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Three-star Shaka Toney gives Penn State his verbal pledge

By Audrey Snyder/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8 years ago

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Sometimes verbal commitments come in waves and Saturday’s Lasch Bash in Happy Valley is the perfect example.

Penn State’s 2016 class added another member Saturday evening when three-star linebacker Shaka Toney gave James Franklin his verbal pledge. Toney is the 18th member of the 2016 recruiting class and the fourth in-state prospect in the cycle. Earlier Saturday four-star linebacker Cameron Brown verbally committed to Penn State, giving the class another defensive boost for the coming years.

Toney, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound Imhotep Charter standout, chose Penn State over scholarship offers from North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Temple and West Virginia, among others. Much like what happened when Penn State went on a run with defensive tackles earlier this summer, Brown and Toney are the only two linebackers in this class. However, if Toney gets bigger he could project as a defensive end, just depending where the staff wants to put him.

Penn State’s 2016 class is ranked No. 8 in the nation according to Rivals, putting the Nittany Lions one spot ahead of Alabama and one behind Michigan. Ohio State and Michigan State are also ahead of Penn State, coming in at No. 3 and No. 6 in the Rivals rankings.

Audrey Snyder: asnyder@post-gazette.com and Twitter @audsnyder4.