Will Fuller Decommits From Penn State, Chooses Notre Dame
By Joseph Santoliquito
Philadelphia (CBS)—Penn State has lost another one, a deep threat from Philadelphia who could stretch a defense. Roman Catholic standout receiver Will Fuller decommitted from Penn State and has given Notre Dame an oral commitment for a football scholarship after a unofficial visit to Notre Dame this weekend.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound senior caught 46 passes for 760 yards and 10 touchdown passes last year. He is among the most-sought after high school players in Southeastern Pennsylvania and made his announcement via his Facebook page on Sunday afternoon.
"This is a good move for Will, he's thrilled to death," Roman coach Joe McCourt said. "This was absolutely tough on him. Listen, the kid loved Penn State, but he committed to Penn State to get a good education and play for a Big 10 championship, go to a bowl game and win a national championship. Will had interest from one other school, which was Notre Dame. He obviously loved Notre Dame and he's going there now."
The sanctions levied by the NCAA on Penn State, which includes a four-year ban on bowl games and the Big 10 championship, played a role in Fuller's decision.
"It's a fact, no one needs to beat around the bush, it's obvious what happened to Penn State affected Will's decision," McCourt said. "Any normal human being would have left the day it happened. Will didn't. He explored one other option, and his one other option was better. He was choosing between Penn State and Notre Dame, and you really can't go wrong with both. Will wants a chance to win, and surrounded by good football players, and make sure there will be a quarterback there who can get the ball to him. He's going to have a chance to play early."
Fuller, however, has received some wrath from Penn State fans, with one fan messaging him, "Talk about backstabbing. It's not about going to Notre Dame, but it's the fact that you actually went to meet with Bill O'Brien and the rest of the players and said you were staying committed at PSU. If you had doubts, you didn't have to go, but you did and you ended up jerking people's chains. This was a [expletive] move."
McCourt gets irritated by that, saying, "You're talking about a young man in high school who's looking to make a good decision for his future. That's what he has to concern himself, not what other people think. His mother is happy about this choice. I am, too, and so is Will. That's the bottom line."
