Penn State picks up another 2023 offensive lineman in Anthony Donkoh
Penn State football picked up another commitment in its Class of 2023 Friday in offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh.
Listed at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, Donkoh plays offensive and defensive line at Lightridge High School in Aldie, Va. Head coach James Franklin and assistant Phil Trautwein offered him to play offensive line back in December. Holding a 3.8 grade-point average, Donkoh said academics played a major part in his decision.
“I decided to commit now because of a few reasons,” Donkoh said. “One thing I like is that they have the major I want to pursue. I want to pursue mechanical engineering and Penn State is known as having one of the best engineering programs in the states. So, that’s probably the main reason why I wanted to go there.
“But another big reason why is the coaches. They’re incredibly nice people. I never expected to be welcomed the way I was welcomed when I got there. They really welcomed me with open arms and were just so chill. Also, the campus is just beautiful.”
Link: Eight things to know about new Penn State commit Anthony Donkoh
Donkoh’s recruitment moved pretty quickly. After earning a scholarship offer from the previous staff at Virginia Tech back in April, he also picked up an offer from Duke’s previous staff in June. His remaining three offers, Penn State, West Virginia and Liberty, all came in the past two months.
Virginia Tech hosted him for a visit back in October to attend its game against Notre Dame, but aside from that, his Jan. 15 visit to Penn State was the only school he checked out.
“The campus is beautiful. I’ve never seen a big campus like that before. That really blew me away,” Donkoh said. “Also, seeing the stadium up close, that blew me away, too. I never expected to be standing inside one of the biggest stadiums in the United States and really the entire world. That’s just crazy. But the visit overall was a really good time. I learned a lot about the school and felt comfortable with everyone at Penn State.”
Link: Breaking down Penn State’s Class of 2023 following Donkoh commitment
As is often the case in recruiting, his relationship with Trautwein was a major reason why Donkoh felt confident in making a decision now over taking his time and looking around.
“Coach Trautwein is just such a cool guy. He’s incredibly nice, but very honest, too,” Donkoh said. “There are some coaches who are very friendly, but I can’t really see them turning that switch and becoming the kind of coach you need to push you. I feel like I’ll get that from Coach Trautwein. He’s a really cool guy, but I know he’s also the kind of coach that can coach you hard. I really respect that about him.”
What specific position Donkoh will play at Penn State is still up in the air. His height suggests that guard would be best, but he also has a long enough reach (35 inches) that would help at tackle.
Donkoh is the seventh player to join Penn State’s Class of 2023 so far. He’s the third offensive lineman, joining two other Virginia residents in Alex Birchmeier and Joshua Miller. Donkoh is a three-star prospect at On3.
