Report: Penn State football signee Lonnie White Jr. to sign with Pittsburgh Pirates
Updated 8:10 AM; Today 8:09 AM
Penn State recruit Lonnie White Jr. visits with head coach James Franklin before the Indiana on Nov. 16, 2019. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
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By Daniel Gallen | dgallen@pennlive.com
STATE COLLEGE — Malvern Prep two-sport star Lonnie White Jr. will begin his professional baseball career instead of playing college football, according to a report.
White will sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, forgoing the opportunity to play football at Penn State, according to PhillyVoice.
The Pirates drafted White, an outfielder, with the No. 64 overall pick in the second competitive balance round of the 2021 MLB Draft earlier this month. White signed a letter of intent to play for the Nittany Lions in December, and he was also going to have the opportunity to play baseball for Penn State.
According to PhillyVoice, White made his decision Sunday and notified coach James Franklin ahead of making it official Monday. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported White is at PNC Park for a physical Monday.
Read more: Penn State’s James Franklin knows Lonnie White Jr.’s decision is coming soon, but what will he decide?
During Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis last week, Franklin said he didn’t know what White’s decision would be.
“I’m not sure,’' Franklin said. “A few days ago, I thought it was a done deal and I knew what he was doing. I just got a text message that it’s changed in another direction. I’m not sure. I think it depends on the day.”
The No. 64 overall pick has a slot value of $1,050,300 for its signing bonus, but the Pirates went under slot with their No. 1 overall pick in order to pay more money to later picks. White should be one of those players.
White, 18, batted .395 with five home runs, 11 doubles, one triple, 25 RBI, 36 runs scored and 26 stolen bases in his final baseball season at Malvern Prep. In his final coronavirus-shortened football season last fall, White caught 17 passes for 369 yards and five touchdowns in four games. He was a four-star wide receiver prospect in the Class of 2021.
Read more: Penn State football signee Lonnie White Jr. faces MLB draft decision after ‘breathtaking’ prep career
Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for PennLive. He can be reached at dgallen@pennlive.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Follow PennLive’s Penn State coverage on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
