Height: 6-5 • Weight: 285

Position(s): OG-DL

Year: Senior

• The Skinny: Rated one of the top offensive linemen in the state. Has added 15 pounds since last year and is moving from offensive tackle to guard. He was a center as a freshman and sophomore and scout.com ranks him the No. 3 center in the country. His father, George, has been Pitt's women's tennis coach for 27 years.

• College talk: Made June 1 verbal commitment to Penn State. Was recruited to play guard or center. Pitt was his other top choice, but also had offers from, among others, Florida State, Virginia and Boston College.

• You're playing your third different offensive line position in three years. Is that a big deal?

Most people think it will be, but I pretty much know all the plays from every position. I'm in a spot now where I can be used better. I can pull more, and a running back can be reading plays off my butt more.

• To be a top offensive lineman, what is the biggest thing a player needs? I would say good footwork. College-wise, everyone is going to be strong, everyone is going to be big, everyone is going to have good coaches. What sets kids apart is how quick they get off the ball and how quick they move their feet.

• Your dad is a tennis coach. Did you ever play tennis? I played from when I was about a 2-year-old until I was 13. The only way I would get to see my dad sometimes was if my mom would drop me off at the place where he was a tennis pro. I played tennis a ridiculous amount of my life. I played competitively, too.

• You and your father were criticized a lot on pitt message boards because you chose penn state instead of pitt. Did that bother you? Just let them think what they want. It didn't really bother us whatsoever. I made the best decision for me. I still love Pitt. I cheer for Pitt. It's a great school. But where I want to be and where I think I can be the most successful is Penn State.

• People might be surprised to know that ... I'm related to Abraham Lincoln. It's on my dad's side of the family. I'm like his 10th cousin or something. My aunt actually has some of the Lincoln family's old silverware and a chair of theirs. It's pretty cool. I was going to say that [about Lincoln], or that I'm scuba certified. I can scuba anywhere in the world.