Tuesday Recruitin': Defensive 'Back' in Focus?

Defensive backs weren't supposed to be the focus of this year's recruiting class, but all of a sudden this week, the secondary is coming into play. With one highly-touted cornerback ready to choose between the Nittany Lions and one of their old arch rivals, and other defensive backs looking hard towards Happy Valley, this is an unexpected flash-point in Penn State recruiting 2011.

Suddenly Secondary...

East Stroudsburg cornerback Kyshoen Jarrett is expected to announce his decision tomorrow at 3 p.m. It's come down to Pittsburgh and Penn State. My money is on the Nittany Lions, but other, much more prominent recruitniks are calling it a toss up, some even calling Pitt the winner. I'll have a post on his decision when it happens tomorrow afternoon.

Connecticut defensive back Christon Gill (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) has reportedly been verbally offered a scholarship. Gill was originally a Class of 2010 prospect, but didn't land a D-IA scholarship offer last year due to academics. He will attend prep school this year (remember, Daryll Clark took this same path) to get his test scores up and graduate early, hopefully for him to enroll in January. This isn't set in stone yet, because of the academic issues. Kermit Buggs has been recruiting him as a safety, with help from Connecticut products Khairi Fortt and Silas Redd. Gill figures to be a mid-range recruit, what other people would call a "three-star" recruit. God, I hate using star ratings.

North Carolina cornerback Dominique Noble is down to two schools officially--Georgia Tech and Penn State. Most will say GT has the definite edge here, but there is a sliver of hope for this one. Noble never got to Atlanta for his visit. He didn't get to Happy Valley, either, but the fact that both schools missed out keeps things a bit more open-ended than I had expected. If Noble waits, and comes to Penn State for an official visit and sees a game, I really do expect things to tighten significantly. One of the best things going for PSU is the gameday atmosphere.

In other news...

Maryland defensive lineman Darian Cooper has narrowed his list to eight or nine schools, including Penn State. His plans are to take five official visits this fall, but isn't yet sure which schools will get those visits, except... Penn State, Georgia Tech, and UCLA are the three schools Cooper will definitely visit for games this year. Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State and Maryland are the other schools vying for the two other visits.

Maryland linebacker Conner Crowell recently listed Penn State in his top three college choices, but he's not going to commit any time soon. The finalists include Ohio State and Stanford, with the Buckeyes the only ones with a definite visit date set for the Miami game on Sept. 11. Crowell plans to get to Penn State this season.

Maryland offensive lineman Donovan Smith cut his list to 12 teams, including Penn State this week: Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, UCLA, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Smith would be a huge pickup for this class, as he's already in most recruiting services' top-200 prospects nationally. Smith plans to visit Penn State for the Michigan night game.

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Tuesday Recruitin': August Recruiting Board Review

Updated 8 p.m.

As football two-a-days heat up both literally and figuratively for high school and college teams, recruiting will take more of a back seat to the action on the field.

It is also the second full week of the "quiet period." I explained a while back that this is the time of year when there can be in-person recruiting contact, but only on the college campus. That means when a recruit visits during this time, hosting coaches and players must be on top of their game, because it's the only time they will see the recruit until after Thanksgiving, when the quiet period ends.

All that being said, after a few quick updates, I'll go over some updates to the offers board since my last post on that topic, about a month ago. Some of this info is the same as that last update, but I figured it would be easier to include everyone. But first, the quick hits for today...

Visits and more...

Mike Caputo will make his decision in about an hour and a half (it's 4:30 p.m. right now), so check back around 6 p.m. for an update on his status. Penn State has been in his top four, which also included Ohio State, Wisconsin and Pitt. The Badgers are the favorites. But if Penn State gets the nod from Caputo, I'll obviously have a full post announcing that. Otherwise, I'll just update this story.

Update: Caputo picked Wisconsin

Darius Jennings told the main stream recruiting services that his visit went well, and that Penn State is again firmly in his choices for top schools. For a while, Jennings had been cooled a bit on Penn State. That was because the Lions had been late offering him a scholarship, combined with the lack of consistent contact by the coaching staff. Apparently, that has all changed, and Penn State is back on board. His top ten include (according to his Facebook page) Boston College, Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, UCLA, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Anthony Zettel was very happy about his recent visit to Penn State. In fact, Zettel said he was "surprised" at how much he liked Happy Valley. Originally, I had thought Michigan was the only destination for Zettel, but that could be up in the air now. This recent visit was his last of the season, meaning that he had one shot left before football to make a visit somewhere, and Penn State got the nod. More interesting here, is that Zettel wants to come to Penn State again for the Michigan game, which would offer a unique one-on-one comparison of the two teams on the same field. That might not mean much, but it's neat. Zettel will lay low--other than some visits--until after football season.

Conner Crowell made a change to his top-three schools this week, as Penn State remained in it, but Stanford replaced North Carolina. Crowell seems very high on the Nittany Lions, as Larry Johnson, Sr. is in charge of getting him to Penn State. Aly Khan Johnson, coach Larry Johnson's brother, is actually the athletic director at North Point High School. Crowell was up for the Ohio State game last year, and wants to get back this fall. He said a while back that the commitment will come on his senior day game in November, but that's not a definite.

Recruiting Board Review

Still in it...

ATH/WR Miles Shuler, Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch
Shuler hasn't been such a hot topic around Penn State recruiting sites these days, probably due to Savon Huggins possibly cooling on the Nittany Lions. These two players have been very close through the process, and will likely go to the same school, but it's not definite. Still, Shuler hasn't committed anywhere yet, and hasn't outright said Penn State is done for.

QB Cardale Jones, Cleveland, OH/Glenville Academic Campus
Jones wants to concentrate on the football season, then get back to the recruiting process. Jay Paterno has been in contact with him. Ohio State was a probably destination, until the Buckeyes landed the top QB in the nation.

ATH/WR Darius Jennings, Baltimore, MD/Gilman School
(see the visit update above)

RB Savon Huggins, Jersey City, NJ/St. Peter's Prep
Huggins hasn't dropped Penn State yet, but hasn't exactly been talking about the Nittany Lions lately. There is still some hope here.

RB Tre Mason, Boynton Beach, FL/Park Vista
Penn State just offered Mason today. This could be directly related to the above update on Huggins. But we'll see how it shakes out.

WR Quinta Funderburk, Chesapeake, VA/Oscar Smith
We found out a while ago that Funderburk is cousins with Kevin Newsome. Penn State is always a factor in southeast Virginia, and Funderburk cut his list to five, including the Nittany Lions, a few weeks ago. This would be a very nice pickup for 2011.

WR Brandon Reddish, Brooklyn, NY/Fort Hamilton
Reddish doesn't claim any leaders right now, but says Penn State and Rutgers have been recruiting him hard. Mike McQueary and Kermit Buggs have both contacted him about playing both sides of the ball.

OL Cyrus Kouandjio, Hyattsville, MD/DeMatha
Considering he's one of the top recruits in the nation, Kouandjio's recruitment has been relatively quiet these days. We might have to wait until after football season for anything earth-shattering happens with him.

OL Spencer Region, Cullman, AL/Cullman
Region is still surprisingly high on Penn State. He had said originally that he wants to pick a school before football season, but that it wasn't definite.

OL Anthony Zettel, West Branch, MI/Ogemaw Heights
(see visit update above)

OL Aundrey Walker, Cleveland, OH/Glenville Academic Campus
Walker hasn't verbaled anywhere yet, which surprises me. I thought Ohio State would have picked him up by now. Penn State isn't out, but no one has heard much of anything from Walker lately. Michigan State has caught some of his attention, as the Spartans are hitting Glenville hard this season. Walker is teammates with a few other Penn State recruits.

OL Zach West, Lexington, KY/Lexington Christian
Since Auburn never offered, West cut his official list to five schools, including Penn State. Other than that, nothing much.

OL Jay Whitmire, Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams
Whitmire had been most recently down to Chapel Hill for a visit to UNC. Penn State is still in the mix here, as Larry Johnson, Sr. is in charge of getting Whitmire to Happy Valley.

OL Donovan Smith, Owings Mills, MD/Owings Mills
Smith is going to cut his list to 10 schools by the end of the month, but he already pointed out Penn State as an early member of that group. Virginia, UCLA, Syracuse, and Michigan State will be also in the final 10 so far.

DT Darian Cooper, Hyattsville, MD/DeMatha
Cooper is being recruited hardest by Maryland, as the Terps have been in constant (relentless?) contact with him. Penn State is still definitely in it, though, but so are about a dozen other top programs.

DE Deion Barnes, Philadelphia, PA/Northeast
Barnes has been one of the quietest recruits this summer. Penn State is still in his top schools, but we haven't had many updates beyond that.

DE Ishaq Williams, Brooklyn, NY/Abraham Lincoln
Williams has gotten plenty of attention from national programs this summer. He went on a few visits, but hasn't cut his list yet. Expect that to change by the end of this month, as he indicated that he would like to make only five or so visits after the season starts. Penn State is still very much in this race.

LB Andre Sturdivant, Cleveland, OH/Glenville
Studivant visited Penn State a few weeks ago with Cardale Jones, as all the Glenville recruits are tight and want to try to stay together in college. While you have to admire that, it probably won't happen. Sturdivant likes Penn State and Ohio State, with Michigan State hanging on.

LB Conner Crowell, Waldorf, MD/North Point
(see the update in this post)

CB Doran Grant, Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary
You could have told me a few weeks ago that Grant was still considering Penn State, and I surely would have laughed at you. But that is apparently the case, as Grant just narrowed his list to 10 schools, including the Nittany Lions. While it would be an upset if Penn State could pull him away from other top schools, it's nice to know the Lions aren't completely out.

CB Demetrious Nicholson, Virginia Beach, VA/Bayside
Nicholson looks like he's headed to North Carolina, but no verbal commitment has come. Penn State hasn't been eliminated, and Nicholson said he was very interested in Penn State only a few weeks ago.

CB Dominique Noble, Mount Ulla, NC/West Rowan
Noble narrowed his list a few weeks ago to just three schools--Penn State, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech. He's been on some visits, but nothing major has gone on. It's tough to gauge prospects like Noble, but there's no reason to discount the Nittany Lions at this point.

CB Kyshoen Jarrett, East Stroudsburg, PA/East Stroudsburg
Jarrett is very high on Penn State. It is my firm belief that he will pick the Nittany Lions. But with the way this recruiting class has gone, don't be surprised by something different.

S/LB Mike Caputo, Imperial, PA/West Allegheny
(see update above)

Most likely gone...

WR Damiere Byrd, Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek
Byrd might be lost for Penn State, but he hasn't yet committed to a school.

WR Tobais Singleton, Madison, MS/Madison Central
Singleton hasn't verbally committed to any school yet, but Penn State would have to pull a real trick here to win over this receiver.

LB Travis Hughes, Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville
Hughes hasn't said anything about Penn State in months, focusing on schools like Maryland and Virginia Tech. My money is on the Hokies.

LB Maika Polamalu, Pottsgrove, PA/Pottsgrove
Polamalu and Penn State kind of got off to a weird start. The Nittany Lions haven't offered in writing, while Polamalu said right off the bat that he wouldn't be a great fit at Penn State.

LB Curtis Grant, Richmond, VA/Hermitage
Grant was supposedly offered by Penn State, but things kind of dissolved from there.

Committed Elsewhere

ATH/RB Remound Wright, Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger
Wright verbally committed on June 18 to play for the Stanford Cardinal

ATH/DB Terrell Chestnut, Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove
Chestnutt verbally committed on July 29 to play for the Pitt Panthers.

ATH/WR Bill Belton, Atco, NJ/Winslow Township
Belton verbally committed on June 11 to play for the Pittsburgh Panthers

WR Ja'Juan Story, Brooksville, FL/Nature Coast Technical
Story verbally committed on June 28 to play for the Florida Gators.

TE Brian Miller, Andover, MA/Andover
Miller verbally committed on April 25 to play for the Boston College Eagles.

TE Ben Koyack, Oil City, PA/Oil City
Koyack verbally committed on April 27 to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

TE Eric MacLain, Fayetteville, NC/Jack Britt
MacLain verbally committed on April 17 to play for the Clemson Tigers.

TE Marco Jones, Baltimore, MD/The Boys’ Latin School
Jones verbally committed on June 6 to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.

TE Nick Vannett, Westerville, OH/Central
Vannett verbally committed on June 6 to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

OL Kiaro Holts, Indianapolis, IN/Warren Central
Holts verbally committed on June 25 to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

DT Shawn Underwood, Fuquay-Varina, NC/Fuquay-Varina
Underwood verbally committed on July 13 to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

DT Marquise Wright, Paramus, NJ/Paramus Catholic
Wright verbally committed on June 28 to play for the Pittsburgh Panthers.

DT Al Page, Bronx, NY/Christopher Columbus
Page verbally committed on April 14 to play for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

DT Joel Hale, Greenwood, IN/Center Grove
Hale verbally committed on June 7 to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

DE Deon Green, Orlando, FL/Olympia
Green verbally committed on June 29 to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks [snicker].

DE Rob Burns, Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge
Burns verbally committed on July 1 to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.

DE Marco Jones, Baltimore, MD/Boys Latin School
Jones verbally committed on June 6 to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.

LB Lawrence Thomas, Detroit, MI/Renaissance
Thomas verbally committed on March 5 to play for the Michigan State Spartans.

CB Brandon Phelps, Damascus, MD/Damascus
Phelps verbally committed on June 25 to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.

CB Albert Louis-Jean, Brockton, MA/Brockton
Louis-Jean verbally committed on March 24 to play for the Miami Hurricanes.

I will be updating the full recruiting board ASAP

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Tuesday Recruitin': Mangiro down to four; So long Shuler?

Tuesday Recruitin' took a break for a few weeks, but is now back with the latest Penn State football recruiting news.

The fans have been grumbling of late about the lack of solid verbal commits for Penn State's 2011 class. That's justified, when you consider that Penn State had EIGHT commits by this time last year. Many of those guys were very highly touted recruits, too. So it's not like Penn State piled up two- and three-star (I HATE star ratings, by the way) recruits for the first half of its 2010 class.

But we could see some very positive movement by the end of June, from some of Penn State's most highly recruited prospects.

Alex Mangiro

Mangiro's list is down to four, after he dropped Boston College last week. The problem is that one of the other three competing for Mangiro is Ohio State. It looks like he wants to keep things relatively local, except for the Buckeyes. Mangiro's list is now down to four, with OSU, Penn State, Rutgers, and Pitt making the cut.

There was a bit of negative recruiting going on, and could still be going on, with at least one of Mangiro's suitors. Apparently Joe Paterno's retirement has been brought up enough times for Mangiro to mention it in an interview with Scout.com's Matt Alkire. Even though Mangiro doesn't seemed phased by any of it, it is still interesting that coaches are still trying to use that against Penn State.

Even though Ohio State is always a tough nut to crack in a head-to-head recruiting battle, it would seem Penn State's immediate threats are Pitt and Rutgers, if only for the location issues with Mangiro. He does want to visit all four schools before he makes his decision prior to the football season, which would bode well for Penn State. Mangiro has already been to University Park a few times, but hasn't yet done much with the other three.

I won't go into calling him a sure thing, but Mangiro could make Penn State recruitniks very pleased by the end of the summer.

Visits Set/Coming

• Shawn Oakman is looking to visit on June 27. Oakman has looked like a solid Penn State guy from the beginning, and still does. But if you wanted some extra drama sprinkled on top of this news, Oakman is visiting Pitt two days before his trip to Happy Valley. His leaders right now are PSU, Pitt and Temple (obviously staying local), which should signal a decent road for the Fightin' Paternos.

• Miles Shuler could be Rutgers-bound, but Penn State is still hoping for a strong push this summer. He's apparently trying to set up a visit sometime soon, but no word yet on when. His dad has been very high on the Scarlet Knights, and is supposedly very active on the Rutgers message boards.

• Roanoke (VA) Cave Spring safety Michael Cole was up for the Blue-White Game, but wants to come back to Penn State for another round. He's a rising prospect in the Virginia region, which Penn State loves to dive into for recruits. Cole is looking at local schools like UVA right now, but his enthusiasm for another visit to Happy Valley is encouraging.

• Fairview (PA) defensive end Jordan Kerner is hoping to get an offer from Penn State during his visit this weekend. Boston College, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Rutgers and West Virginia have all offered Kerner, and he'll head to Happy Valley next weekend. He visited for the Blue-White Game, and has been in contact Mike McQueary.

• Conner Crowell should get to visit Happy Valley next week. The trip should include UConn, North Carolina, Ohio State, Rutgers and West Virginia among other programs.

Offers

Devon Cajuste
(Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
Flushing, NY/Holy Cross High
6-4, 215 lbs
Receiver

I missed this one a few weeks ago, so shame on me. But Penn State apparently offered Cajuste in early June. He's a decent wide receiver prospect, with fantastic academics. His offers list stands at Boston College, UConn, Harvard, Penn State, Rutgers, Stanford, and Syracuse. As a junior, Cajuste caught 40 passes for 921 yards and seven touchdowns. He also competes in track and field where he runs the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes and participates in the high jump and javelin. His personal best in the high jump is 6-foot-2.

Etc... Quarterback Cardale Jones got an offer from Purdue last week, but he's still very high on Penn State. It's supposedly just a verbal offer, but that depends on where you hear it... cornerback Kyshowen Jarrett had been offered a while back, but Scout just confirmed it for themselves... 2012 defensive end Noah Spence from Bishop McDevitt HS was on campus this past weekend. He spent most of his time with Larry Johnson, Sr. so we know the big guns are already being brought up for him... I promise I'll finally update the recruiting board tomorrow. Pinky swear!

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Tuesday Recruitin': Spring Evaluation Period Ends (updated)

This story was updated at 9:17 p.m.

Think college football has confusing rules and regulations? Try learning the guidelines that come with college recruiting. They are so bad, most in the media don't even try to explain it to their readers and viewers.

Well, today you're in luck. It's the first day of June, and I'm in a productive mood following the long weekend. Oh, and the spring evaluation period ended yesterday, starting one of the many "quiet periods" that dot the recruiting calendar.

So what are all these fancy-shmancy names the NCAA gives to its recruiting schedule? Here's the short version...

Contact period: When college coaches may make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.

Evaluation period: Authorized athletic staff members can be involved in off-campus activities to assess academic qualifications and playing abilities. Evaluations usually involve a coach or recruiter observing a game or practice. In-person, off-campus recruiting contact ("contact period" stuff) during evaluations is prohibited.

Quiet period: There can be in-person recruiting contact, but only on the college campus.

Dead period: When college coaches are restricted from making in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations. There will be no contact with players, no evaluations of players or no official or unofficial visits during this time.

(For the wonks out there, you can find the official NCAA recruiting calendars HERE, with all the technical jargon.)

The reason I'm mentioning all of this (as opposed to just getting into the actual recruit reports), is because Penn State sent out a handful of new offers this past week, before the end of the evaluation period. Understanding the recruiting calendar is critical to understanding (and predicting) when coaching staffs will move on some recruits, while holding on others. This week, we have some movement.

New Offers

Connor Crowell's latest offers included Penn State. (Photo: ESPN)

Conner Crowell (Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
Waldorf, MD/North Point
6-1, 220 lbs
Linebacker

Crowell is rising among the Mid-Atlantic programs, particularly after a great showing at the Blacksburg NIKE Camp last month. While still not considered a blue chip recruit, he is rated the No. 38 middle linebacker by Scout, and should come in on the Rivals and ESPN boards somewhere comparable.

The offers list stands around a dozen right now, but that number is subject to interpretation. The consensus includes UConn, Duke, Hawaii, Kansas State, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Stanford, Virginia, and West Virginia. Other schools supposedly in the mix are Michigan, Boston College, Pittsburgh, and Virginia Tech.

Crowell reportedly wants to narrow his list by the end of the summer.

When it comes to Penn State... Two current Nittany Lions are from Waldorf--fullback Andre Dupree played alongside Crowell at North Point; and receiver Devon Smith played across town, at Westlake. Crowell has said he is very interested in Penn State, particularly for its presence in the DC Metro area. Ron Vanderlinden and Larry Johnson, Sr. are working together on Crowell. Should he keep Penn State in his top schools at the end of the summer, the Nittany Lions have a good chance to land a very good linebacker prospect.

Bill Belton (Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
Atco, NJ/Winslow Township
5-9, 190 lbs
Multi-purpose/athlete

The offensive star from southwest New Jersey is getting a lot of attention lately, but not as a quarterback, the position he played in high school. Belton is being eyed as either a slot receiver or a running back. He's open to both positions. Scout.com has him rated the No. 13 wide receiver for 2011, while being named to the ESPNU 150. As a junior, Belton accounted for approximately 3,400 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns as a quarterback. He also played defensive back.

Belton's offers list is growing, even though he's been openly trimming schools at the same time. West Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Purdue, Oregon, Penn State, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, and Pittsburgh are on Belton's short list. But he holds offers from more than 20 schools overall, including Maryland, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Rutgers, South Florida, and Wisconsin. Honestly, I'm surprised Rutgers isn't on his short list, but there are a number of reasons any recruit picks or doesn't pick a school.

When it comes to Penn State... Making an early cut is better than not, so I'd have to say that Penn State is in decent shape with Belton. The Nittany Lions only recently offered him. Belton is a rare football talent, who's capable of playing Penn State's "slash" role. That multi-threat position was made famous by Derrick Williams, and is now occupied by Curtis Drake. I would venture to say that if Belton couldn't throw the ball well, Penn State wouldn't have much interest.

Rob Burns (Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge
6-8, 226 lbs
Defensive End/blocking Tight End

Burns is a local product--for me, at least. He is a good prospect from a great high school program. The Bulldogs have been a regular in the state finals, taking home a few titles along the way. Burns is currently holding offers from eastern schools, including Boston College, Duke, Maryland, Syracuse, Rutgers, North Carolina, Virginia, Penn State, and Wake Forest. As a junior, Burns had eight sacks at defensive end and is a blocking tight end on offense. He was named first-team All-District, All-County, second team All-Region, and second team All-State.

When it comes to Penn State... Burns is still getting to know Penn State, but that's not terrible news. Penn State has never heavily recruited this area, which is one county west of Evan Royster's home in Fairfax. I'm kind of surprised with that, as the entire Northern Virginia region is full of Penn State alumni. Burns said that academics will be a big part of his decision, which should keep Penn State in the running.

Deon Green (Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
Orlando, FL/Orangeburg
6-3, 251 lbs
Defensive End

Green is another recruit shooting up the boards. He currently holds more than 25 scholarships, most coming from BCS conference programs. Green recently cut his list, but with so many scholarship offers, cutting down still left him with about 18 contenders. Among those still in the running are Cincinnati, Duke, Illinois, Iowa State, Mississippi, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, South Florida, Texas Tech, Central Florida, Virginia, and Wake Forest. Louisville and Syracuse also offered, but have been effectively eliminated by Green.

He told the Orlando Sentinel that his "top four" are Clemson, South Carolina, Penn State, and South Florida. Green had 75 tackles and six quarterback sacks last season.

When it comes to Penn State... Green told Blue White Illustrated "Penn State is almost at the top, if not at the top," so there is legitimate interest on his part. This would be a huge coup for the Nittany Lions, never mind the Big Ten overall. Going on down to Florida, plucking out a very highly touted recruit would make some waves on the national scene. But keep in mind that should Penn State strike out, it would just continue the theme that the Big Ten can't compete with the South.

When will Penn State offer one of the best recruits in Pennsylvania? Turns out, TODAY! Kyshoen Jarrett just received the offer from the Nittany Lions. (Photo by Keith R. Stevenson)

Kyshoen Jarrett (Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
East Stroudsburg, PA/East Stroudsburg
5-11, 180 lbs
Cornerback

As a sophomore, Jarrett recorded 45 tackles, 2 interceptions and he forced 3 fumbles on his way to earning First Team All-Conference honors. His performance at the State College NIKE Camp a few weeks ago was considered by many as one of the best in the field. Jarrett holds between 12-14 scholarship offers, most from schools east of the Mississippi. So far, the list includes Cincinnati, UConn, Duke, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and Virginia.

When it comes to Penn State... Jarrett is a favorite among the PSU message boards, but not in a good way. Rated by most services as one of the best cornerback prospects for 2011, fans are chomping at the bit wondering how it's possible that Penn State hasn't offered Jarrett. He's even said that he has been trying to keep in touch with Penn State on his own. I understand that defensive back is not one of Penn State's priorities this year, but unless there's something seriously wrong with Jarrett, an offer better be in the works. Penn State offered Jarrett today, so everything you just read is moot. This is a big offer, for both parties. Look for continued updates this week, right here at LBU.

Offers Coming?

D'Angelo Roberts (Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
5-10, 178 lbs
Bloomington, IN/Bloomington North
Running Back

Roberts is expecting an offer soon from Penn State, but there has been no official report that the offer has been sent. Most of his offers have been from local programs, including Ball State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Indiana, and Western Kentucky. Purdue, Michigan State, and Iowa are also looking, and are in a similar position as Penn State. Roberts is a great running threat, amassing more than 2,600 yards last season; but he can also catch the ball, with 400 receiving yards out of the backfield.

Richard Rodgers (Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
Shrewsbury, MA/St. John's
6-4, 230 lbs
Receiver

Rodgers is a Cal legacy, meaning his recruitment could be moot. However, he's is getting a bunch of attention from some big name programs, including Boston College, California, Maryland, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Virginia. Penn State, Michigan, Iowa, and Syracuse are also supposedly on the verge of offering a scholarship. Rodgers' father played for Cal and is a defensive coordinator now at Holy Cross, and his cousin Jairus Byrd was a cornerback at Oregon and plays for the Buffalo Bills now. Last season, Rodgers had 49 catches for 722 yards and 17 touchdowns, and played defensive end and safety where he amassed 27 solo tackles and four interceptions, two returned for touchdowns. He was named first-team All-League and All-State.

2012...

Noah Spence (Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
Harrisburg, PA/Bishop McDevitt
6-3, 225 lbs
Defensive End

It's tough to gauge how many offers a player has at this stage, when all the offers are just verbal. But it looks like Penn State is joining a growing field, as Spence already claims to have about a dozen offers, including from Cincinnati, UConn, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and Virginia. With a verbal offer from the Nittany Lions, it looks like they don't want to let another Bishop-McDevitt star (read: LeSean McCoy) slip through their fingers.

Last football season, Spence made 50 tackles, 20 TFL, 7 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery, which was returned 86 yards for a touchdown. As a freshman, Spence recorded 9.5 sacks and was named First Team All-Conference.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our updated offers board!

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