This week’s babe is a classic, like that girl you knew in high school that was out of your league. Then, 10 years later, you run into her at your high school reunion and it turns out she’s actually into you. Sort of. She became an instant hit on one of the best TV shows in America, which will thankfully be returning next year. She grew into an internet phenomenon of sorts at another Penn State blog, and now, here we are, years later still talking about her and her wonderful assets (brains, duh). Close shave, America. Close shave, Christina Hendricks.
Once again, today’s news will be light. There are more pressing matters afoot. Of course I’m talking about my housewarming party in Pittsburgh, to which you are all invited. Just look for the “Party Over Here” balloons. We’ll briefly visit one of our favorite talking points again before we dig into the links, that being the recruitment of a quarterback in this class. As you can see on our Big Board, the staff is essentially offering only two quarterbacks, Skyler Mornhinweg and Devin Fuller. Unless and until either of them commits (and Skyler has said he plans to do so within a couple of weeks) somewhere other than Penn State, these will likely be the only names you see on the QB board. With players like Brian Blackburn, Austin Appleby, and Brendan Nosovitch committed elsewhere, the staff appears to be putting their proverbial eggs in the baskets of Mornhinweg and Fuller. Go 0 for 2 with these guys, and it’ll probably be two years running with no quarterback commits, a dangerous game to be playing.
Now that that’s out of the way, on with the show.
Penn State Recruiting News
As mentioned, Skyler Mornhinweg, a one-time Stanford commit, is nearing a decision ($). The QB from Philadelphia (son of Eagles OC Marty Mornhinweg) has an impressive offer sheet, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pick the Lions.
MA DB Armani Reeves visited Notre Dame recently, and came away impressed. I still like PSU’s chances here, but anything that has to do with Notre Dame recruiting scares me (see, e.g., Jarron Jones).
A new running back is gaining the attention of the Nittany Lion staff. This particular back, a tough, durable midwestern runner, does not yet have an offer, but should things fall through with Will Mahone, Drew Harris, Brionte Dunn or (GASP!) all of them, watch for this kid to get the offer he seems to be coveting.
A Philly.com fluff piece on the addition of Nyeem Wartman and the loss of Jarron Jones.
Big Ten Recruiting News
In case you hadn’t heard, Michigan landed a major commitment from five-star OH OL Kyle Kalis, previously of the Ohio State Class of ’12. This is a rather bizarre recruitment, as Kalis’ step-father called a sports radio show after his stepson’s commitment to say that Michigan coaches were hustling Kyle into a commitment.
MGo’s Big Ten recruiting class rankings – Penn State is going the wrong way, although it appears that Derek Dowery and Austin Johnson are beginning to be rated places, and each have received three stars from at least one source.
A phenomenal article on John Urschel, possible 2011 RG starter and current possessor of a 4.0 GPA in Math.
Everyone’s favorite topic came up again this week, as Rivals examined their Top 25 classes of the past 10 years. As expected, the better recruiting classes roughly translate with the more successful teams. Naturally, there are outliers in both categories, lending credence to both “Stars Matter Most” and “Coaching Matters Most” camps.
Finally, the good people (well, Bill C. at least) at Football Study Hall gave Nebraska the treatment this week. They showed where historical Nebraska teams would have placed among historical Big Ten teams. Outrage ensued when the ’94 Lions were left off the list of Top 20 best Big Ten teams ever.
The Stats
Home/HS: Archbald, PA/Valley View
Height: 6’2″-6’3″
Weight: between 220-230
40 Time: N/A
The Starz ‘n Sheetz
Stars: 3* (247Sports and Scout)
Offer sheet: AKR, BC, CONN, FLA, ILL, NCST, NW, RUT, PITT, SYR, TEM
The Cinema
No traditional YouTube video, but plenty of good stuff at Hudl. Please to watch now.
The Tale
Wartman has been high on Penn State for some time, and visa versa. He was at the Lift for Life event on Saturday and gave his pledge to the staff shortly thereafter.
The Outlook
From Scout: “Wartman plays a lot of roles for the Valley View defense. You’ll see him inside or outside, sometimes he’ll be covering the slot receiver. More times than not he is in the middle and we see him as more of an outside linebacker. He doesn’t have the quickest first step and when he has to sit back and read it really hinders his skills as an athlete. Wartman needs to be out in space where he can use his athleticism to his advantage.”
From 247Sports: “Nyeem Wartman is a 6-2, 223-pound Outside Linebacker from Archbald (Pennsylvania) Valley View Hs. Wartman has a 247Sports rating of 89, making him a 3-star prospect.”
From Linebacker-U: Wartman is a rangy, athletic linebacker that will compliment Cam Williams very nicely in this class. In fact, Wartman was one of Cam Williams’ rumored “silent verbals” meaning that the Pennsylvania linebacker has been committed for some time. Whether or not you believe that Williams had (or continues to have) a silent verbal list is moot, as Wartman made it official.
As you’ll see from the videos above, Wartman is a middle linebacker in high school (as well as playing some tight end). Because of his range of motion, though, he can play both inside and out at Penn State. Add in the fact that he is a star on the Valley View track team AND the school’s student president, and this kid has all the makings of a special player.
Bear with me on this one, I promise I’m going somewhere. America celebrated its Independence Day on Monday, a day when grilling, overeating, and cornhole reign supreme. Because of that, and since Friday Recruitin’ is on, well, Friday, it took us until now to properly celebrate. Therefore, we’ve chosen a Babe that wants to show off her American beauty in all its splendor. Sure, she may have slipped in the past couple of years, with high profile break ups from scrub quarterbacks (yea, I said it) and mid-90s boy band heroes (yea, I said that too). But as this spread that premiered in GQ shows, the woman had it at some point, and I sure hope she finds it again. America, enjoy Ms. Jessica Simpson.
After a week that saw three commitments for Penn State, this past week was marred by a de-commitment, that coming from NY DT Jarron Jones. Jones was a “soft verbal” which, at this point in the recruiting game, essentially meant wasn’t really committed. It was equivalent to saying that Penn State was his leader, and the staff had been treating him as such, staying in constant contact. Unfortunately, another coach got in touch with Jones and a visit to South Bend later, Jones is decommitted.
Penn State isn’t out of the running yet; Jones has stated that we’re still in his Top 4 and still have a great shot to land him. However, actions speak louder than words, and now it seems as though Penn State could miss on this highly sought after five-star recruit. Jones claims he will be ready to make a decision by his senior season, which presumably begins sometime in the next two months, so we’ll see how this all plays out soon enough.
Now, on with the show.
Penn State Recruiting News
Commitment alert: there are a few kids on commitment alert, including the remaining camp offers (NY RB Akeel Lynch, VA DB Mike Tyson, CT DB Malik Golden) along with a certain linebacker and wide receiver, each from PA. Who’s next??
There was a huge group of recruits across multiple classes in Oregon this week for Nike’s The Opening combine, and Lions247 has a recap of some of the scores.
Keep up to date with the top PSU targets on our very own Big Board. However, for more in-depth (and, let’s face it, better) analysis, check out Sean Fitz’s July Big Board ($), where he runs down the top 15 recruits.
In wrestling news, Penn State landed a commitment from highly sought PA recruit Jimmy Gulibon. He was recruited by wrestling heavyweights Cornell and Iowa, before choosing Penn State and making this statement – “I would love to be an All-American and hopefully I can become an NCAA champion. I think with the coaches at Penn State, I possibly can.”
In hockey news, Penn State received news that former St. Cloud State forward Bryce Johnson would be transferring to play for the Nittany Lions.
An interesting article from the Altoona Mirror on how Austin Johnson and Derek Dowrey weren’t under the radar recruits because they had been at camp and had some other big (for Johnson, at least) offers. Agree to disagree, I suppose. Hopefully these kids become stars on campus, though.
UPDATE: Jarrod Wilson picked Michigan, surprising relatively no one.
Big Ten Recruiting News
MGoBlog’s Big Ten Recruiting Class Rankings – Penn State has dropped down to three, having been jumped by not-in-the-Big-Ten Notre Dame. ND actually jumped PSU in last week’s rankings, which are based on star averages and neither Derek Dowrey nor Austin Johnson are ranked by the major services yet.
TomVH’s Weekly Update at MGo – Not much overlap once again, though a couple of small tidbits including a mention of Michigan’s attendees-to-watch at The Opening, a rather large camp in Oregon this week.
Wednesday Recruitin’ for Michigan – Jarrod Wilson decides today! It’s likely going to be Michigan, but Penn State and Notre Dame have the outside chance. Not much outside of that announcement.
Bri’onte Dunn is totally committed to Ohio State, you guys. Like, for realsies.
ESPN takes a look at when the recruit becomes the recruiter. You won’t see any Penn State mentions there, but Cam Williams is apparently in touch with many other recruits, even though none have, as of yet, committed.
Late addition: Iowa gains another commitment, this time a four-star defensive tackle from Chicago, Jaleel Johnson.
Get to know Silas Redd. I’ve never seen a player rocket to the top of fans’ “Favorite Player Lists” as fast as Silas. And he’s earned it.
Linebackers? Yea, we got them. ESPN’s Brian Bennet puts PSU’s LB corps at No. 2 in the conference (behind Nebraska), and puts Mike Mauti (No. 2) and Gerald Hodges (No. on the list of top individual linebackers.
Best Guess at Next Commitment: NY RB Akeel Lynch (PA LB Nyeem Wartman a close second)
Tim Frazier is on his way out after 2012-13. Who'll be his heir? (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America)
Yesterday marked the first day of two 10-day evaluation periods for all college basketball head coaches. If you don’t know what that means, basically these periods are the only time in the offseason for coaches to witness prospects play in-person, easily making this the biggest month in the recruiting year. It is during this time where all the dirtiness of AAU coaches, agents, shoe affiliates, etc. in the sport really shine. But let’s just turn a blind-eye to how all of these players are paying travel/boarding/registration fees for the 230+ NCAA-certified events that will be happening this month and focus on where we can expect to find Pat Chambers and his new staff out on the road.
First, a roster breakdown of the team going into the recruiting grind. Currently there is 1 available scholarship in each of the 2012 & 2013 classes, but I’d expect 1 or 2 more to open up before it’s all said and done. And no, just because Tre Bowman has already been given a wake-up call, doesn’t mean I think he’s gone. But here’s what the team has for the 2012 roster (if everyone stays):
Point Guards (2) : Tim Frazier, Trey Lewis
Shooting Guards (4): Jermaine Marshall, Matt Glover, Tre Bowman, Akosa Maduegbunam
Small Forwards (2): Ross Travis, Billy Oliver
Power Forwards (2): Jonathan Graham, Sasa Borovnjak
Centers (2): Peter Alexis, Pat Ackerman
Those last two scholarships have to go to a PG and a SF/PF if you ask me. Frazier is gone after the 12-13 season, and it’s imperative this team has a capable backup in place for the heir-apparent, Trey Lewis. I was surprised Akosa Maduegbunam was offered, not because of his lackluster ranking, but because he doesn’t seem to fill an immediate need on this roster. Speaking of Chambers’ first commit, this July period will offer Akosa a great chance to get evaluated against elite competition, as well.
Below is a list of events that Penn State likely will be seen at over the next week:
Reebok Breakout Challenge – July 5-9th Philadelphia University
Not surprised to see Chambers spotted here today at his alma-mater, although this is a camp for ‘under the radar’ prospects looking to ‘breakout’ against each other. Doesn’t make much sense to me, but still quality competition, nonetheless.
Good group of coaches here at Reebok Camp. Head coaches I've spotted Cuonzo Martin, Pat Chambers, Eric Reveno, Steve Masiello, Fran Dunphy
Attendees: Akosa Maduegbunam, Dallas Anglin, Charles Cooke, Jerome Frink, Donovan Jack, Tariq Carey, Miles Overton
Adidas Invitational – July 6-9 Indianapolis, IN
Attendees: Devin Thomas, Mike Zangari, Terrence Samuel, Devin Williams, Tony Farmer
Hoop Group Elite Session 1 – July 5-8 Reading, PA
Attendees: Geno Thorpe, Davon Reed, Jeremiah Worthem, Kethan Savage, Marcus Gilbert, Ja’Quan Newton (2014)
Lebron James Skills Academy – July 5-8 Akron, OH
Lebron’s academy is for the top 80 high school prospects in the nation. Penn State has a very small chance right now being in the picture for any of these guys, but I hope Chambers makes a PSU presence at the high-profile event. Amile Jefferson and Rondae Jefferson are the top uncommitted PA prospects at the camp.
I look forward to scouring twitter for Penn State’s whereabouts on the July circuit. More to come this month as PSU’s recruiting efforts hopefully become more focused.
New York defensive lineman Jarron Jones has decommitted from Penn State following a visit to Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions remain in the hunt for Jones, along with the Irish, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech, but this obviously is not good news.
You can’t blame Jones for wanting to make the best possible decision for himself. He’s a young man choosing an option that will impact him for the rest of his life. If it’s any respite for Penn State fans, though, it’s that his mother apparently loves Penn State. What mother doesn’t?
With the additions of Derek Dowrey and Austin Johnson last week, the Lions still have bodies at a position of need, but will now have to turn up the heat for some other recruits who may already be lost. IL DT Tommy Schutt is likely the best shot for the staff, while the ship for IN DT Sheldon Day and others may have sailed.
If this announcement sounds familiar, that’s because it is pretty similar to the curious case of Dominque Easley, another New York defensive lineman that committed to Penn State only to decommit and head elsewhere. The Class of 2010 prospect dropped Penn State in January for Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators, though he has not exactly been the model scholar athlete in Gainesville.
Jones’ commitment was always labeled as a “soft verbal” giving many the impression that he was never really committed anyway. Reports indicate that the staff was essentially treating him as a recruit rather than a commitment, but it was nice to see a five-star defensive tackle commitment on our list.
This one will be a battle for the coaches, who now have to fight against the increasingly annoying Brian Kelly for Jones’ service. Jones has said he will likely make his choice (again) before his senior season, so hopefully the staff is putting the right resources on this to get right back on the horse.
The Friday Recruitin’ Babe, work your magic. Calm down these Penn State fans who have nothing better to do than argue over recruits, honor, and who said what, when.
A few weeks ago, we had the lovely Ms. Amy Poehler as our Babe, and Friend of the Program Chris from Slow States made the comment “Funniest couple ever?” referring to her marriage to the hilarious Will Arnett. Well, Chris, you may be close, but I believe this woman and her husband have the Poehler/Arnett duo beat. Married to Chris Pratt who plays Andy on the vastly underrated “Parks and Recreation”, this week’s Babe is none other than Anna Faris. If you’re not a fan of her “Scary Movie” work, I get that. But if you say that this line uttered in “Just Friends” didn’t have you rolling on the floor, I’ll call you a liar – “You and I are gonna be the greatest musical manager team since Jessica Simpson and her father only you and I get to ‘mreow’ and they can’t, ’cause it’s illegal. I looked it up.”
The obvious news of the week is the commitment of defensive linemen Derek Dowrey and Austin Johnson, and the reactions from the fanbase. Luckily a couple of days later the downward-spiraling melodrama was saved when Colorado offensive lineman Joey O’Connor pledged his allegiance to the Nittany Lions.
All is still well with the Class of 2012. We won’t go back into detail over the commitments; they’re done and behind us, let’s move on to closing this class out. Penn State is still high on the lists of many recruits, and if we can close on a majority of them, this will be a terrific class. Don’t forget to keep tabs on our top targets on Linebacker-U’s new Big Board.
Friday Recruitin’ is light this week – it’s a holiday weekend and you shouldn’t be on the internet anyway. Go on, beat it…get to your picnics and hot dogs and baseball.
Penn State Recruiting News
OH DB Jarrod Wilson will announce his decision next week. All signs point to Michigan, but we’ve heard that before (Anthony Zettel) and been surprised. It’s UM, ND, or PSU.
At least two additional (one ($) and two ($)) camp offers have been extended, but no commitments as of yet.
PA WR Eugene Lewis announced his Top 5 ($). As expected, PSU made the cut, and is the likely leader here.
mGo’s Wednesday Recruitin‘, which covers their two new commitments (though one is a deferred grayshirt commitment) along with some other good nuggets.
TomVH’s Weekly Update, which includes a couple pieces of PSU-relevant news.
Errata
Lions247 continued their rundown of the top 11 impact players of ’11 with number 9. The surprisingly reliable Collin Wagner is gone, and it’s time for the Fera/Ficken Show.
Pat Chambers got on the board with his first commitment for 2012. I read there will likely only be two members of this class, barring attrition elsewhere. Also, the new commit is “fired up.”
Like I said, light and breezy. Just like this week has been so far. Enjoy your holiday, spend it with friends and family, and send us your favorite planking shot. Maybe we’ll put it in next week’s post. America!
Threw in that ‘basketball’ at the end, so you fools don’t get it twisted. No, this is not another unrated, ‘no-name’ football player who will spark more petty e-drama. Patrick Chambers got his first commitment to the program in just three and a half weeks. Akosa Maduegbunam (pronounced Mah-do-way-boo-nam) from Boston, MA committed on Tuesday, likely while he was still on campus. The 6’3″ combo guard is a 2012 prospect, who will occupy one of the two open scholarships remaining for the 2012-2013 season (plug: all of your scholarship inquiries about the team can be answered with the scholarship table listed on the front page of LBU).
The rising senior will be transferring from Charlestown High School this upcoming season to play at Winchendon Prep in the loaded NEPSAC. Winchendon will be his third high school, as he transferred to Charlestown from Cushing Academy after his freshman year. While at Charlestown for 2 seasons, he averaged 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and was an All-City selection twice. He is taking his talents to the NEPSAC at the urging of his Charlestown coach next season.
Akosa chose Penn State over offers from Temple, Drexel, New Hampshire, and Iona. He has an 82, 2-star rating at ESPN.com. As of right now, Maduegbunam certainly doesn’t seem to be much of a high-profile prospect, but what needs to be kept in mind is that he’s been playing in the recruiting shadows of the NEPSAC, and his AAU club, Expressions Elite, doesn’t appear at many of the high-profile AAU events. He will have his chance to make his mark in the NEPSAC next season when he’s at Winchendon. What we do know is that Maduegbunam and Coach Chambers share an unbreakable bond. From ESPN:
“I would say Coach Chambers is probably one of the best recruiters ever,” Maduegbunam said this afternoon by phone. “He just makes you feel really welcome, really wanted. I tried to evaluate coaches as to where they’ll be down the road. Somewhere along the line of life, I’ll stop playing basketball, and Coach Chambers is a guy who would be there at my wedding. He is more than just a college coach. It’s more than just basketball for him, it’s about character and personality. He found that in me, and I found that in him.”
Akosa’s been described as an athletic player who can attack the rim in transition and can shoot from range in the half-court. The one site out there who has followed Maduegbuna is Adam Finkelstein’s New England Basketball Recruiting Report. Many observations of Akosa’s performances have been logged at NERR in his profile page
“I always knew I wanted to go out of state,” Maduegbunam told the New England Recruiting Report, “so I almost thought it was a miracle when I heard that Pat Chambers was moving to Penn State.”
“I liked being under the radar,” Maduegbunam said. “I always knew I was a high-major kid and Pat Chambers knew it too.”
Akosa’s family hails from Nigeria, but he was born and raised in Boston, MA. You can get to know Akosa a little better from this piece from the Boston Globe.
Welcome, Akosa Maduegbunam, to the Penn State family! Your name is awesome, but I’m confident it will be no challenge to the Great Steve Jones.
This week’s babe is a classic, like that girl you knew in high school that was out of your league. Then, 10 years later, you run into her at your high school reunion and it turns out she’s actually into you. Sort of. She became an instant hit on one of the best TV shows in America, which will thankfully be returning next year. She grew into an internet phenomenon of sorts at another Penn State blog, and now, here we are, years later still talking about her and her wonderful assets (brains, duh). Close shave, America. Close shave, Christina Hendricks.
on the list of 
