ESPNU 150 Watch List prospect Ishaq Williams hasn't received a scholarship offer from Penn State yet, but Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln's coach wouldn't be caught off-guard by one.
"I know he went to their camp and he liked it there a lot, and we've been back and forth with [Penn State assistant] coach Kermit Buggs, and I wouldn't be surprised if they come offering here soon," Shawn O'Connor said.
The Nittany Lions haven't visited the defensive end, "but in my experience with those guys, they kind of come in a little bit later," O'Connor added.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound junior already boasts seven offers (Purdue, Boston College, North Carolina State, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Maryland). Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano and Syracuse coach Doug Marrone also stopped by Lincoln recently.
The Wolfpack's offer was unique. When an assistant walked in, watched the film, briefly met Williams and heard his grades, O'Connor remembers him saying: "We're going to offer you right now."
Normally, O'Connor said, the coaches will return to their campus — and he'll hear from them a week-or-so later. But when Williams pulled out four 90s and a 98 on his report card, raising his GPA to a 3.0, that seemed to instantly seal the deal.
Williams has already made plans to graduate early. Technically, if it was allowed, he could graduate this summer. He'll need only two classes during his senior football season to finish high school by January, but Lincoln requires him to take a minimum of four.
The junior plans on taking two or three official visits around college football season before making his decision. Williams, who also plays some tight end, wants to attend several camps and Junior Days to get a better feel for some colleges.
"It's heating up," O'Connor said. "And I think it's going to heat up even more once more people start hearing about him."
Willams chase 'heating up'
