Florida high school safety prospect commits to Penn State football

By Joe Juliano, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: June 06, 2012

Shortly after being hired as Penn State's new head football coach, Bill O'Brien said he intended to reach into the south to recruit players, even talent-rich Florida, a state where Joe Paterno and his staff rarely ventured.

The move resulted in an oral commitment being given to O'Brien over the weekend by safety Neiko Robinson, of Bratt, Fla. According to the Fight On State website, Robinson is the first Florida native to commit to the Nittany Lions since John Wilson, an offensive lineman, in 2001.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Robinson, who will become a member of the freshman Class of 2013, is rated at three stars by Rivals.com, which said he can cover 40 yards in 4.51 seconds.

Reports said Robinson received Penn State's scholarship offer Friday and called O'Brien on Sunday night to confirm it. While he had interest from Alabama and Florida, Robinson's only other offers had come from North Texas and Alabama-Birmingham.

Robinson attended Flomaton (Ala.) High School last season, just across the state line from his hometown. He intercepted four passes and recorded 93 tackles.

Robinson is the ninth member of the Class of 2013 to commit to the Nittany Lions but the first since April 15, when guard Andrew Nelson, of Hershey, told the coaching staff he would be attending Penn State.

Contact Joe Juliano at 215-854-4494 or jjuliano@phillynews.com or on Twitter @joejulesinq. Read his blog, Lion Eyes, at www.philly.com/lioneyes.

Index by Keyword
|
Index by Date
|
About Philly.com
|
Contact Us
|
Terms of Use & Privacy Statement
|
Copyright 2013