Penn State Recruiting Profile: Dejuan Lane Brings Size, Speed to Secondary

The defensive back from Maryland was a three-sport athlete at Gilman School.

Penn State Nittany Lions fans cheer during a college football game at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Sixteen players from Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class got a head start during spring drills, but the group isn’t fully on campus. Nine more Nittany Lions arrive this summer, including some of the class’ more intriguing prospects. We’re introducing the rest of Penn State’s incoming recruiting class. Up next: An intriguing defensive back from Maryland.

Dejuan Lane

• Position: Defensive back

• Height/weight: 6-2/205 pounds

• High school: Gilman School (Maryland)

Meet Dejuan Lane: The defensive back is among Penn State’s more interesting defensive prospects. He brings size to the secondary and is a good fit at safety, having made 63 tackles as a senior. But watch the speed. Lane runs track and helped his 400-meter relay team set a school record and also run a time of 43.54 at the Penn Relays. Gilman was a 4-star prospect who ranked as the 11th overall prospect in Maryland, according to 247Sports, and as the No. 31 Athlete nationally. 

Quotable: Gilman Head Coach Scott Van Zile: “Dejuan possesses a very rare combination of size, speed and ability that makes him one of the top prospects in the country. He has had a huge impact on not only Gilman football, but Gilman Athletics as a whole, being a three-sport standout. His leadership and competitive spirit has left a great impact on our program and we are looking forward to cheering him on at Penn State."

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.