Showing posts with label Allan Wasonga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Allan Wasonga. Show all posts

August 19, 2010

Penn State offers WV RB Allan Wasonga

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Photo: Charleston Gazette
Penn State has reportedly verbally offered a scholarship to Parkersburg (WV) running back Allan Wasonga (Rivals/Scout/ESPN). Wasonga ran for 2,204 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2009. He was named first team All-State, All-Conference, and named West Virginia's Gatorade Player of the Year.

The rising senior was on campus July 27 for a visit, and has been reportedly high on Penn State for a while. I would imagine that we'll hear of his formal written offer soon.

More on Wasonga, below this highlight reel:



Wasonga is rated in the top-25 among running backs for 2011. He's been described as "underrated" and having an "explosive skill set" by a few very good scouting services. He averaged 10 yards per carry in 2009, and more than 200 yards per game, on his way to 2,200 yards and 29 total touchdowns his junior season. Wasonga also averaged a freakish 35 yards per touchdown run.

By the way... In case you haven't heard the screaming coming from the BWI and FOS message boards, along with some rather strange gloating from the Pitt fans, East Stroudsburg (PA) defensive back Kyshoen Jarrett verbally committed to play football for Pittsburgh, as he announced his decision yesterday at a press conference. Jarrett was reportedly leaning more heavily towards Pitt these last few weeks. And as I mentioned, the message boards were blowing up with that news. Actually, it kind of looked like this yesterday:


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July 20, 2010

Tuesday Recruitin': Ok, no more 'silent verbal' talk

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JoePa cares not for your fancy recruiting talk... Does this photo ever get old? We think not.

Recruiting fans are a unique lot. That much we know. What I apparently should have also known is to study the handy recruiting dictionary before I wrote last week's update.

If I had done just that, I probably could have avoided the push back against my use of the words "silent verbal" when describing East Stroudsburg CB prospect Kyshoen Jarrett. But now I know.

After a few seconds of Googling "silent verbal," I came across a pretty basic description at Visual Box Score of what that term actually means, and why there is even the necessity of its existence in the first place:
"To understand how "silent verbals" occur, just remember the rules that apply in recruiting. The NCAA does not allow coaches to discuss a recruit until the athlete and his family have signed and returned a valid LOI, and until the official NCAA signing period has opened. Prior to that, a school could hypothetically get a verbal commitment from the #1 prospect in the nation, but they couldn't announce it publicly. Prior to the NCAA's official signing period, all public announcements must come from the athletes themselves. Sometimes their families or their friends may leak something to a member of the media.

However, the school and its coaching staff cannot talk about prospects in public until the kid returns a signed LOI on or after the official signing date. Doing so constitutes a violation of NCAA rules."
So this is a rules thing, above all else. The reason we even have silent verbals is due to the fact that its up to the athletes to announce their own verbals, because the coaches can't speak a word to anyone about any recruit until that letter is faxed to the Lasch Building.

Hey, I think I actually learned something this week. Whaddya know!

Visits 'n such...

Speaking of Jarrett--he went to Wisconsin last week.

Dominique Noble will visit next week, July 27. WV RB prospect Allan Wasonga (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) will also come to Happy Valley that day. Wasonga doesn't have an offer yet, but depending on how things shake out in other areas (read: Savon Huggins), it could happen.

Ishaq Williams will go to Ohio State in mid-August. This is one of those *cringe* visits for Penn State fans, because you just know the Buckeyes will come out guns-a-blazin' for this kid.

Quinta Funderburk is cousins with Kevin Newsome. Huh, I did not know that.
"I found out last week that I am cousins with Kevin Newsome. I went to a cookout with my aunt and Kevin was there so we spent some time passing the ball around with each other there. He said some stuff but really wasn't in my ear too much."
Darius Jennings had to reschedule his planned July 31 visit to Penn State.

Happy Trails...

Terrell Chestnut will play in the Big East. That means no Penn State. If Jarrett verbals to PSU, no one with a shred of sanity will remember Chestnut.

Outside the Valley...

IN RB D'Angelo Roberts became Indiana's 20th commitment last week. I only mention this because a while back Roberts was rumored to be waiting on a scholarship offer from Penn State. We never heard anything beyond that, so take it for what it's worth. Penn State was interested in this guy, making it interesting that IU was able to keep him within the Hoosier State.

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