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Penn State latest to offer Hankins

There were times not that long ago when inside linebacker Beau Hankins of Birmingham (Ala.) Jackson-Olin wondered if he'd ever get offered by a major program. These days, he's getting so many he doesn't know what to do.
On Monday, Penn State became the latest to pull the trigger.
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In recent weeks, he also has been offered by schools such as Arkansas, Purdue, Stanford, UCF and Wake Forest.
"I just thank God," Hankins said. "It's amazing, just to feel wanted. At first, I thought I was going to be one of those overlooked ones. I just stayed patient."
Hankins' Penn State offer came from new defensive coordinator Ted Roof, a person he knows well. Roof, who was briefly at UCF before moving on to Penn State, offered him at that school, too. Before that, Roof was at Auburn, serving as defensive coordinator for three seasons up through 2011.
"My recruitment has been picked up from Auburn to UCF and UCF to Penn State," Hankins said. "He was recruiting me at Auburn, but they filled up [at linebacker]. He's a wonderful guy. He always spoke to me. Even when their allotment at linebacker was full at Auburn, he always gave me a call. He always called to see how I was doing. I respect him for that."
According to Hankins, Penn State wants him to visit.
"I have to sit down and talk tomorrow with my coach and my mother," Hankins said. "I don't know much about Penn State. It's kind of late in the recruiting process, but I'm still open."
Right now, one team is standing out: Arkansas.
"I just went on my official there [over the weekend] and had an excellent time," Hankins said. "I like the tradition. I didn't know they had that much tradition. I had a lot of fun at the Catfish Hole. That's a restaurant they bring recruits to. You eat and have a good time. There were a lot of fans there. They have a very strong fanbase."
Might Hankins be close to an Arkansas pledge?
"I wouldn't say that," he said. "But the recruiting process is winding down, and they're one of the top schools I'm considering."
Hankins is thinking about taking an official this weekend, but the destination isn't set yet.
"I'm supposed to go to UCF, but that could change," he said. "I could go to Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Stanford or Georgia Tech. I just have to do a lot of soul searching tonight."
Keith Niebuhr can be reached at Keithrivals@yahoo.com. You can follow him on Twitter @KeithRIVALS.
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