Preseason Penn State Recruiting Report Card
With the season starting in just a few days this is the perfect time for a look at where the Penn State football team stands in the recruiting race. There is certainly a long away to go until signing day and a lot of things can change but on paper the Lions are off to a solid start with 10 verbal commitments. Certainly it is impossible to predict how the Class of 2008 will end up and the on field success of this year's version of the Penn State football team will definitely have a huge impact on what talents from across the country decide to cast their lot with JoePa and Co.
Quarterback:
Current grade: Incomplete
Current verbal commitments: none
The Penn State staff clearly has learned from the Chad Henne fiasco a few years back. Instead of putting all their eggs in one basket as they did with Henne they got smart and doubled their pleasure, instead putting all their eggs in two baskets. Those of course being Terrelle Pryor and E.J. Manuel. One big problem is that Manuel committed a ways back to Florida State. There are rumors circulating that Manuel is not 100% committed to the Seminoles but nothing has been said publicly that would lead one to believe that Manuel is wavering. Pryor seems to be leaning toward Ohio State, but Penn State certainly is in the mix. Again, on field success this season will go a long way with Pryor.
The fact that the staff hasn't offered any other QBs in this class must indicate that they feel pretty good that they will land one of these two studs. But they have a ton of work ahead of them to get either Pryor or Manuel to sign on the dotted line.
The fact that Penn State did not sign a QB in last years recruiting class makes it imperative that they do so this year. Apparently it's Pryor or Manuel or bust.
Tailback:
Current grade: B+
Current verbal commitments: Michael Shaw, Brandon Beachum
Penn State was in about as dire a recruiting situation at the TB position as one can imagine going into this past spring. Penn State for a variety of reasons more or less struck out last year at TB (although Stephfon Green, originally thought to be a CB, has been a find at the TB position thus far) after only snagging Evan Royster the year before. Clearly TB was the highest priority early in this recruiting season.
The PSU staff offered eight TBs from across the country in attempt to fill the void that will be on the roster next year. Brandon Beachum, a big TB in the Tony Hunt mold, committed on July 29th to Penn State over a plethora of offers from schools including Florida State, LSU, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Michael Shaw, an electric speedster from Ohio let it be known early that he was a PSU fan and that he was waiting on a PSU offer. Shaw got that offer toward the end of May and officially committed to PSU on August 11th over offers from schools including Michigan, Clemson, and Tennessee.
There is a very slight chance that Penn State could snag a third TB in this class but that possibility is remote. It appears that Penn State is finished recruiting TBs for the Class of 2008.
Wide Receiver:
Current grade: Incomplete
Current verbal commitments: none
Wide Receiver is another position at which Penn State needs to continue stockpiling talent. Early in the spring the PSU staff identified five WRs that were to receive offers: Deion Walker, DeJuan Miller, AJ Alexander, Brice Butler, and Kenny Tate. Miller and Butler both committed elsewhere and dropped off the board. Alexander initially surprised most and committed to Florida State, but decommitted during the summer and apparently has his sights set squarely on PSU. Whether the Penn State staff still feels the same way remains to be seen, but they would be foolish to pass on a speedy talent like Alexander if he wants to hop on board. Kenny Tate is a mystery man and no one really knows a complete college list for him. But few if any think that Penn State is a real player for him.
Virginia native Deion Walker is the remaining member of the initial quintet of WR offerees who remains on the recruiting board. Apparently Walker is leaning toward PSU despite the consistent claims that we all hear daily from Seminole Nation that Walker is a Florida State lock. PSU remains the only official visit set up for Walker as he will be on campus again for Notre Dame weekend. If Walker were to verbally commit to Penn State he could be a catalyst for the remainder of this recruiting class.
Penn State did offer MD speedster Lamaar Thomas earlier this summer but it was too little, too late. By the time Thomas received the offer he was already set with his current list of schools. Thomas may have been interested in the Lions if they had offered and pushed for him earlier when schools like Ohio State and USC were showing him "love" but alas it didn't happen, so there is no use discussing it further.
VA's Marcus Thomas now holds a Penn State offer and claims that they are recruiting him as a WR. Although with his current size (6'4 225) it seems that he will grow out of the WR position to perhaps become a TE or a LB. Thomas says that his top three are (in order) Virginia Tech, Penn State, and Tennessee.
Penn State has Deion Walker atop their WR recruiting wish list and truly is a "must get" for this class. In addition to Walker the Lions need to sign one additional high end WR. Preferably one with great speed. AJ Alexander anyone?
Tight End:
Current grade: Incomplete
Current verbal commitments: none
Penn State needs to sign one big time Tight End in this recruiting class and it looks like that will be Lion legacy Mark Wedderburn. Wedderburn is one of two Class of 2008 TE recruits to receive a written offer from PSU (Ohio State verbal Jake Stoneburner being the other). Wedderburn has publicly stated for months that Penn State is his leader and barring something unforeseen occurring he will be a Lion on signing day. The long and athletic TE is planning on taking some other visits but those look to be mere formalities.
Offensive Line:
Current Grade: B minus
Current verbal commitments: Matt Stankiewitch, Deon'Tae Pannell
Penn State has one glaring need along the Offensive Line for the Class of 2008, that would be Offensive Tackle. The OT situation is so dire depth wise at PSU that they signed two Junior College players last year to help fill holes at the position. The PSU staff clearly knows this and have offered several OT prospects from across the country. A few of those have already committed elsewhere (Graham Pocic to Illinois, J.B. Shugarts to Ohio State, Michael Via to Virginia Tech) but the Lions still have a few big timers on the board in fellow Virginians Vinson Painter and James Bennett. Penn State has received one verbal commitment to date from an OT prospect, that being Michigan native Deon'tae Pannell. There are a few questions regarding Pannell's height as he is listed at 6'5 although some have stated he is only 6'3. But all indications are that Pannell is earmarked for one of the OT spots at PSU. Pannell committed to PSU in early August over offers from Michigan and Michigan State.
Penn State's other OL verbal is PA native and Center prospect Matt Stankiewitch. Stankiewitch was PSU's first verbal commitment for this class and is regarded as one of the top Center prospects in the country. The 6'5 295 Stankiewitch chose PSU over offers from UConn, Rutgers, and West Virginia among others.
Defensive Line:
Current grade: C
Current verbal commitments: James Terry, Pete Massaro, Jack Crawford
Penn State has begun to really assemble some quality depth along the Defensive line over the past few years and needs to continue stockpiling talent. Look no further than the recent injury bug that has bitten the Penn State DL for proof of that. Going into this recruiting season the PSU staff likely wants to bring in two additional DTs and two more DEs. Larry Johnson Sr recently finished up his DE recruiting for the year by gaining verbal commitments from PA DE Pete Massaro and NJ DE Jack Crawford within the past few weeks. Massaro was kind of under the radar but still had some quality offers from schools like Boston College, Georgia Tech, and Syracuse. The ultra athletic Crawford chose PSU over Rutgers, Michigan, and Ohio State.
PSU's Defensive tackle recruiting has been going well. The Lions are actively involved with some excellent DT prospects including Zach Kerr from MD, Reggie Ellis from DC, and Jewhan Edwards from Philly. The Lions received a surprise verbal commitment from lightly regarded DT James Terry a few weeks ago which raised a few eyebrows. Terry's only other offer was from Temple and he had not stood out on the combine circuit. However we have learned that Terry was "hand picked" by LJ Sr to be a Nittany Lion. While we remain somewhat skeptical of Terry, LJ Sr has certainly earned some latitude with us due to his outstanding track record in terms of identifying, evaluating, and developing talent.
Based on the limited number of scholarships for Penn State this year it is not expected that they take more than one more DT in this class barring a player like Terry being brought on as a grayshirt. If that were to happen then we could see PSU signing two additional DTs.
Linebacker:
Current grade: A
Current verbal commitments: Mike Zordich, Mike Yancich, Mike Mauti
Penn State has re-established itself as "Linebacker U" over the past few years and this recruiting class will only add to that legacy. The Penn State staff was aggressive out of the gate in February when it came to recruiting linebackers. They initially sent offers out to eight or nine kids before narrowing their focus somewhat. Nittany Lion legacy Mike Zordich was the first LB to commit back in early June. Zordich is a throwback Middle Linebacker with a nose for the ball and a knack for physical play. In the end Zordich chose PSU over his home state Ohio State Buckeyes.
June continued to be a banner month for Linebacker U as LA native and Nittany Lion legacy Michael Mauti and western PA stud Mike Yancich both committed to the Lions within a few days of each other. Both Mauti and Yancich are very athletic and fast LBs who will both end up as Outside Linebackers for PSU. Many consider Mauti to be one of the top 10 Linebackers in the nation and chose the Lions over many offer including Florida, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Yancich "blew up" on the spring/summer camp circuit and garnered numerous scholarship offers from schools like Boston College, Georgia Tech, and West Virginia.
It is safe to say that Penn State is finished recruiting Linebackers for the Class of 2008.
Defensive Back:
Current grade: Incomplete
Current verbal commitments: none
The Defensive Backfield is another area where Penn State is beginning to develop impressive depth. But with the losses of Travis McBride(academics) and Spencer Ridenhour (transfer) PSU needs to address the Safety position in order to maintain quality depth. However the staff has been relatively stingy with the number of offers handed out to safety prospects. Ohioan Dan McCarthy received an early offer but ultimately decided to join his brother at Notre Dame. NJ stud Will "The Thrill" Hill was offered as well, but it unfortunately appears that Hill has no interest in Penn State.
The two primary targets to fill Safety roles for Penn State are Okechuckwu Okoroha from MD and D'Anton Lynn from Texas. Both are big time athletes who can run with WRs and hit like LBs. There is stiff competition for both as one would expect. Okoroha is wide open (although the fact that he is a former teammate of Derrick Williams can't hurt) and Lynn claims to be deciding between PSU, Florida, and the dreaded USC Trojans. Penn State is due to beat USC for a recruit someday aren't they?
It is a good recruiting practice to take at least one Cornerback per recruiting class so Penn State must work to maintain status quo. The top candidate as of now appears to be Easton's Jarred Holley. Holley is a bit on the small side but is quick and fluid. He would excel in Penn State's CB friendly defensive scheme. However Holley has played the recruiting game close to the vest and few really know where he is leaning. Holley has plenty of suitors and boasts in the vicinity of 20 offers. As of now the only other CB on the radar that we know of is LA native Robbie Green. Green holds offers from all the "big boys" down south and few if any expect him to matriculate north to Happy Valley for his college career.
With only four viable DB offers out at this time the Penn State staff must close well in order to fill the existing needs on the squad. Coach Brian Norwood needs to come through in the clutch (his pre-existing relationship with D'Anton Lynn's father is well documented) and help PSU finally edge USC for a recruit. It is expected that Penn State will land two defensive backs in this class although if they were able to snag three of the four kids that currently hold offers they would find a place for all of them.
Clearly the Penn State staff is off to a solid start with this recruiting class. But this class will be made (or broken) over the next few months on the football field. If Joe Paterno and his staff are able to field a team that draws attention and generates excitement, that would go a long way in assisting their recruiting efforts. They say that "Winning cures all." Well, if PSU were to win this season like they can and should, then recruiting will take care of itself. Much like it did two years ago in 2005.
But that is all up to Joe Paterno. In more ways than one.
Quarterback:
Current grade: Incomplete
Current verbal commitments: none
The Penn State staff clearly has learned from the Chad Henne fiasco a few years back. Instead of putting all their eggs in one basket as they did with Henne they got smart and doubled their pleasure, instead putting all their eggs in two baskets. Those of course being Terrelle Pryor and E.J. Manuel. One big problem is that Manuel committed a ways back to Florida State. There are rumors circulating that Manuel is not 100% committed to the Seminoles but nothing has been said publicly that would lead one to believe that Manuel is wavering. Pryor seems to be leaning toward Ohio State, but Penn State certainly is in the mix. Again, on field success this season will go a long way with Pryor.
The fact that the staff hasn't offered any other QBs in this class must indicate that they feel pretty good that they will land one of these two studs. But they have a ton of work ahead of them to get either Pryor or Manuel to sign on the dotted line.
The fact that Penn State did not sign a QB in last years recruiting class makes it imperative that they do so this year. Apparently it's Pryor or Manuel or bust.
Tailback:
Current grade: B+
Current verbal commitments: Michael Shaw, Brandon Beachum
Penn State was in about as dire a recruiting situation at the TB position as one can imagine going into this past spring. Penn State for a variety of reasons more or less struck out last year at TB (although Stephfon Green, originally thought to be a CB, has been a find at the TB position thus far) after only snagging Evan Royster the year before. Clearly TB was the highest priority early in this recruiting season.
The PSU staff offered eight TBs from across the country in attempt to fill the void that will be on the roster next year. Brandon Beachum, a big TB in the Tony Hunt mold, committed on July 29th to Penn State over a plethora of offers from schools including Florida State, LSU, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Michael Shaw, an electric speedster from Ohio let it be known early that he was a PSU fan and that he was waiting on a PSU offer. Shaw got that offer toward the end of May and officially committed to PSU on August 11th over offers from schools including Michigan, Clemson, and Tennessee.
There is a very slight chance that Penn State could snag a third TB in this class but that possibility is remote. It appears that Penn State is finished recruiting TBs for the Class of 2008.
Wide Receiver:
Current grade: Incomplete
Current verbal commitments: none
Wide Receiver is another position at which Penn State needs to continue stockpiling talent. Early in the spring the PSU staff identified five WRs that were to receive offers: Deion Walker, DeJuan Miller, AJ Alexander, Brice Butler, and Kenny Tate. Miller and Butler both committed elsewhere and dropped off the board. Alexander initially surprised most and committed to Florida State, but decommitted during the summer and apparently has his sights set squarely on PSU. Whether the Penn State staff still feels the same way remains to be seen, but they would be foolish to pass on a speedy talent like Alexander if he wants to hop on board. Kenny Tate is a mystery man and no one really knows a complete college list for him. But few if any think that Penn State is a real player for him.
Virginia native Deion Walker is the remaining member of the initial quintet of WR offerees who remains on the recruiting board. Apparently Walker is leaning toward PSU despite the consistent claims that we all hear daily from Seminole Nation that Walker is a Florida State lock. PSU remains the only official visit set up for Walker as he will be on campus again for Notre Dame weekend. If Walker were to verbally commit to Penn State he could be a catalyst for the remainder of this recruiting class.
Penn State did offer MD speedster Lamaar Thomas earlier this summer but it was too little, too late. By the time Thomas received the offer he was already set with his current list of schools. Thomas may have been interested in the Lions if they had offered and pushed for him earlier when schools like Ohio State and USC were showing him "love" but alas it didn't happen, so there is no use discussing it further.
VA's Marcus Thomas now holds a Penn State offer and claims that they are recruiting him as a WR. Although with his current size (6'4 225) it seems that he will grow out of the WR position to perhaps become a TE or a LB. Thomas says that his top three are (in order) Virginia Tech, Penn State, and Tennessee.
Penn State has Deion Walker atop their WR recruiting wish list and truly is a "must get" for this class. In addition to Walker the Lions need to sign one additional high end WR. Preferably one with great speed. AJ Alexander anyone?
Tight End:
Current grade: Incomplete
Current verbal commitments: none
Penn State needs to sign one big time Tight End in this recruiting class and it looks like that will be Lion legacy Mark Wedderburn. Wedderburn is one of two Class of 2008 TE recruits to receive a written offer from PSU (Ohio State verbal Jake Stoneburner being the other). Wedderburn has publicly stated for months that Penn State is his leader and barring something unforeseen occurring he will be a Lion on signing day. The long and athletic TE is planning on taking some other visits but those look to be mere formalities.
Offensive Line:
Current Grade: B minus
Current verbal commitments: Matt Stankiewitch, Deon'Tae Pannell
Penn State has one glaring need along the Offensive Line for the Class of 2008, that would be Offensive Tackle. The OT situation is so dire depth wise at PSU that they signed two Junior College players last year to help fill holes at the position. The PSU staff clearly knows this and have offered several OT prospects from across the country. A few of those have already committed elsewhere (Graham Pocic to Illinois, J.B. Shugarts to Ohio State, Michael Via to Virginia Tech) but the Lions still have a few big timers on the board in fellow Virginians Vinson Painter and James Bennett. Penn State has received one verbal commitment to date from an OT prospect, that being Michigan native Deon'tae Pannell. There are a few questions regarding Pannell's height as he is listed at 6'5 although some have stated he is only 6'3. But all indications are that Pannell is earmarked for one of the OT spots at PSU. Pannell committed to PSU in early August over offers from Michigan and Michigan State.
Penn State's other OL verbal is PA native and Center prospect Matt Stankiewitch. Stankiewitch was PSU's first verbal commitment for this class and is regarded as one of the top Center prospects in the country. The 6'5 295 Stankiewitch chose PSU over offers from UConn, Rutgers, and West Virginia among others.
Defensive Line:
Current grade: C
Current verbal commitments: James Terry, Pete Massaro, Jack Crawford
Penn State has begun to really assemble some quality depth along the Defensive line over the past few years and needs to continue stockpiling talent. Look no further than the recent injury bug that has bitten the Penn State DL for proof of that. Going into this recruiting season the PSU staff likely wants to bring in two additional DTs and two more DEs. Larry Johnson Sr recently finished up his DE recruiting for the year by gaining verbal commitments from PA DE Pete Massaro and NJ DE Jack Crawford within the past few weeks. Massaro was kind of under the radar but still had some quality offers from schools like Boston College, Georgia Tech, and Syracuse. The ultra athletic Crawford chose PSU over Rutgers, Michigan, and Ohio State.
PSU's Defensive tackle recruiting has been going well. The Lions are actively involved with some excellent DT prospects including Zach Kerr from MD, Reggie Ellis from DC, and Jewhan Edwards from Philly. The Lions received a surprise verbal commitment from lightly regarded DT James Terry a few weeks ago which raised a few eyebrows. Terry's only other offer was from Temple and he had not stood out on the combine circuit. However we have learned that Terry was "hand picked" by LJ Sr to be a Nittany Lion. While we remain somewhat skeptical of Terry, LJ Sr has certainly earned some latitude with us due to his outstanding track record in terms of identifying, evaluating, and developing talent.
Based on the limited number of scholarships for Penn State this year it is not expected that they take more than one more DT in this class barring a player like Terry being brought on as a grayshirt. If that were to happen then we could see PSU signing two additional DTs.
Linebacker:
Current grade: A
Current verbal commitments: Mike Zordich, Mike Yancich, Mike Mauti
Penn State has re-established itself as "Linebacker U" over the past few years and this recruiting class will only add to that legacy. The Penn State staff was aggressive out of the gate in February when it came to recruiting linebackers. They initially sent offers out to eight or nine kids before narrowing their focus somewhat. Nittany Lion legacy Mike Zordich was the first LB to commit back in early June. Zordich is a throwback Middle Linebacker with a nose for the ball and a knack for physical play. In the end Zordich chose PSU over his home state Ohio State Buckeyes.
June continued to be a banner month for Linebacker U as LA native and Nittany Lion legacy Michael Mauti and western PA stud Mike Yancich both committed to the Lions within a few days of each other. Both Mauti and Yancich are very athletic and fast LBs who will both end up as Outside Linebackers for PSU. Many consider Mauti to be one of the top 10 Linebackers in the nation and chose the Lions over many offer including Florida, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Yancich "blew up" on the spring/summer camp circuit and garnered numerous scholarship offers from schools like Boston College, Georgia Tech, and West Virginia.
It is safe to say that Penn State is finished recruiting Linebackers for the Class of 2008.
Defensive Back:
Current grade: Incomplete
Current verbal commitments: none
The Defensive Backfield is another area where Penn State is beginning to develop impressive depth. But with the losses of Travis McBride(academics) and Spencer Ridenhour (transfer) PSU needs to address the Safety position in order to maintain quality depth. However the staff has been relatively stingy with the number of offers handed out to safety prospects. Ohioan Dan McCarthy received an early offer but ultimately decided to join his brother at Notre Dame. NJ stud Will "The Thrill" Hill was offered as well, but it unfortunately appears that Hill has no interest in Penn State.
The two primary targets to fill Safety roles for Penn State are Okechuckwu Okoroha from MD and D'Anton Lynn from Texas. Both are big time athletes who can run with WRs and hit like LBs. There is stiff competition for both as one would expect. Okoroha is wide open (although the fact that he is a former teammate of Derrick Williams can't hurt) and Lynn claims to be deciding between PSU, Florida, and the dreaded USC Trojans. Penn State is due to beat USC for a recruit someday aren't they?
It is a good recruiting practice to take at least one Cornerback per recruiting class so Penn State must work to maintain status quo. The top candidate as of now appears to be Easton's Jarred Holley. Holley is a bit on the small side but is quick and fluid. He would excel in Penn State's CB friendly defensive scheme. However Holley has played the recruiting game close to the vest and few really know where he is leaning. Holley has plenty of suitors and boasts in the vicinity of 20 offers. As of now the only other CB on the radar that we know of is LA native Robbie Green. Green holds offers from all the "big boys" down south and few if any expect him to matriculate north to Happy Valley for his college career.
With only four viable DB offers out at this time the Penn State staff must close well in order to fill the existing needs on the squad. Coach Brian Norwood needs to come through in the clutch (his pre-existing relationship with D'Anton Lynn's father is well documented) and help PSU finally edge USC for a recruit. It is expected that Penn State will land two defensive backs in this class although if they were able to snag three of the four kids that currently hold offers they would find a place for all of them.
Clearly the Penn State staff is off to a solid start with this recruiting class. But this class will be made (or broken) over the next few months on the football field. If Joe Paterno and his staff are able to field a team that draws attention and generates excitement, that would go a long way in assisting their recruiting efforts. They say that "Winning cures all." Well, if PSU were to win this season like they can and should, then recruiting will take care of itself. Much like it did two years ago in 2005.
But that is all up to Joe Paterno. In more ways than one.
Stern,
EXCELLENT work.
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Nice overview, HS.
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Nicely done HS. Can this be sent to PSU staff?
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"HooHoo! I invented Recruiting Rreport Cards. Tell em Fred."
Nice synopsis. Let's hope for a great season to help these potential recruits see the winning ways of Penn State football !
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Very insightful and extremely well written. Thank you.
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Very solid analysis of the class so far. My only "disappointment" is with our DL recruiting. I just think we could have waited a bit longer before offering Massaro and Terry. Anyways, I agree that how well we finish in recruiting will be determined on the field, and we will eventually get a recruit from USC.
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HS - Great job. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
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You tied things up beautifully, Howard. I think we get one of the other QB, by hook or by crook. We get either Painter or Bennett, Lynn, Kerr (grades?), Wedderburn (soon), and Walker (soon).
Alexander is the big mystery. I have heard all kinds of things about him from "insiders", most of it conflicting (nuff said).
I don't think Pryor goes to LOI day...he could fall much sooner than expected.
Standard disclaimer applies here ( I don't really know jack ).
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