MORE: Live NSD blog | Announcement Guide
THE SITUATION
Noah Cain’s decision to attend Penn State is one based on relationships. His bond with the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff is always the talking point when the Rivals100 running back discusses the program. His parents once visited campus without him and raved about their trip afterward. His Wednesday decision to sign with the school was the culmination of an underpublicized months-long build. So while it seems like a bit of an upset on the surface, Cain’s choice of college wasn’t made with an ounce reckless haste.
WHY ITS BIG FOR PENN STATE
This is obviously a massive win for Penn State, seeing as though Cain has looked like a lock to both LSU and Texas at times during the process. Originally from Louisiana, Cain attended high school in the Lone Star State before transferring to Florida’s IMG Academy, making Penn State’s battle an uphill one. But when LSU filled its running back need with the higher-ranked John Emery, it became a two-team battle between the Longhorns and the Nittany Lions. James Franklin cast aside the tailback’s Texas ties and pulled off the upset.
Cain is a powerful runner with impressive speed that would have posted an even bigger season had he not been forced to split carries with five-star Trey Sanders at IMG. Cain is one of the truly elite backs in this class and excels catching the ball out of the backfield as well as carrying it, as the four-star shined in the passing game at both IMG and at elite camps prior to his senior season.
IMG Academy annually boasts as many or more FBS-bound prospects than any school in America, so getting a foot in the door there certainly isn’t a bad thing for Penn State. Franklin and company last landed an IMG player in 2017, when they signed four-star receiver K.J. Hamler.
SCHOOLS IT HURTS THE MOST
This isn’t foundation shattering for the Longhorns’ class. Would Tom Herman have loved to have Cain in the fold? Of course, but Texas has four-star back Derrian Brown as a member of its 2019 class and is also solidly in the mix with five-star Zachary Evans, the top running back and No. 2 overall prospect in 2020.
That’s not to say this one doesn’t sting, as the situation does carry an aura of squandered opportunity. Still, there are much more costly Signing Day misses all over the country.
