Ranking the Contenders: Four-star LB Greg Penn
Greg Penn’s recruitment hasn’t been overly dramatic, but there are some unknowns thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and recruiting dead period. The linebacker out of Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha had official visits to a few programs locked in, but those trips will be rescheduled. Penn announced a top six of Alabama, LSU, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M almost two weeks ago, but the pace of his recruitment has slowed to a crawl until he can take his official visits.
Here is how we rank the contenders for his commitment before his recruitment heats up again.
MORE: Three-star LB Bryce Steele commits to South Carolina
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
1. LSU
This is a really tight race at the top, but LSU gets the nod because Penn likes how the Tigers are developing linebackers. He’s built some strong relationships with the coaches and he was scheduled to take an official visit to Baton Rouge this spring. Penn is going to reschedule that trip and continues to have consistent conversations with the coaches throughout this recruiting dead period.
2. MARYLAND
The Terps are a legitimate threat to land Penn’s commitment. He sees how quickly he’d be able to contribute on the field and he’s visited the nearby campus countless times. Penn’s relationships with the coaching staff, current players, and recruits are second to none. Mike Locksley and his coaching staff have done a great job of recruiting local talent and Penn could be another one they keep home.
3. SOUTH CAROLINA
The difference between these top three schools is so thin that they might as well be listed as “1A,” “1B,” and “1C.” The Gamecocks have a great connection with Penn and he is already pretty familiar with the campus and environment. Former five-star South Carolina signee MarShawn Lloyd is very close with Penn, his former teammate at DeMatha. The two have talked a lot about playing on the same team and Penn was supposed to take an official visit there this spring.
4. ALABAMA
Penn has always been interested in Alabama because of how it develops its players for the NFL and life after football. He stays in regular contact with the coaching staff and has been eyeing a trip to Tuscaloosa, but that visit will have to wait until the recruiting dead period is over. Penn continues to talk about Alabama and wants to get a closer look at the program before he ends his recruitment.
5. TEXAS A&M
The Aggies have a chance to make a big jump up Penn’s list if and when he takes a trip to College Station. Linebackers coach Tyler Santucci and defensive line coach Elijah Robinson have done a great job building a strong relationship with Penn and his family despite the large distance between Texas and Maryland. Texas A&M should get their opportunity to host Penn since there is plenty of time before he ends his recruitment.
6. TENNESSEE
Penn put the Vols in his top six because of the relationships he’s built with the coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley, linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer and tight ends coach Joe Osovet really clicked with Penn and he’s excited to take a closer look at Tennessee when he’s able to do so. Tennessee does need to get him on campus before they are considered a more serious contender for Penn’s commitment.