A die-hard Penn State fan, Connor McGovern fills a position of need for Penn State in the trenches. His commitment solidifies the center position for James Franklin, and gives him the type of player every coach in the country would want to lead the next generation of Nittany Lions. The blue-chip offensive line recruit is this week’s featured recruit of the week.

At nearly 6-foot-5, 295 pounds, McGovern will be ready to step on the field early to play for Penn State, especially when you consider his early enrollment. McGovern will be one of two (along with Jake Zembiec) to graduate from high school this winter and enroll at Penn State in January. This is a rather rare occurrence for recruits, but Penn State generally has one or two players do it every year. This can help a player physically as it gives them more time in the weight room to gain size, but also helps from a maturity aspect because it allows players to get adjusted to college life earlier.

At Lake-Lehman high school in Lehman, PA, McGovern is the most highly rated player on his team and helped lead the Knights to a 10-2 record this year, according to Max Preps. He doubles as a dominant forward on the hardwood for the school as well, using his strength to gain the upper hand in the paint. On the football field, McGovern uses the same unique combination of speed and power to dominate from the center position, as evidenced by his highlight tape.

A notoriously difficult position to play because of the mental strain it puts on players, center has been an area of need in Happy Valley for quite some time now. Many believe 2015 commitment Ryan Bates has what it takes to fill this role, but to avoid any uncertainty, James Franklin and his staff recruited McGovern to ensure that the team fields the best player for such an important position.

His status as the Class of 2016’s top center and the four-star rating given to him by all of the four major recruiting services are some of the reasons for McGovern’s heavy recruitment. He’s fielded offers from a number of big name schools, such as Stanford, Miami, West Virginia, and Michigan State. Despite many teams coming after him in desperate need of his services, McGovern’s stayed true to his word and all but shut down his recruitment. Even though he’s been committed to Penn State since March, his unwavering love for the school has remained constant. Like the die-hard Nittany Lions fan he is, McGovern visited Penn State for every single home game this year.

McGovern could not be a stronger representative of Penn State football at such a young age. At only 18 years old, McGovern is handling his recruitment with incredible tact. He also earned himself a spot on the U.S. Army All-American East team, and will have the opportunity to represent himself and his new school on a national scale in January.

McGovern is already proving himself to be a true Penn Stater through his play on the field and his behavior off of it. Penn State is lucky to have him, and look for Franklin to try and get his prized recruit on the field as soon as he can.