It has been almost seven months since Jerry Cross announced its commitment to Penn State, but the four-star prospect has yet to set foot on campus. He expects it to “finally” change this summer, scheduling plans for an official visit during the last weekend of June.
“It will all be committed there,” Cross, a sophomore at King (Milwaukee, Wis.) High School, told Lions247 about that weekend.
It remains to be seen how well represented the class of 2022 Nittany Lions will be at State College during the last days of June, or whether the NCAA will really give the go-ahead for such an occasion to occur. An emergency “dead period” for recruitment that dates back to March 2020 has recently been extended to May, eliminating most of the window of official early visits to college football.
If the plans materialize, Cross intends to explore Happy Valley alongside his parents and grandparents. He promised Penn State without ever seeing the school in person and subsequent communication with future teammates and team members was dealt with virtually.
The strength of that decision was tested last month, when the Nittany Lions coach. Tyler Bowen left for a job in the NFL. An internal promotion for offensive analyst Ty Howle made a positive impression, as they had already established a relationship.
“He’s my guy,” said Cross of Howle. “First person to start recruiting me (for Penn State). We have a super strong relationship. I am proud of him and happy for him. He got the job he was working for. “
Considered number 9 tight end and number 226 of general talent in the 247Sports’ Class of 2022 composite rankings, Cross is among the most votedl members of a seven-player class that ranks seventh nationally in composite rankings. Penn State commit Beau Pribula he described this as a testament to his enthusiasm and loyalty.
“It just shows what kind of guy Jerry is, and I think that goes for the whole class,” said Pribula. “We are all really solid. When we made our decisions, we knew we would remain solid all the time. Jerry did a great job. For a guy from Wisconsin who has never been here, and with Coach Bowen gone. – I know it was a huge success. I loved Coach Bowen. He’s a great guy, great offensive mind – but Jerry chose Penn State and he would remain faithful. “
Cross made it clear at the beginning of his commitment that he intended to do his part to form an impressive group.
“I just feel like this class is special,” said Cross last August. “I know the potential we have. … We are already special. The more we grow with each other and the more commitments we acquire over time, this will be a special team that can win a national championship.”
Cross’s junior season at King has been postponed until spring. Unfortunately, he confirmed that another postponement means that a long wait will continue until autumn. – two years after his last live action. In the second year, Cross averaged nearly 20 yards per reception and scored 11 touchdowns.