Draper (Utah) Skyline defensive lineman Aniti Paiva just announced his commitment to Penn State and broke down why he chose the Nittany Lions.
Paiva is one of the top interior defensive lineman out West. He’s a true nose guard and was one of our top performers at the Under Armour Next Camp in Utah back in April.
Penn State has been the team to beat for Paiva for sometime and the talented lineman decided he was ready to lock in his decision and shut down his recruitment.
“Penn State felt like family on my visit there and I have a great relationship with the coaches,” Paiva said. “Coach (Ikaika) Malloe is my guy, I feel a really strong connection with him.
“He has been recruiting me for a long time even before he came over to Penn State. When he was at UCLA he was talking to me so my comfort level with him is really good and I know he can help develop me on and off the field.”
Paiva visited Penn State last month and that trip was big in essentially sealing the deal in this recruitment.
“The trip was amazing,” Paiva said. “Like I said, it felt like family and I fit in really well. My parents were with me and they loved it too and the hospitably and how well they treated all of us blew me away. I actually wanted to commit to Penn State in February but my parents made me wait to see how the relationships would develop.
“The longer I waited, the more I loved the staff and the school. When I took the visit, I fell in love with the town and the tight knit community. The fan base is crazy and it’s a town of hard working people looking to build something special and that’s what I want to be a part of.”
Scheme fit was another plus for Paiva.
“On my visit I was able to talk with coach (D’Anton) Lynn about how he sees me in the defense,” Paiva said. “They like my size in the middle of their defensive front and feel my ability to move will allow me to make a lot of plays.
“Coach Malloe broke things down as well and they see me as a true nose who can stuff the run and add some pass rush. My goal is to come in and play as a true freshman and I’m very excited about my decision.”