Dylan Rivers, a four-star 2017 linebacker out of Stephens City, Va., announced on Sunday that he had flipped his verbal commitment from Penn State to Virginia Tech.
Not long after, four-star offensive lineman CJ Thorpe reaffirmed his commitment to the Nittany Lions.
Rivers was the second prospect to commit to James Franklin and his staff for this cycle, back in November 2015. He joins fellow four-star linebacker Nathan Proctor, another top Nittany Lion target, as a future Hokie with just over a week before National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Penn State’s 2017 recruiting class is currently No. 14 in the nation, according to 247Sports, with four early enrollees already on campus and 14 more commits waiting to put pen to paper. Incoming freshman linebacker Brelin Faison-Walden is one of those four scheduled to go through spring ball, while Brailyn Franklin will arrive this summer.
Respect MY decision! pic.twitter.com/Re9YLFZzde
— Dylan Rivers (@dylan_rivers) January 22, 2017
Though losing a top linebacker certainly hurts, the extra spot will give Franklin some flexibility with only two or three scholarships available. Chances are pretty high that Brent Pry will go after another linebacker before this cycle is finished.
The Nittany Lions did get some positive news on the recruiting front as another player announced he was sticking with the Nittany Lions.
Thorpe, a four-star offensive lineman from Pittsburgh Central Catholic, announced on Twitter that he will sign with Penn State. The 6-3, 318-pound prospect, who committed to Franklin’s staff in April 2016, took a visit to UCLA last week and was considering a visit to Michigan before signing day.
Thorpe was on campus at Penn State this weekend for an official visit, along with many of the other players committed for this signing class.
100% committed to PSU, saw the options and I’m staying home â¤ï¸ #WeAre ‼ï¸
— CJ Thorpe (@Truk_Savage) January 22, 2017
