Manheim Central standout defensive end Dakota Royer made a verbal commitment to Penn State Thursday, according to Rivals.com.
The 6’3, 221-pound sack machine had narrowed his list of choices to four schools prior to committing – Penn State, Pitt, Michigan State, and Notre Dame.
Royer had over 20 Division-1 offers, including Oregon, UCLA, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Nebraska, and Michigan.
Royer cannot sign a letter of intent with Penn State until early February.
The recruiting process for the Manheim star saw him easily finish as the school’s highest-profile football recruit, passing Jeff Smoker, Central’s record-setting quarterback who went on to play for Michigan State.
When Royer sets foot in Happy Valley next fall, he’ll join former Baron star wide receiver Graham Zug, who set schools records for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns during the Barons’ 2005 run to the “AAA” Eastern Finals.
Royer finished last season with 81 tackles and 13 sacks, and became a lethal receiving threat, hauling in 56 passes for 1,099 yards and five touchdowns. That solid junior campaign came on the heels of a 107-tackle, 12-sack sophomore season.
Manheim Central figures to be one of the top-5 teams in all of Class “AAA” in 2009. In addition to Royer, quarterback Justin Gorman is generating Division-1 interest, and the Barons’ projected offensive line averages over 260 pounds per man.
Manheim Central finished 11-3 in 2008, losing to West York Area 15-7 in the District 3 championship game.
