Linebacker Khairi Fortt from Stamford, Conn., has announced his college choice and Penn State fans can be happy there were no surprises. This morning, Nittany Network predicted Fortt would announce he has picked Penn State and that is exactly what the star linebacker did this afternoon.
Fortt has committed to Penn State over scholarship offers from Georgia, USC, Tennessee, North Carolina and many others across the country.
"The choice was a family decision," Fortt said. "We all felt the honesty of the coaches, the reputation they have for doing the right thing. Just the whole school, we felt it is the best place for me for the next four years."
Fortt is commitment No. 19 for Joe Paterno for a class that is expected to number at least 20 on National Signing Day. It is one of the country’s top 10 recruiting classes and the No. 1 class in the Big Ten.
The 6-foot-3 and 225-pound Fortt is the No. 67 prospect on the ESPNU 150 and the country’s No. 2 inside linebacker. He makes seven prospects from the ESPNU 150 to have committed to Paterno.
Fortt’s only official visit was to Georgia, but he made a number of unofficial visits to Penn State including one in May when he attended the Nike Football Training Camp at Penn State."
"It was a real fight between Penn State and Georgia," Fortt said. "Both schools shared the same qualities. I have family in Georgia. My parents said they would be happy with either school. Then I told Joe Paterno when I was at the (Penn State) Iowa game that I was going to be committing.”
Fortt is the second pure linebacker prospect in this Penn State class joining Canonsburg (Pa.) Canon-McMillan star Mike Hull. Dakota Royer from Manheim (Pa.) Central has also committed to Penn State, but could play either defensive end or outside linebacker for the Nittany Lions. Fortt said he plans to graduate early and get on campus as soon as possible.
"[Coaches] said one great advantage is getting started early," Fortt said. "I’m coming in early and I can start working out with the team, learning the playbook and get acclimated to college life. They said that increases my chances (to play early). They don’t guarantee playing time, but the opportunity is there. That’s my goal, to play my first season."
With Fortt in the fold, Paterno can now focus on a handful of other great prospects he could still add to this recruiting class including defensive lineman Sharrif Floyd and running back Marcus Lattimore, two of the country’s top prospects.
Kurelic’s Comment: Landing Fortt was certainly no surprise, but very big nonetheless. He is an impact linebacker who has the potential to help the Nittany Lions in his first year in State College.
Hey, 19: Fortt commits
