IMG Academy's Tyler Booker, a Top 2022 Lineman, Loves Penn State's 'Progression'
Tyler Booker, one of the nation's top 2022 offensive linemen, has college coaches circling Florida's IMG Academy for his attention. Penn State's James Franklin is among them, and Booker wants to reciprocate when he gets the chance.
Booker told John Garcia, Jr., Sports Illustrated's director of football recruiting, that Penn State is one of the primary schools he wants to visit when the NCAA reopens on-campus recruiting. That won't be until at least early 2021, as the NCAA recently extended the recruiting dead period until Jan. 1.
"Penn State for sure, 100 percent," Booker told Garcia Jr. when asked about schools he wants to see. "I've built a great relationship with them. I love the [offensive line] coach [Phil Trautwein] they hired there, and I love their progression."
Coaches love Booker's progression as well. Considered perhaps the top offensive lineman in the 2022 class, Booker has built recruiting relationships with Michigan, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma and Alabama, among many others.
Originally from Connecticut, Booker is a junior at IMG Academy, where he has become the "heartbeat" of the team, coach Bobby Acosta told Sports Illustrated in July. Booker is 6-5, 320 pounds and said he feel like "I'm the best offensive lineman in the nation; guard, tackle, either or."
Booker also has expectations of the program he'll choose outside of football. Education is a top priority, Booker told Garcia Jr., as is how the coaching staff handles matters of social injustice. He has monitored how coaches react publicly with their statements and on social media.
"I noticed which coaches came out and said something [early on]. … I made a mental note of that," Booker told Sports Illustrated in July. "I also made a mental note of the coaches who were late and seemed like their hand was forced to post something.”
This season, Booker said he is playing for those high school players in Connecticut who seasons were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also has a specific vision for his future.
"I would love to go to a college that has everything figured," Booker told Garcia Jr.. "I like to say my book is in chapters. I feel like that’s going to be a better chapter to the book if I go to a school I can add to and build up."
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