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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Recruiting Update: Has Penn State lost Savon Huggins?

Savon Huggins, probably the highest rated prospect on Penn State's radar this off-season, has been the topic of much discussion around the internets, particularly on certain message boards ($). But that's not the only place folks are freaking the hell out over Penn State's perceived lack of recruiting prowess this season; it's just the jumping off point for today's update.

I've never been one to make a habit out of trashing what Joe Paterno or his staff does in recruiting. It's a casino. You're dealt certain hands, and you must play them, hold, or fold. You try doing what they do, then get back to me with just how well it goes over 60 years, nevermind just four or five.

Paterno said in Monday's press conference that, frankly, people don't know what the hell they're talking about when they discuss the merits of Penn State Recruiting 2010-11:

"Because we're still in the middle of trying to get a couple of key people that would make a difference. Our problem is with numbers, and that's what people look at, and we don't have that many scholarships available. As you look at our roster, you'll find out that we have a lot of walk-on kids, but as of... as far as scholarship kids, we font' lose a lot of kids so we really can't... couldn't go out and get 18, 19, 20 kids this year. So we want to go get people fill in where we need them, and hopefully make ourselves a little better. I think we're doing alright. I really do."

Only sane people understand that. Unfortunately, those asking the questions that get that answer aren't so sane.

But back to Huggins.

The forum thread on FOS got a bit immature towards the end (as of this post, anyway), but you can just ignore that stuff. The gist of what's going on is that Scout.com's Matt Alkire thinks Penn State is out of it when it comes to NJ RB Savon Huggins. That is sad news, if it's true.

We haven't heard really anything substantative, particularly since Huggins had been reported to be very high on Penn State only a month ago. So don't freak out about this news.

What is more concerning about this is the impending doom and gloom we will be bombarded with, should Huggins not at least keep Penn State in the mix until signing day. Losing a top running back in this class--even though Penn State has more quality running backs right now on the roster than any time since probably 1994--would seemingly solidify the perception that Penn State has "lost it," and that Joe Paterno is single-handedly losing it for the Nittany Lions.

Of course, that entire premise is complete bullcrap. But it will be said over and over again regardless.

Over the next few weeks, I'll go through all the positions again just like I did in the spring. And when I get to the running backs, you'll know why it's really not a big deal if Huggins doesn't sign with Penn State.

But for now, if I'm not mistaken, I could swear we have a few guys on the roster by the names of Royster, Green, Beachum, Dukes, and Redd, along with fullbacks who go by Suhey and Zwinak.

In other news...

Darius Jennings was on campus for his visit this week with his dad and girlfriend. Sean Fitz ($) gave a nice update for the BWI readers, as he pointed out how Jennings still likes PSU very much, but will make a choice after the football season.

Zach West is now down to five schools.

Michael Cole committed to to Virginia Tech.

2012 recruit Sam Lebbie said he would choose Penn State right now.

Sorry for the short update, and no Tuesday Recruitin' this week. I'm on the road until Sunday visiting family, so you'll have to bear with me.

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Wednesday Recruitin': The August Rush

Apologies for not having our normal Tuesday recruiting segment. I got caught up in the depth chart stuff last night.

The LBU recruiting board is finally updated, so be sure to check that out. There is quite the buzz around the recruiting circles, as now that Angelo Mangiro is on board for 2011, everyone is waiting to see how the next few weeks will shake out. Commitments die out before football season, so August and these last few days of July will be critical for setting up a big winter if Penn State wants to end this recruiting season with a bang.

NC DB Dominique Noble isn't the highest-rated recruit on Penn State's recruiting board this year, but if the Nittany Lions could grab him out of North Carolina, and away from a rising program like Georgia Tech, it would help solidify this class as anything but a bust.

Oh, and he was on campus yesterday! I'll probably do a short update about that, if anything interesting comes from the visit. So keep an eye out for that.

Noble told BWI ($) that Penn State will have to work for his commitment:

"I really do like Penn State. At the beginning of this, they were like at the top. Hopefully for them they can change my mind, but if not, it will be Georgia Tech."

That's not the kind of thing you want to hear, but you have to imagine that GT is going hard after a guy one state over from them. Noble said he wants to basically be catered to up and down, which doesn't seem to fit right with Penn State's (read:JoePa's) image. Still, Penn State shouldn't drop the ball here, and better swallow its pride and schmooze this kid.

MD DL Darian Cooper has a strong relationship with Larry Johnson, Sr., giving Penn State a unique in-road with the DeMatha prospect. Cooper told FOS ($) that it's not always a bad thing when a recruiter doesn't call a prospect every single day. He cited Johnson telling him how one call per week would be the norm, and Cooper liked the fact that LJS wasn't breathing down his neck 24/7. So, for all those out there freaking out about Penn State's perceived lack of aggression on the recruiting trail, keep in mind that one shoe doesn't always fit every recruit.

WV RB Alan Wasonga is quietly becoming Penn State's No. 2 tailback target for 2011, should Savon Huggins not work out--heaven forbid that should actually happen. Wasonga is rated as the top prospect out of West Virginia, but has been rumored to have Penn State as his No. 1 choice. The problem with that, though, is that Penn State hasn't officially offered him a scholarship. But again, that could be on hold until well after the staff evaluates how his visit went yesterday (7/27), or if Huggins pulls the trigger early.

MD ATH Darius Jennings will be on campus next Tuesday. This is great news, after he reportedly rescheduled a planned July 31 visit. Usually, rescheduling a visit means a recruit has cooled on that school. Luckily, that isn't the case with Jennings.

MD OL Donovan Smith will be visiting PSU this Friday (7/30). This will be his third visit to Happy Valley.

OH LB Andre Sturdivant told BWI how his sit-down with Joe Paterno ($) went.

MD LB Connor Crowell named his top three schools ($), which included Penn State.

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

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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Big-Ass 2011 Recruiting Update, Part 3 of 4

Maryland all-purpose star Darius Jennings could be one of Penn State's finest pickups in this recruiting class.

Here's the third of four big recruiting updates coming the rest of this week... Part two was a bit scrawny in terms of juicy recruiting goodness (I know, can't believe I just said that. What was that? Oh, there's a Mr. Hansen here to see me?), but this one has a bit more to gnaw on.

Donovan Smith
OT/DT
Owings Mills, MD

Smith is a two-way lineman out of Penn State's prime recruiting territory--Maryland. The rising senior is projected to play on the offensive line in college, filling the tackle role at the high school level. Smith is an All-America candidate going into his senior season, after having been invited to the U.S. Army All-American Combine in January, just one of many honors he has been raking in.

Smith is now up to about 12 scholarship offers, with Wisconsin being the latest BCS program to formally court him. Besides the Badgers, there are plenty of other high-profile BCS automatic qualifiers jockeying for Smith's verbal. West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, UCLA, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and Maryland have all extended offers. Alabama, Ohio State, and Notre Dame are also rumored to have taken an interest in Smith the last few weeks.

When it comes to Penn State... The Nittany Lions are in excellent shape. Smith has taken two visits to Happy Valley since early April, including a Blue-White Game trip with his entire family in tow. He came away raving about almost everything to do with Penn State. Although teams like Rutgers have been pushing hard the past month or so, I would dare to say that if Penn State signs just one player in May--which would be the first in PSU's 2011 class--it would not at all shock me if that player was Smith.

Darius Jennings
Athlete
Baltimore, MD

Scout.com's No. 4 quarterback for 2011, Jennings had blown past the 20-offer threshold all the way back in February. Every school from the eastern seaboard to the Mississippi River has sent a scholarship offer Jennings' way. Including Penn State, five Big Ten teams have offered Jennings, nine of the 12 ACC programs, and even three Pac 10 schools have gotten into the mix. Throw in about a half-dozen more offers from the Big East and Big XII, and you've got yourself a hot ticket for Jennings' services.

However, all that early attention has been doused a bit the past few weeks, as Jennings has not been taking many visits, or making much news otherwise. On April 1, he told Josh Helmholdt of TheWolverine.com, "My family and I are really just putting this [recruiting] thing on the backburner until the school year is over so I can finish out the school year strong and stay focused on my books. Once the summer hits, we'll sit down and try to knock a few schools off my list early ... just schools I don't connect with and don't have that feeling with..."

When it comes to Penn State... Michigan appears to be a serious contender, but only because that's the only school he has visited. So, take that for what it's worth. Jennings did come up for the Blue-White Game on April 24, which is always a good sign from a kid that just said he wasn't taking any visits. Penn State has been mentioned as a leader in this race, due in no small part to the complete recruiting awesomeness that is Larry Johnson, Sr. He has single-handedly pillaged Maryland on a nearly annual basis since 2006, and doesn't appear to be interested in offering mercy anytime soon. Jennings would definitely become Penn State's newest favorite position--the "D-Wheelz" (not an official term, FYI)--using the complete football skill set of throwing, running, and catching.

Aundrey Walker
OT
Cleveland, OH

To the Buckeye State we go. Walker started out with only a handful of scholarship offers, but as word spread of his incredible size (6-5, 335 lbs) and skill on the offensive line, he gained a national profile among the top programs. Walker sits on about 12 offers right now, with six Big Ten teams--Ohio State and Michigan State are supposedly in the lead--Notre Dame, and a few Big East teams calling his number. USC offered Walker back in March, and can be considered in the top three with MSU and OSU.

When it comes to Penn State... Walker admitted to Brian Snow of BuckeyeGrove.com that he "doesn't know anything about them (Penn State)." That's not the kind of image you want inside a recruit's head, especially one as highly touted as Walker. But that was in mid-March, and things could change as long as Walker's recruitment remains open. However, the Nittany Lions might be going up against the clock on this one. With Ohio State and USC already gaining so much traction with Walker, it'll be an uphill, but not impossible battle for Penn State.

Shaun Underwood
DT
Fuquay-Varina, NC

One player other than Donovan Smith that I really think could end up committing to a college very soon is Underwood. The junior tackle has received offers from mostly regional powers, like North Carolina and South Carolina. Underwood has reportedly narrowed his top choices to three schools: North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Penn State. I'm not sure if Underwood thinks that he has reached his recruiting ceiling, but it would seem about right if you said there's no reason for him to wait until after the football season to commit somewhere.

When it comes to Penn State... You have to think the Nittany Lions are the top pick for Underwood at this point. He has chosen two defense-heavy programs--PSU and UNC--with outstanding defensive line coaches. The big bonus for the Nittany Lions is that Larry Johnson, Sr. uses defensive linemen in a rotation, meaning that the younger players can get time early in their careers. Underwood's got to like that. But there is a question in my mind about this quote by Underwood, told to Phil Grosz of BWI, "I also like the overall stature of the program, even though Joe Paterno might not be there all four years I'd be there." Is there a bit of negative recruiting going on here? That kind of quote doesn't just pop out without hearing it from a coach first. Regardless of all that, Underwood is a very good possibility for Penn State in 2011.


Marquise Wright
DT
Paramus, NJ

My dad won a state track championship for Paramus Catholic, and many of my family friends have strong connections to the school, so this recruit is particularly interesting for me. Wright was only hovering around seven offers or so back in the winter, but that number has risen to more than a dozen. These are no ho-hum offers, either. Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, and West Virginia are just some of the offers extended to Wright. He did say last week, however, that Rutgers hasn't offered, and that he's pretty much lost all interest in the Knights.

Earlier this week, Wright was also nominated for the 2011 U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio, Texas. With the nomination, Wright joins several Penn State recruits from New Jersey, including Savon Huggins, Gary Nova and Angelo Mangiro.

When it comes to Penn State... Even though Wright has Penn State as his leader, he appears to want to wait until the end of the summer before pulling the trigger. But that doesn't take away from his interest in the Penn State, which Wright previously referred to as his "dream school." Wright has been to University Park twice since opening up his recruitment. One of those trips was to the Blue-White Game. Wright could be the headliner in a fantastic crop of defensive linemen for Penn State's 2011 class.

Deion Barnes
DE
Philadelphia, PA

Barnes recently said that he wants to take his recruitment slow. With so many offers coming in, he can afford to do just that. About eight BCS programs have offered Barnes over the last few months. Michigan was the most recent school to offer Barnes, joining Louisville, Maryland, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. More offers are expected this summer.

The Philly defensive end just came back from the NIKE Camp in State College, where he finished the day as one of the most impressive recruits on the field. With size (6-5, 220 lbs) and speed like his, Barnes will only gain more attention as the recruiting season goes on.

When it comes to Penn State... With a frame like Barnes, you have to think Penn State will experiment with him at both defensive end and tight end. Following the NIKE Camp, he said that Penn State is definitely in his top schools right now, and that it was very impressive to him how the Nittany Lions focus on their players' families. Ron Vanderlinden is handling Barnes' recruitment, but Larry Johnson, Sr. has been involved here and there, since the recruit is a defensive line prospect.

Shawn Oakman
DE
Lansdowne, PA

Despite his huge frame at 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, Oakman hasn't gained quite the attention as I had expected by this point in the spring. But I'm not reading any further into it, because he's still a fantastic prospect, and I fully believe that he will get plenty more offers before the summer is done. Oakman now holds about eight scholarship offers, including UConn, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Rice.

When it comes to Penn State... Oakman has repeatedly said Penn State is either his leader, or at least in the top two or three college choices. For all this talk about how Penn State doesn't have any verbals yet, one must remember that within the traditional recruiting calendar, this is still just the end of the first stage, with summer beginning the next. But Oakman has all the signs that Penn State will be his school. Unless some other juggernaut program out there, like a Florida or Ohio State or Alabama, offers him, it looks like the Nittany Lions are leading the way.

Al Page
DT
Bronx, NY

Page committed to Rutgers on April 14. This looks pretty concrete, so it's a slim chance of anything changing. Page had been offered from Kansas, Maryland, and Syracuse, but Rutgers sent in the big guns for him. Two coaches were in charge of courting Page. It worked.

Next up: Part 4

Part 1
Part 2

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Wednesday Recruitin': 'Spacey,' the Terrelle Pryor repellent

Visit the Linebacker-U.com recruiting board for the latest tally of recruits claiming offers from Penn State for 2011.Nittany Lions recruiting coordinator has been running non-stop to ensure Penn State's 2011 recruiting class packs enough punch

Well, it's finally posted, so here's what normally would have been your Tuesday Recruitin' fix.

I simply could not fathom how many contacts Mike McQueary must have on his cell phone. I realize that he does not contact every recruit Penn State is going after; that's up to the regional recruiters, like LJS and Scrap. But the guy has to be ready to talk with any one of those recruits, at any time. Think about it.

Anyway, on with the update...

(Rivals/Scout/ESPN)

New Offers

• Defensive lineman Shawn Oakman (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) out of Lansdowne (PA) picked up a written scholarship offer from Penn State. He currently has the Nittany Lions as a heavy favorite, citing the tradition in Happy Valley. Oakman is also a stud on the basketball court, as you would expect from a guy who stands 6-foot-8, but a lean 240 pounds. Ron Vanderlinden is apparently on his trail.

• All-purpose athlete prospect Darius Jennings (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) was sent his written scholarship offer last week. So, we can officially mark him down.

Recruiting Zuggets

• Terrell Chestnut took a big visit to Rutgers last Thursday. The trip included the full deck of pitches, from facilities to academics. Chestnut told ScarletReport.com:

“It’s definitely a school I was interested in, and we’d been in contact with the coaches for a while,” Chestnut said. “I wanted to give my family a feel where I could possibly stay the next four years, and to meet the coaches I would be around.”

Rutgers is an interesting situation to watch this year, not only because of their possible invitation to the Big Ten, but how that might influence recruits along the eastern seaboard. That's pure speculation, sorry. But it's an interesting point to follow over the next 10 months or so.

• Marquise Wright was supposed to visit Penn State this past weekend, but plans fell through for no apparent reason. He said that contact with the Nittany Lions' coaching staff has tapered off, but Wright's own coaches were still in touch often with Penn State. This doesn't look like anything serious, especially since he said just two weeks ago that Penn State was his “dream school.”

• Running back Savon Huggins swung south this week, visiting Georgia, Alabama and the rest of the SEC. He does plan to visit Penn State for a practice this spring, but probably won't be at the Blue-White Game on April 24.

• Small planet Cyrus Kouandjio told BWI that he liked Happy Valley because, "I really like the campus, it's nice and big, spacey*, that's what I like about it." But that was only from his Nike Camp workout last year. Kouandjio hasn't been back to Penn State, but all is not lost. His race is still wide open.

*Spacey - adj. "too country"

• Tight end Ben Koyack just received a scholarship offer from LSU. He has been putting together quite a list of suitors. But Penn State is still up top for the Oil City prospect. Right now, Koyack likes Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State the most, even though Pitt and Florida are closing the gap.

• Red Bank Catholic tight end Jack Tabb (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) revealed last week that Penn State was his No. 1 team, even though the Nittany Lions haven't extended an offer. There was a rumor floating around that Penn State was verbally hinting at an offer, but that turned out to be false.

2012. Already?

This is what you get with recruiting. There's never a prospect too young to scout. Of course, this isn't nearly like USC's 13-year-old commit, but not exactly what we're used to from Penn State.

• James Ross, Jr. (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) is already being heavily recruited by in-state rivals Michigan and Michigan State. He told the Detroit News:

“There is another school, Penn State, that we're looking at,” Ross Jr. said. “They recruited (quarterback) Rob Bolden from our school and he committed to them. So (Penn State assistant) Coach (Ron) Vanderlinden has been talking to me. I actually sent him my highlight tape and he said he really liked it.”

Ross is a 6-foot-0, 200-pound linebacker who's raised eyebrows early in his career, led his Eaglets' defense with 103 tackles, five sacks, five forced fumbles, seven fumbles recovered and an interception.

• Eddie Goldman (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) from Edison-Friendship Public Charter in Washington, DC, was told by Larry Johnson, Sr., that a scholarship offer will be extended to him when the time comes. For now, it's just a verbal offer. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound rising junior made more than 40 tackles and three sacks last season, and already runs a sub-five-second forty. Goldman is very, very high on the local team, Maryland, having visited the campus four times.

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Tuesday Recruitin': Three more offers

The offers are flowing out of Penn State these last few weeks. Surprising, mostly because the Nittany Lions expect to pull in a relatively small class in 2011, possibly as few as 12. That's a bit dramatic, as we all know the kind of attrition that goes on with major college programs. But with 20 offers out already, including those we'll talk about today, Penn State doesn't seem to be taking any chances. There are some big targets already for 2011. Let's see a few more.