Okoli visits Penn State
After taking a visit to Virginia Tech last weekend, Virginia Beach (Va.) Salem defensive end Chimaeze Okoli took an official to State College. The 6-foot-5, 275-pounder enjoyed the trip to Penn State. Was it enough to put the Nittany Lions on top?
"The visit was great," he said. "I got there Friday and I had a meeting with coach Paterno at his house. That was really cool. I liked it because he lived in a very modest home that was simple. His wife baked us some cookies and I guess that was a recruiting tradition.
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"Aside from that, I got to tour the campus and the university is real simple, but the fans there are crazy. It's intense with 108,000 people and I was told your facemask rattles because of how loud it is. I like the fact they are full of tradition and have the biggest student section in the country."
On the visit, Okoli was hosted by Terrell Golden.
"It was real good with him, us 757 guys get along really nice," he stated. "He mainly said that the coaches will do everything in their power to look out for you. I thought that was really cool. He also talked about how you come out with a meaningful degree and the university goes beyond just football."
Of course, the three-star prospect met with Larry Johnson and Joe Paterno too.
"Meeting with coach Johnson was cool, he talked about Tamba Hali and discussed playing time," he said. "He basically stated that I'd have a good shot playing as a true freshman since they played five last year.
"I also did ask coach Paterno about how long he'll be staying. He guaranteed me he'll be there for two more years at least and even if he retires, he said that his successor will come from the staff he already has. I thought that was cool. He was honest about the fact he won't be there forever."
Overall the No. 60 defensive tackle in the country rated his trip to Penn State a nine.
"It was very good just like Virginia Tech," he said. "Right now I'd say they are deadlocked.
"I like Virginia Tech because of the people they have there. Obviously the coaching staff is good and then it's a state school and I've got family there. I didn't think that would be as big of a factor as it is."
Both the Nittany Lions and Hokies will have to wait for a decision from Okoli on Wednesday.