North Allegheny junior making a name for himself

Tri-State Sports & News Service

Joey Porter became a household name in Western Pennsylvania about two decades ago because of his standout play on Sundays.

His oldest son turned heads on Fridays last fall and it might not be long before he’s doing the same on Saturdays.

North Allegheny’s Joey Porter Jr. is one of the WPIAL’s most highly recruited players. Schools such as LSU, Pitt and West Virginia have offered scholarships.

“Yeah, I feel like I’m starting to make a name for myself,” Porter said.

Is he ever. Porter is a 6foot-2, 185-pound junior cornerback full of potential who was recently ranked by one football recruiting website — 247Sports — as the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania.

“It means a lot knowing that some people view me as the best player in PA. I know I can’t stop working and I have to keep getting better,” he said.

Porter and Aliquippa junior Marlin Devonshire are the latest highly regarded defensive backs from the WPIAL. There have been quite a few to come through the area the past couple of years, among them Clairton’s Lamont Wade, McKeesport’s Khaleke Hudson, Central Catholic’s Damar Hamlin and Steel Valley’s Paris Ford.

Like his father, who was a four-time Pro Bowler as an outside linebacker, Porter is excelling on defense. He made a big leap in competition last season, transferring to Class 6A North Allegheny after playing his first two seasons at Class 2A Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic. Porter met the challenge and produced, earning All-Northern Seven Conference first-team honors.

A wrist injury forced him to miss three games, but Porter still finished with seven interceptions in just nine games. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown and saw time at wide receiver and as a kick returner.

That production combined with strong showings last month at an Under Armour Camp in Cleveland and a 7-on-7 tournament in Nevada — Porter plays for Pittsburgh-based Evolve — led to his recruitment taking flight.

“The top thing is his length,” North Allegheny coach Art Walker said. “He’s a physical corner. He’s a jam corner. He likes to play bump and run. He’s well over 6-2. He’s pushing 63. Having that kind of arm length and the ability to run when you’re that tall is impressive.”

Porter has more than a dozen offers, a list that also includes his father’s alma mater, Colorado State. Penn State has not offered, but Porter said the school is showing interest.

Walker said Porter has the makeup to make an impact at a power-five program.

“He definitely can because of his confidence and his ability to play man-toman in tight range. He wants to be as close to the receiver as possible. He’s also good at high pointing the ball in traffic,” Walker said.

Porter’s father, now an assistant coach with the Steelers, was known as a vocal player and played with a lot of swagger, and the younger Porter said those traits have been passed down to him.

“Yeah, in some ways. You can say that,” Porter said. “I try to take some of his playing style and toughness when I’m on the field.”

Football commitments

Bentworth’s Ben Peternel (Grove City), Imani Christian’s Tawan Wesley (Hocking JC), Westinghouse’s Darius Fluker (Hocking JC), West Allegheny’s Noah Ledford (John Carroll).

Basketball commitment

Gateway’s Mark Bozicevic (Waynesburg).