Penn State gets defensive line target with plenty of upside in De’Andre Cook: Commitent impact
Penn State added to its already sizable haul in the Class of 2024 on Friday night when Washington, D.C., three-star defensive tackle De’Andre Cook picked the Lions. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound senior-to-be at Friendship Collegiate Academy selected head coach James Franklin’s program over Rutgers, North Carolina, and Boston College, which, like PSU, hosted him for a June official visit.
Cook is ranked as a three-star by every recruiting service. The Lions jumped into this recruitment relatively late. They did not offer the defender until April 1, following an unofficial visit to campus. But, it did not take first-year position coach Deion Barnes and the rest of the staff long to jump to the top of this recruitment.
“What really held them up for me was the energy of the head coach,” Cook told BWI this spring. “For some reason, I walked in and everyone was screaming. Everybody was just bumpin’ and the loudest one on the field was the head coach. With all the music, the players, I could barely hear my own mother right next me. I could hear the head coach in the middle of the field yelling, singing the songs, everything.
“Then, after practice, I guess there were some personal problems going on so Deion pulled one of their D-Linemen out and talked to him one-on-one as a man. He knew what he was going through because he’s a young coach. That’s what I look for in a defensive line coach.”
The commitment, by the way, marks Barnes’ second win since moving into an on-field role at Penn State earlier this offseason. Earlier this month, he also landed three-star Maryland end Xavier Gilliam.
What does Penn State get in De’Andre Cook?
Some defensive tackles, like Zane Durant, for example, are ready for the banging in the Big Ten as soon as they get to college. Cook does not project to be ready that quickly. But, he has a good frame to work with and has high upside entering his final prep season.
BWI film analyst Thomas Frank Carr has this initial evaluation of the new Penn State pledge:
“DeAndre Cook brings exceptional growth potential to the table. Despite only checking in at 255 pounds, Cook’s talents seem better suited to one technique thanks to a thick build. While a 6-4 255-pound defensive end might sound like the prime Penn State 3-technique, Cook doesn’t move that way. He’s fast and explosive yes, but lacks the lateral agility and mobility of a pass-rushing defensive tackle.
“Watching him play offensive tackle confirms how linear his build is and how much bend he lacks. While that’s not a death sentence, I’d lean to placing him in smaller environments on the defensive line instead of giving him more space to work with.
“He’ll have to grow into that role, however, as he doesn’t have exceptional strength right now. No matter where he lands, Cook is a quality prospect but a project player.”
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