How a talk with James Franklin helped make Donovan Harbour Penn State's latest recruit
WAUKESHA – Donovan Harbour didn’t plan to wrap up his college recruitment last week, it just happened.
The junior guard from Catholic Memorial was at Penn State for the Nittany Lions’ spring game. During the visit he and his mother had a sit-down with head coach James Franklin.
The coach made a connection.
“I just liked the way he was conversating with me like I wasn’t a kid, like I’m progressing in my state of mind,” Harbour said. “I have to go to college, too (in addition to playing football) and he knows the downs and ups about it. He was just telling me about his background and where he came from and then I just committed.
“Talking to him was just like I could have a regular conversation with anybody. I could talk to him about anything.”
Harbour left Happy Valley as the Nittany Lions’ 10th known recruit for a 2024 class that currently ranks in the top 10 nationally of the rankings from Rivals, 247sports and On3 . He made his plans public on Tuesday, his 17th birthday, inside Memorial’s gym after school.
Harbour got an assist on the moment of truth from his young cousin, Dehja Retic. When he was ready to reveal his choice, Harbour unsnapped the toddler's jacket to reveal the Penn State T-shirt that was underneath. It was a cute moment that belies the kind of players he feels he'll join once he gets to State College, Pa.
“They’re just a bunch of dogs,” he said. “Watching the spring game, even the freshmen were just dogging out. I want to be a dog. I want to be special even if it’s not in football."
Yeah my head coach is the best in the game come be a lion https://t.co/3D2J5AyPuk
— Donovan “7D9” Harbour (@donovan_harbour) April 18, 2023
Harbour is a 4-star prospect who received almost two dozen D-I offers
Harbour's decision takes one of the state’s elite prospects for 2024 off the board. The 6-foot-4, 330-pound guard is considered the top prospect in Wisconsin for that class by 247sports and is the No. 2 prospect in the state by Rivals and On3.
Harbour played tackle for Memorial as a sophomore when the Crusaders won WIAA the Division 4 title and moved to guard last season when the team was the Division 4 state runner-up. He received almost two dozen high-major scholarship offers and on New Year’s Eve trimmed his list to seven – Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Despite his high standing in recruiting circles, Harbour described the interest he received from the Badgers as “off and on”.
He is one of three highly-touted players from Catholic Memorial. Running back Corey Smith, who also visited Penn State last weekend, is also a four-star recruit in the 2024 class and tackle Owen Strebig is a 2025 prospect who has piled up a dozen high-major offers since the end of the season.
Harbour’s commitment marks the second time in three seasons that Penn State has scored a commitment from a top player from the state. Former Milwaukee King standout Jerry Cross will be a redshirt freshman tight end for the Nittany Lions this upcoming season.
“That’s been my guy,” Harbour said. “I told him I was coming down there and he was stoked. He’s been telling all this great stuff about Penn State, but I didn’t believe it until I got down there. And I was like ‘Oh snap, he was right.”
An estimated crowd of 63,000 attended the spring game.
“He said the fan base is amazing, the coaching staff is outstanding, just being around everybody is amazing and once I got around everybody, I was like this is a family,” Harbour said.
Harbour likes Penn State's long-term plans for his development
Harbour also said Penn State's approach to his development separated it from other programs, offering him more time to develop as well as get his degree. He wants to study sports medicine and become a trainer.
"(Franklin) was like it’s not a three-to-four year (plan), it’s a four-to-five," Harbour said. "I just liked that because I want to finish and get my degree. No other coaches talked to me about a four to five, they talked to me about a three to four, leave early, get drafted. That is what I liked about him."
With his college choice behind him, Harbour can turn his attention to track season – he competes in the throws for the Crusaders – and preparing for his senior season of football.
To that end he has been doing the requisite strength training while getting position-specific work at Milwaukee Yard as well as with O-Line Mafia and former Badger Joe Panos, who played six seasons in the NFL.
The development will be key. Last season was the first-team all-state selection's first ever at guard.
With his college choice out of the way, Harbour said he is ready to take the next step.
"I’m committed but I’m not there yet, so I’ve got to be prepared when I’m going there," he said. "I’ve got to work out, lift, do whatever coach asks me to do so I can be great.”
More: Luke Fickell's Wisconsin football staff looks to grow in-state recruiting with these 8 players
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Catholic Memorial football star Donovan Harbour commits to Penn State
