of it.”

White’s status as a lauded baseball talent, and what that may mean for his collegiate outlook, can’t be ignored. But neither can his blue-chip football skill set.

He was among the nation’s major risers in 247Sports’ 2022 recruit rankings. White soared from outside the top 300 to No. 73 following an examination of his senior success, including an in-person assessment from 247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn.

“Physically, he checks out,” Dohn documented last season. “As a receiver, he has excellent body control and ball skills, and his hands are strong and reliable. White gets off the line of scrimmage quickly and he is quick into and out of his breaks. He shows acceleration to gain separation within a route, and he is physical at the top of the route. Because of his size and strength, he is difficult to jam and re-route … After the catch, he is showing an elusiveness. He possesses excellent stop-start ability and he can win a 1-on-1 in space.”

One of three four-star receiver prospects signed by Penn State last winter, along with Liam Clifford and Harrison Wallace, White totaled nearly 2,000 yards of offense as a do-it-all threat in 2019. Pandemic issues limited his senior season to only four games in 2020, and he turned 17 receptions into 369 yards (21.7 per catch) and four touchdowns, added 94 yards and two scores as a runner, and intercepted three passes.

White has the makings of a player who could push for freshman game snaps and, looking beyond this season, there may not be a 2021 Nittany Lions signee who carries more upside. Expected to arrive on campus this summer, White is weighing promising options regarding what comes next on his athletic journey and, in the meantime, Penn State can only wait for clarity while staying engaged.