Wednesday Recruitin': Lattimore fallout

Following Marcus Lattimore's surprising decision this weekend to drop Penn State from his final group of schools, the message boards were sent into one big hissy fit. Between the Dominique Easley and Adrian Coxson decommitments, and now Lattimore exiting the picture, all of the recent recruiting news around Penn State has been negative. With only a few weeks left before signing day (Feb. 3), who's left? We'll take a look at just that in today's Wednesday Recruitin'.

And two remain...

In last week's Wednesday Recruitin', I highlighted three prospects that Penn State was pushing hard to land by signing day. Lattimore is now out of that mix, which leaves defensive end Mike Thornton.

Pullium is still dragging his feet on a decision, even though all signs in the world are pointing to Penn State.

As for Thornton, the Nittany Lions aren't looking so good. As late as last week, it was widely assumed that Thornton was set on Penn State, but needed some time to solidify his decision. Now, it looks as if some other programs have taken a bigger interest in the recruit, particularly Southern Cal and Georgia.

The Bulldogs were in a state of instability on defense, with the firing of DC Willie Martinez. But last Friday with the hiring of former Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham, Thornton's interest in Georgia has picked back up.

Lane Kiffin has sent his wolves into the Peach State, also trying to pluck Thornton. Ed Orgeron had been recruiting Thornton for Kiffin when they were still at Tennessee. Now in Los Angeles, Orgeron is picking up where he left off. Thornton has set up an official visit to USC on January 29. Honestly, now that Georgia's situation has settled down, and Kiffin is calling from USC, Penn State's chances with Thornton are thinning quickly.

The "Plan-B" Running Back?

Marcus Lattimore would have been a fantastic pickup for Penn State this season. But is it the end of the world now that he's dropped the Nittany Lions? Not at all. The running back situation at Penn State is better than it has been in probably more than a decade, with 3,815 career rushing yards returning between Evan Royster and Stephfon Green; tack on another 708 yards from scrimmage if you include receiving yards. I'll have much more on how the depth chart and scholarship roster looks, but that's for another post.

Seeing this kid actually move on the field, he might not be a bad pickup in the end.

The point of all this is that Lattimore probably would have sat on the bench his first season, and only logged shared-time carries with Green in year two. Put that possibility together with Curtis Dukes coming off a 2009 redshirt season, Silas Redd already enrolled in classes this spring, and Brandon Beachum's likely return from an ACL in 2011; it would have been a tense situation at best with a former No. 1 recruit having to share time with just one back, never mind the prospect of sharing carries with two others. Lattimore wouldn't have been the feature back until 2012, at the earliest.

But don't think Penn State doesn't want to sign another back in this year's class. There is a mid-level prospect that had fallen off the radar last month, as Lattimore's interest in Penn State was rising. Tahj Kimble, a 5-foot-11, 197-pound tailback from Fernandina Beach (Fla.), was contacted in December by Mike McQueary, who asked Kimble if he had any interest in the Lions. When Kimble said yes, McQueary leveled with him that if Lattimore committed, Penn State would have no need to sign Kimble.

Now we stand with Lattimore out. Does that mean Kimble is back in the mix? I haven't heard to much the past few days, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Kimble show up suddenly again.

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Marcus Lattimore drops Penn State

Updated: 10:10 p.m.

Marcus Lattimore, regarded as one of the top two running back prospects in the 2010 recruiting class, has reportedly dropped Penn State from consideration. He has apparently notified both Penn State and Oregon that both schools are now out. South Carolina and Auburn are Lattimore's final two.

If Lattimore follows through with this decision to drop Penn State, it would really put a crunch on the Nittany Lions' recruiting over the next few weeks. Joe Paterno was supposed to visit Lattimore--a very rare in-home meeting by Paterno--on Jan. 28. It does seem a bit surprising that Lattimore would cut a Penn State at this stage. College football's all-time winningest head coach is willing to travel a thousand miles for Lattimore.

Until this is confirmed by at least one more media source, Penn State fans can hold out a little sliver of hope that Lattimore will still give Paterno and the Nittany Lions a chance.

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Wednesday Recruitin': Three to Watch for 2010

Today we'll break down three prospects that Penn State is making a concerted effort to land by signing day, Feb. 3--running back Marcus Lattimore, defensive tackle Mike Thornton and athlete Shyquawn Pullium.

With 18 of 23 scholarships currently offered to other recruits, seven of whom are already enrolled and on campus, Penn State has to make sure it really gets a bang for its remaining five bucks, starting with these guys.

Shyquawn Pullium
Position: Athlete/Defensive Back
High School: Erie(PA)/Cathedral Prep
Measurables: 6-1, 178 lbs

The Scoop... Pullium has great size at 6-1 for a defensive back, his most likely position on Penn State's roster. He's not nearly a blue-chip prospect, as his best ratings put him as the 31^st (Rivals) overall prospect in Pennsylvania, and the 75^th (Scout) cornerback nationally. He does have extensive experience on offense. As Prep's quarterback, Pullium led the team in rushing and passing, accounting for a whopping 61 touchdowns in 2009.

Ok, but what about Penn State? It's incredible that Pullium hasn't yet pulled the trigger on the Nittany Lions. Mike McQueary extended the scholarship offer about a month ago, knowing Pullium had Penn State at the top of his list since the beginning. He still has offers from Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Maryland and Toledo. The Panthers have been doing well in-state, and Pullium would be another solid pickup for the 'Burgh. In the end, though, it just looks like a matter of time before Pullium signs with Penn State.

Visits: Pullium will visit Penn State this weekend. There are no other scheduled visits right now... Penn State - 1/15/10 (scheduled)

Mike Thornton
Position: Defensive Tackle
High School: Stone Mountain(GA)/Stephenson
Measurables: 6-2, 280 lbs

The Scoop... Thornton can be considered an elite defensive tackle prospect, as he is ranked 10^th (Rivals), 11^th (Scout) and 18^th (ESPN) on the position charts. It seems that his size, only 6-2, has hurt his stock a bit, because for a prospect to be rated this high, even with the size issue, he must be a top talent. Thornton has a great motor, in the model of Tamba Hali, another defensive lineman who was picked on by scouts for his size. The reason I bring up Hali is that he came to Penn State as an elite defensive tackle, but made the move to end. He's now starting in the NFL. I see a similar player in Thornton. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see him drop 15 pounds or so (if he signs with Penn State), and play defensive end, or even a stand-up end role, ala Jerome Hayes.

Ok, but what about Penn State? The Nittany Lions are directly battling Georgia and Auburn, with Miami hanging out in the wings somewhere. I wouldn't worry too much about the 'Canes, as Thornton hasn't scheduled a visit or showed any real interest besides not dropping them from his top four schools. Georgia and Auburn are different, but interesting cases. The Bulldogs just fired long-time defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, which could very well affect Thornton's decision to play between the hedges. Plus, a 7-5 season is not exactly something to thump your chest about. The Tigers, for some reason, have stuck two recruiters on Thornton. I'm not sure if that's just some weird thing Auburn is doing, or a sign of desperation to land him. We'll see. But right now, Penn State looks to be at the front of the line.

Visits: Lattimore will complete his schedule of visits this upcoming week, with Auburn... Penn State - 11/6/09 (complete); Georgia - 12/11/09 (complete); Auburn - 1/15/10 (scheduled)

Marcus Lattimore
Position: Running Back
High School: Duncan(SC)/Byrnes
Measurables: 6-0, 210 lbs

The Scoop... Lattimore is a consensus top-two back in this year's recruiting crop (No. 2 RB by Rivals/ESPN, No. 1 RB by Scout), who has been labeled a "big, bruising" back with very nice speed to boot. From clips and scouting reports, he reminds me of a young Pennsylvania high school football legend who signed with the Nittany Lions out of Parkland High School. I promise, though, that's all you will hear from me on Mr. Scott. The comparison is just, however. Lattimore's reputation as a power back only tells half the story, as he is much faster than most of the better Penn State backs in recent years. Rodney Kinlaw, and now Stephfon Green, are the only backs who I think could match Lattimore's burst.

Ok, but what about Penn State? If there was ever a more dramatic run-up to a commitment, I'd like to see it. Lattimore is--officially--down to four schools: Auburn, South Carolina, Oregon and Penn State. He's said numerous times that he is just as concerned about getting an education as playing football, and he does not mind at all leaving SEC country. This quote sums up everything Penn State fans need to know:

"Where I am from, I always hear, 'Be a Gamecock!' or 'Be a Tiger!' almost everywhere I go," Lattimore said. "I don't want people to be mad if I don't go where they want me to go, but I have to do what is best for me, my future and my education."

Lattimore seems like a kid who just wants to spread his wings and get the hell out of the South. But that is not much more comforting news to Nittany Lions fans, because that leaves his two top schools down to Penn State and Oregon. The Ducks are enjoying success directly rivaling Penn State. However, with Evan Royster's eligibility up next year, and his sure ascendancy to the NFL, Lattimore could very well get significant carries as a redshirt freshman opposite the out-going senior Green.

Visits: Lattimore will complete his schedule of visits this upcoming week, with South Carolina and Oregon... Penn State - 11/9/09 (complete); Auburn - 10/30/09 (complete); South Carolina - 1/15/10 (scheduled); Oregon - 1/22/10 (scheduled)

(Sorry this was posted so late today. Wednesday Recruitin' will be regularly posted early on Wednesdays, as the title would indicate)

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