Sunday was a big recruiting day for multiple college football programs, but few more so than LSU, Florida and Penn State. The trio of traditional football powers all gained a huge lift to their Class of 2017 by adding a four-star recruit at a position of need.
For LSU, that addition was Kary Vincent, a Port Arthur Memorial cornerback who eventually decided that the Tigers were the best fit for the Texas native because of the program’s traditional family feel.
“It’s just so family oriented and really feels like home over here,” Vincent told 247 Sports. “I’m so comfortable being around all the players, and I have some good friends coming here with Grant (Delpit) and Jhamon (Ausbon).
“The history of the program and always having a chance to win a championship is big, and of course, DBU. That’s what it’s all about here, and I want to be a part of that.”
He’ll be there, and he’ll be facing off against a Florida team that may eventually be led on offense by new running back commit Adarius Lemons. The Clearwater star chose his state power program in a straight recruiting flip from North Carolina, where he had been committed. Like Vincent, Lemons was clearly drawn to Gainesville by family factors, though his were more clear cut.
“I was telling them I’ve got to talk it over with my grandma, because she really likes it here and she really wants me here,” Lemons told 247 Sports. “She doesn’t like traveling, she doesn’t like flying. So that’s kind of a big thing right now for my family.”
For four-star safety Jonathan Sutherland, the decision to join Penn State was driven most by his relationship with the Nittany Lions coaching staff. A Canadian native, the Episcopal player chose the program that was closest to his high school program, with the likes of Boston College, Syracuse, Michigan and Wisconsin just missing out.
“Coach (James) Franklin and his coaching staff are amazing on and off the field,” Sutherland told 247. “I fit in well in their secondary and they see me playing over the top and down in the box.”
There’s little question that Vincent, Lemons and Sutherland are all major gains for LSU, Florida and Penn State respectively, at the expense of North Carolina in one case. That they all came to their conclusion on the same mid-summer Sunday makes it instantly a notable day in the 2017 recruiting cycle.