Penn State offers WV RB Allan Wasonga

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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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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Penn State offers FL RB Tre Mason

Penn State has made just its second scholarship offer to a running back for the 2011 class. Florida running back Tre Mason (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) has been on Penn State's radar for months now. However, with Savon Huggins possibly cooling on the Nittany Lions, this looks like an option to fill the desired running back position in the 2011 class.

Mason has been forced to look at out-of-state option, due to the in-state powers--Miami, Florida and FSU--lack of serious interest. But don't think that's a bad omen. Programs have been known to go into the Sunshine State and pull out some real gems, players that are grossly underrated due to the fact that they play in such an elite recruiting base like Florida. Mason looks like a great back.

I'll have more on Mason later today in the weekly Tuesday Recruitin' segment.

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Tuesday Recruitin': Reviewing the 2011 Offers... all of them

Can Mike McQueary turn Penn State's 2011 recruiting class into something more than mediocre?

It's summertime, and you have better things to do than sit at your computer trying to figure out what's going on in Penn State recruiting. That's where I come in. In today's update, we'll walk through all of the 2011 scholarship offers, in a big one-stop recruiting shop.

Let's get to it.

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 is still open. He took a visit to Pitt on June 23, and a second visit to Rutgers earlier in the month. Penn State is still high on his list, but with all the grumbling about Pitt's recruiting pitches lately, you can't be so sure the Panthers aren't either leading now, or at least ahead of Penn State. The Lions want Chestnut, badly.

ATH/WR Darius Jennings, Baltimore, MD/Gilman School
Even though Penn State isn't looking for as many skill players as years past, a loss here with Jennings would be a significant blow to Larry Johnson, Sr. It was only four years ago that LJS single-handedly tore apart the Maryland/DC recruiting circuit for Penn State. But this year isn't looking so sharp. Landing Jennings would be a major spark for the 2011 class.

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

ATH/WR Miles Shuler, Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch
The battle for Shuler might take on bigger meaning, but more on that later. Shuler cut down his list to 10 schools: Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Florida, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Northwestern, California, Stanford and Cincinnati. Making that list is big for Penn State, as Shuler is one of the fastest players in 2011, and right in the Nittany Lions' back yard. Rutgers has hosted Shuler more times than any other campus, but that's expected being his home-state university.

QB Cardale Jones, Cleveland, OH/Glenville Academic Campus
Jones' recruitment has been quiet lately, even though he is regarded as one of the better still-uncommitted quarterbacks in the midwest region. Penn State is in Jones' top schools, from what everyone can tell right now.

RB Savon Huggins, Jersey City, NJ/St. Peter's Prep
We already covered Huggins this week, as he picked Penn State in his top-10 schools. Huggins is probably the biggest name recruit next to Cyrus Kouandjio on Penn State's offers board, but there could be a catch here. Huggins has been talking closely with Miles Shuler, which means Huggins might actually turn into a two-fer deal with Shuler.

WR Tobais Singleton, Madison, MS/Madison Central
UCLA is the big leader right now, but Singleton still hasn't made up his mind. Penn State would seem like a real long shot here, but there's always a chance as long as Singleton remains open. Plus, how great would it be to pull a highly rated prospect out of SEC country?

WR Quinta Funderburk, Chesapeake, VA/Oscar Smith
Funderburk is kind of off the radar for most Penn State recruitniks, but his recruitment is very much open. He comes from the same school as 2010 Penn State recruit Evan Hailes, so the Nittany Lions have at least somewhat of an "in" with Funderburk, even if it is only indirectly.

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

WR Brandon Reddish, Brooklyn, NY/Fort Hamilton
A quiet addition to the 2011 offers board, Reddish has gained some momentum in terms of higher profile offers--Virginia, Syracuse, Maryland, West Virginia--but doesn't plan on picking a school until signing day. As a junior last fall Reddish caught 30 passes for 760 yards and 12 touchdowns. He recorded 47 tackles and two interceptions on defense.

WR Damiere Byrd, Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek
Byrd is being very heavily recruited by Florida, Rutgers and South Carolina. But the Penn State offer is still out there, and he's still uncommitted. Byrd attended the State College NIKE Camp last month, coming away with a positive impression. Penn State will have to step it up to jump ahead of his leading schools.

Visit the Linebacker-U.com recruiting board for the latest tally of recruits claiming offers from Penn State for 2011.

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.

This leaves Penn State 0-for-5 on tight end prospects so far!

OL Cyrus Kouandjio, Hyattsville, MD/DeMatha
For such a highly touted recruit (most recruiting services have him the No. 1 offensive lineman), Kouandjio bucks the trend by not eliminating any schools from contention. This could be a very interesting race through the end of the year, as dozens of powerhouse programs are vying for his signature. Penn State would absolutely die for Kouandjio to come to Happy Valley.

OL Spencer Region, Cullman, AL/Cullman
Region pulled the trigger on Auburn right after signing day this year, but then began to have second thoughts. His recruitment has since opened up, and Penn State is surprisingly in the thick of things. Wisconsin and Penn State are the only two northern schools to offer Region, and he told Scout.com that he “like to play someday in Happy Valley," but wouldn't say if that meant for the home team or not.

OL Anthony Zettel, West Branch, MI/Ogemaw Heights
Zettel has narrowed his recruitment somewhat, with most recruiting services listing Michigan and Michigan State as the top two leaders right now. Still, Zettel technically remains open. But it doesn't look like Penn State, or any other non-Michigan school, has much of a chance here.

OL Aundrey Walker, Cleveland, OH/Glenville Academic Campus
The Buckeyes have led from the start, but Walker has not made a verbal. This one looks more like an inevitability than anything else, as Ohio State has been on a tear with recruiting lately. Walker won't pick a school until after he makes five visits this summer. Penn State hasn't been mentioned, but that could change.

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

OL Zach West, Lexington, KY/Lexington Christian
Penn State offered West some months ago, taking a few folks by surprise. The Nittany Lions don't usually head to Kentucky for recruits, but they must have seen something in West to make the offer. Besides Penn State, his leaders are Kentucky, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Louisville and Auburn. All of his favorites have offered, except Auburn.

OL Angelo Mangiro, Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury
Penn State has lost a few NJ recruits to Pitt lately, so Mangiro is quickly becoming the next flash point in the recruiting war. A few weeks ago, Mangiro listed Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers and Ohio State as his finalists. The scary thing about Mangiro's timetable is that he wants to commit to a school before the football season starts. Penn State would be much more comfortable going into the fall with Mangiro on the Nittany Lions' commits board.

OL Jay Whitmire, Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams
Penn State would not be mentioned nearly half as much when discussing Whitmire, if not for Larry Johnson Sr. recruiting the VA standout as a defensive lineman, rather than his projected offensive position. Penn State is the only school doing that, but Whitmire swears it hasn't hurt PSU's chances. Pitt is in the mix here, too, so do what you want with that.

OL Donovan Smith, Owings Mills, MD/Owings Mills
Smith is gaining interest from schools to play both sides of the ball, including from Penn State. This is another Larry Johnson Sr. assignment, as you might tell from the location (MD). Smith wants to cut his list down sometime in August, but doesn't know when he will commit to one school.

DT Darian Cooper, Hyattsville, MD/DeMatha
DeMatha high school has been kind to Penn State the past few years. But can LJS make it happen again this year? Cooper is good friends with teammate Cyrus Kouandjio, so this could be the first (more in a minute) of a few package deals in this year's recruiting class. Cooper wants to visit Penn State this week, and has the Nittany Lions near the top of his list. He wants to cut that list down soon, so the visit to State College will be crucial.

DT Shaun Underwood, Fuquay-Varina, NC/Fuquay-Varina
Penn State has sent LJS down on a special assignment this year to land Underwood for the Nittany Lions. This is a big deal. Unfortunately, Underwood has North Carolina as the clear No. 1 of his top three schools. However, the good part is that Penn State is still in that top three. Underwood won't make any decision until after he gets in a few more visits. Expect Penn State to be one of his destinations.

DT Marquise Wright, Paramus, NJ/Paramus Catholic
Wright (shockingly) 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 Deion Barnes, Philadelphia, PA/Northeast
Barnes is a regional star in the 2011 class, but that region is the entire eastern half of the U.S. His offers list is growing to include most of the powers east of the Mississippi. Penn State is high on that list, but no higher than many of the other suitors. The offers are still coming in for Barnes, which is slowing down his own timetable for a decision. After losing Marquise Wright to Pitt last week, Ron Vanderlinden could use a nice pickup like Barnes.

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 Shawn Oakman, Lansdowne, PA/Penn Wood
Oakman verbally committed on July 2 to play for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

DE Ishaq Williams, Brooklyn, NY/Abraham Lincoln
Williams is another New York City prospect that's gained plenty of recognition as the 2011 class has developed. Penn State was one of his earliest offers, and remains in strong contention. Williams wants to make a return trip to Penn State this summer, but only after he's seen places he hasn't been to yet.

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

DE Jordan Kerner, Fairview, PA/Fairview
Penn State offered Kerner only last week, but it is widely assumed the Nittany Lions are going to be his pick. His offers include Iowa, Maryland, West Virginia, Rutgers, and Minnesota. Iowa is right up there with Penn State on Kerner's list, so it could come down to just these two schools.

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

LB Travis Hughes, Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville
Hughes has leaned away from Penn State in recent weeks, mostly due to the ascension of North Carolina to the top of his list. This one doesn't seem to be as much a knock on Penn State, as just another recruit buying into what Butch Davis is cooking down there in Chapel Hill.

LB Maika Polamalu, Pottsgrove, PA/Pottsgrove
Polamalu has been quiet the last few weeks, but even quieter in the Penn State world. Since he had kind of a falling out with himself about how he "fit" into Penn State's defensive scheme, the Lions have either pulled their offer, or just left it as a verbal offer. Either way, I'm not sure Polamalu will end up in Happy Valley.

LB Curtis Grant, Richmond, VA/Hermitage
After it was reported that Penn State verbally offered Grant earlier this spring, things kind of dissolved. There has been no further development, or official offer. But I include Grant on the list anyway because at one point during this recruiting season, Penn State seemed poised to pull the trigger.

LB Andre Sturdivant, Cleveland, OH/Glenville
Sturdivant is one of the best inside linebacker prospects for 2011, and Penn State is very much alive in the race for his commitment. He only got his official offer last week, even though a verbal offer was on the table for weeks. His teammate is Cardale Jones, with whom he visited Happy Valley last week. This is yet another (told you we'd come back to this) possible package deal for 2011, with Sturdivant and Jones.

LB Conner Crowell, Waldorf, MD/North Point
Penn State sent its two big guns, LJS and Vanderlinden, to formally offer Crowell a scholarship. He just wrapped up a big round of visits, including a stop by Happy Valley last week. Penn State is very high on his list. Crowell plans to make his decision on senior night during his team’s final high school game Nov. 7, though it is possible he could commit before that.

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

CB Doran Grant, Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary
Penn State's chances with Grant took a big hit when he didn't exactly sound enthusiastic talking about the Nittany Lions during the State College NIKE Camp. Grant's recruitment remains open, but he has displayed little interest in Penn State, while others have moved ahead.

CB Demetrious Nicholson, Virginia Beach, VA/Bayside
Since his offer came on June 6, Nicholson's interest in Penn State has remained decent. The problem is, North Carolina is light years ahead of everyone in this race. Penn State, along with every other school outside of Chapel Hill, is a very outside shot to land Nicholson.

CB Dominique Noble, Mount Ulla, NC/West Rowan
Noble was gaining mostly regional interest from the Carolinas, but that's blossomed into a full-blown recruiting war over another Tar Heel State prospect. Penn State is in the mix with Noble, and should host him on a visit this month. With cornerback as another so-so need for 2011, it would be very nice to land a kid like Noble.

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

S/LB Mike Caputo, Imperial, PA/West Allegheny
About a week ago, Caputo named his top four schools: Pitt, Penn State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. He is the only safety prospect Penn State has offered in this class, which means it's not a need position in 2011. Still, I'm sure Penn State would love to grab Caputo, if for no other reason than to stick it to Pitt in an in-state battle.

CHECK OUT OUR UPDATED RECRUITING BOARD!

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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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Penn State offers big Ohio TE Nick Vannett

Westerville Central tight end Nick Vannett received an offer from Penn State this week, making him the latest tight end prospect the Nittany Lions are going after for 2011.

The Nittany Lions are recruiting hard this year for tight ends, and have added yet another to the scholarship offer board. This time, it's a very highly touted recruit from the Buckeye State. Of course, the Buckeyes themselves might have something to say about all of this kid by the time he commits.

Nick Vannett
(Rivals/Scout/ESPN)
Westerville (OH) Central
Tight End

Besides Penn State, Vannett's favorites are Arizona, Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Oregon, Purdue and South Florida. Buckeye Battle Cry seems to think Vannett is a lock for Ohio State, that it's just a matter of when he pulls the trigger.

On Monday, Vannett cut his list from 25 down to 11 schools. But by the end of the day, Penn State and North Carolina State sent offers his way. With the Nittany Lions on board, things seemed to change for Vannett. He told Scout.com's Bill Greene:

"Without a doubt, Penn State makes my favorite list... I don't know a lot about Penn State, but I know they've had success using the tight end in the past... The Penn State program has so much tradition, and they're a great program. I've never been there before, but I'm hoping to be able to visit them this summer."

I'm pretty sure I know of two guys who can vouch for Penn State's ability to develop quality tight ends... NFL-quality, to be exact:

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Big-Ass 2011 Recruiting Update, Part 4 of 4

Damascus (MD) cornerback/wide receiver Brandon Phelps has Penn State high on his list of college choices. (Photo: Washington Post)

We wrap up our week-long review of Penn State football recruiting, with part four.

Eric MacClain
TE
Fayetteville, NC

MacClain committed to Clemson on April 17. The Tar Heel tight end had originally committed to Lane Kiffin, when he was still coach at Tennessee. But you can't blame him for pulling out of his verbal there. Anyway, Penn State is out.

Curtis Grant
LB
Richmond, VA

Grant is rated the No. 2 linebacker in the nation by Scout.com, propelling him to the top of any major program's recruiting board. About 20 BCS programs have offered Grant, with Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and USC hitting him the hardest so far. He's been working on the visit circuit, going to four schools in one week last month. Seven ACC schools and four SEC schools have offered Grant, along with others from the Big Ten, Big XII, and Pac 10 conferences.

When it comes to Penn State... Grant had been expecting an offer from Penn State, but he's still not listed on any of the major recruiting services Web sites as holding that offer. The coaches were in contact with Grant back in early March, apparently telling him that an offer was in the works, but not finalized. In that time, Grant has strayed away from serious interest in Penn State, even though he still says he wants to visit this summer. There's still time to get back in good with Grant.

Brandon Phelps
DB
Damascus, MD

Phelps is projected as a cornerback in college, despite being listed on the recruiting sites as an all-purpose recruit. He's not exactly considered an elite recruit at this stage, but does hold more than 20 scholarship offers from BCS conference programs. Alabama, Iowa, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin are just a few of the biggest names to have offered.

Phelps has most recently visited LSU and Notre Dame, specifically mentioning the Tigers as serious contenders. He said that location is not at all an issue. Phelps also wants to pick a school prior to the football season, to avoid the stress of playing a season while concerned about picking a college.

When it comes to Penn State... Penn State is the only school Phelps has visited twice. The first came in late March, with the return trip for the Blue-White Game. He said both were very impressive, and that Penn State is at or near the top of his list right now. That shouldn't be surprising, as Larry Johnson, Sr. is leading the charge for the Nittany Lions. While an earlier commitment is possible, this one could come in July or August.

Zach West
OL
Lexington, KY

West is a mid-level recruit, in terms of hype. But scouts are slowly finding more about him and what he can do. His offers list isn't nearly as long as other recruits I mentioned in this week's updates, but there are a few schools big enough to draw some more attention as the summer arrives. So far, besides one from Penn State, West claims written offers from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, and Cincinnati.

When it comes to Penn State... Unless West gets a case of homesickness, it would seem that the Nittany Lions are in great position to pull him out of the Bluegrass State (even though it's really a commonwealth). Offensive linemen are the toughest players to accurately rate before getting into college. You have to think that if the coaches are willing to go to a relatively unknown recruiting ground for the Nittany Lions, West must have something they really want.

Angelo Mangiro
OT
Succasunna, NJ

The junior from northwest New Jersey is making quite a name for himself on the national recruiting scene. Mangiro, currently the No. 3 guard on Scout.com, recently received an invitation to the 2011 U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio. The first school to offer Mangiro was the home-state Rutgers, but more than a dozen more have come in since. Boston College, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio State, South Carolina, and USC are just some of the other BCS programs to have offered Mangiro in the past few months.

Mangiro has said that while location is a factor, it's not imperative that he stay close to home. Rutgers has been a leader with Mangiro from the beginning, but schools like Ohio State, Penn State, and Pittsburgh all hosted him for unofficial visits in April. A mid-summer decision is possible for Mangiro, as he wants to eliminate most of the schools before July.

When it comes to Penn State... One of the most telling anecdotes from Mangiro's experiences with the Nittany Lions has come from the early stages of his recruitment. This winter, before Penn State even offered Mangiro, he said how impressed he was with the fact that the Nittany Lions coaching staff likes to get to know their recruits before sending out a scholarship offer, as Josh Moyer of Nittany Network reported in February, "He said he actually finds it flattering Penn State gets to know its recruits first before throwing an offer at him, like some schools." The Nittany Lions are in a great position to stay with Mangiro to the end.

Marco Jones
DE/TE
Baltimore, MD

Jones says he wants to make a decision before the football season begins, which starts the clock for Penn State's prospects with the rising senior. He now holds between seven and nine offers, depending on which recruiting service you read. Those offers include West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Louisville, UConn, Kansas State and North Carolina. Jones recently returned from a trip to Rutgers, which he said impressed him and his mother very much, particularly in terms of the academic prowess of the school. If academics are a priority for Jones and his mom, Penn State should be in the top few schools.

When it comes to Penn State... Three defensive ends--six ends including the tight ends--currently hold offers form the Nittany Lions. The addition of Jones brings the defensive ends count to four. Why does that matter? Well, it doesn't really. But it does give somewhat of an indication that Penn State wants to sign at least one defensive end in this upcoming class. One defensive end might not sound like a lot, especially for Penn State. That's because, well, it isn't a lot. Larry Johnson, Sr. brings in pretty much a new defensive line rotation in each recruiting class. To sign only one defensive end in 2011 would surprise the hell out of a lot more people than just me.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Note: Stay tuned for more updates through this weekend. They will include players that have received recent offers, and are included on our offers board, but haven't been covered in their own posts here at LBU. Consider it like an addendum to this week-long update series.

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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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Big-Ass 2011 Recruiting Update, Part 2 of 4

The second of four big recruiting updates coming the rest of this week...

Lawrence Thomas
RB/LB
Detroit, MI

Thomas has been committed to play for Michigan State since early spring. Don't expect that to change. Thomas is an elite recruit--the No. 1 MLB nationally according to most services--who could end up playing early in his career with the Spartans.

Ben Koyack
TE
Oil City, PA

Koyack committed to play for Notre Dame on April 25. Penn State had been very high on Koyack's list of finalists, but fell away just before he made his decision between Ohio State and the Fighting Irish. It should be noted that Koyack had originally planned to wait until later this summer to make a college choice. He seemed to catch everyone by surprise (by choosing earlier than expected; not his pick of ND), including Penn State.

Travis Hughes
LB
Virginia Beach, VA

Penn State hasn't been in Hughes' top choices since late winter, but the scholarship offer is still out there, just as the offers still stand for the other already-committed recruits. On a recent visit to Maryland, Hughes made no mention of the Nittany Lions, pointing to Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and the Terps as his top three colleges.

Terrell Chestnut
CB
Pottstown, PA

Can Penn State hold its early lead with Pottstown defensive back Terrell Chestnut?

Chestnut now holds just over a dozen scholarship offers from nearly every major program in the Big Ten-ACC footprint. Boston College, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, and West Virginia are all among those going after the Keystone cornerback. But following a heavy dose of official visits in March and April, and a heavier concentration on his track season, Chestnut said he wanted to cool down the recruiting process for a little while.

When it comes to Penn State... The Nittany Lions are still in great shape. One of those latest visits came in mid-April, when Chestnut traveled to Happy Valley. On that visit, his host was Brent Carter (not returning for '10), but that shouldn't make a difference. Chestnut said he had a very good time at Penn State. And as long as he keeps his recruitment this wide open through the summer, the Lions have a fantastic shot of landing the top-20 cornerback.

Mike Caputo
LB
Imperial, PA

Caputo's recruitment started off quietly enough, but has been a rising tide since first arriving on our radar in early February. The West Allegheny star is now the No. 9 outside linebacker on Scout.com's rankings, and holds about 10 very solid scholarship offers. I say solid to emphasize that, right now, while there aren't a lot of schools with official offers out to Caputo, the ones he holds can forecast how much attention he will surely get later this recruiting season. Boston College, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, and Wisconsin all sent written offers.

When it comes to Penn State... Of course, being the premier college football program in Caputo's home state helps here. Penn State is looking at Caputo potentially as a safety, as is Pitt. But the junior has just as much talent on offense, breaking 2,500 yards carrying the ball in 2009. We all know how Penn State loves to turn great running backs into great defenders.

Maika Polamalu
LB/RB
Pottsgrove, PA

Although Polamalu (Troy's cousin) hasn't yet committed to a team, it seems unlikely that he will chose the Nittany Lions. Penn State was one of his first scholarship offers, coming all the way back last fall. But Polamalu said he doesn't feel Penn State is the right fit defensively for his skill set. His offers numbers haven't exactly been skyrocketing, so we won't call this one dead until something concrete happens. For now, however, the interest level for Polamalu isn't all that high.

Jay Whitmire
OT
Alexandria, VA

The offensive tackle prospect from T.C. Williams holds about 14 scholarship offers, all in that familiar Big Ten-ACC footprint. Hailing from the DC-metro area, schools like Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Duke are pushing hard to keep the star lineman in the Mid-Atlantic region. But others like UConn, Boston College, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and Cincinnati are all right in the mix.

Whitmire had been rumored to be leaning towards North Carolina, then Notre Dame, but nothing has really come of any of that. He seems to want to stay close to home, at least within a few hours drive. Naturally, the two Virginia programs (UVA and VT) would love to keep Whitmire from going out of state.

When it comes to Penn State... Whitmire was up for the Blue-White Game, one of his few visits so far in the recruiting process. He said he came away impressed, but didn't sound anywhere near ready to make a decision. The Nittany Lions have indicated to Whitmire that they would really like to have him as a defensive lineman, positioning Penn State as the only program to recruit him on that side of the ball. If Whitmire has any interest in defense, Penn State could have the edge.

Next up: Part 3

Part 1

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Big-Ass 2011 Recruiting Update, Part 1 of 4

The post title says it all. Over the next few days, I'll give the best rundowns I can of all 28 (more or less, depending who you read) 2011 scholarship offers Penn State has out to recruits. Here is the first of four updates coming the rest of this week...

Remound Wright
RB/LB
Fort Wayne, IN

When Wright first appeared on our radar, all the way back in February, Indiana, Ball State, Iowa, and Michigan State were his only confirmed scholarship offers. The junior running back from Fort Wayne, Ind. has since upped that number to nine, including Boston College, Minnesota, Northwestern and Stanford. Even thought Ohio State and Notre Dame haven't extended written offers to Wright, the two schools are supposedly interested in him; Wright is, however, willing to listen should the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish.

Wright recently said that Iowa is pushing hard for his services, with more visits and letters than any other program. Wright finished up Saturday's Nike Camp in Columbus, Ohio, so it's not all that far-fetched to assume that if Ohio State is going to offer, it could come in the next few days or weeks.

When it comes to Penn State... it's been a quiet front for Wright. With the Nittany Lions fully stocked at running back, the position isn't a top priority for 2011, and Wright will probably project as a linebacker for the Nittany Lions. Wright is a quality athlete, and we all know how Joe Paterno will find a spot for any good football player.

Savon Huggins
RB
Jersey City, NJ

The Jersey City running back's list of suitors has ballooned to 26 BCS automatic qualifier programs. Since I last checked in on Huggins, the list now includes teams like California, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. There are more, but those are some of the bigger names.

Early last month, Huggins returned from Pitt with nothing but good things to say about the program. Dave Wannstedt even stuck New Jersey natives Dion Lewis and Ray Graham, both running backs, on Huggins the entire time he was in Pittsburgh. But the Panthers are facing a tough fight, not only against the big boys like Ohio State and Alabama, but against Huggins' hometown favorite, Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are very much in the thick of it, as Greg Schiano has done a fantastic job keeping Jersey kids home for college.

When it comes to Penn State... Huggins was on the list to attend Sunday's Nike Camp in State College, but after his coach urged him not to participate in camps, he decided to stay home. It's probably not a big deal, so don't read to far into this. Dick Anderson has been on Huggins from the start, having gained some traction early in the recruiting process. Huggins said he really appreciated how Anderson (who was Rutgers' head coach in the 1980s, and beat Penn State in 1988) took the time to get to know him and his family. Along with Anderson, running back Stephfon Green and one other current Penn State player had been talking to Huggins. If Penn State signs only one running back in 2011, this kid is it.

Quinta Funderburk
WR
Chesapeake, VA

Over the last few months, the receiver from Chesapeake, Va. continued his march up the charts, and now holds a dozen offers, including a bunch of SEC programs. He attended Alabama's spring game a few weeks ago, but hasn't been on many high-profile visits elsewhere.

When it comes to Penn State... Like the running back situation, wide receiver isn't a top priority in 2011. Funderburk is the only true receiver with a confirmed offer from the Nittany Lions. Of course, that will probably change over the next 10 months before signing day. For now, though, this is it, and it's been quiet.

Cyrus Kouandjio
DE/OT
Hyattsville, MD

The nation's No. 1 offensive tackle for 2011, according to Scout.com, Kouandjio is boasting almost 20 offers from BCS automatic qualifiers. More than half of the SEC is going full-bore for the rising senior's services, joining almost every other national player in college football. The one wild-card in Kouandjio's recruitment could be the University of Virginia. As I previously wrote about the Cavaliers, new head coach Mike London is a superstar in the region after winning the national title with Richmond. It's still a long shot, but not long enough to brush off UVA.

Kouandjio seems pretty set on attending a program east of the Mississippi, but he did attend the New Mexico spring game last month. Lobos head coach Mike Locksley has some of the strongest ties to the DC Metro area of any man in college football. Locksley is a DC native, coaching under Ralph Freidgen at Maryland, and later pulled recruits like Arrelious Benn to play for Ron Zook at Illinois. Between Locksley at New Mexico, and London at Virginia, there are two very big X-factors in Kouandjio's recruitment.

When it comes to Penn State... The Nittany Lions are in very good shape with Kouandjio. In early March, he said how much he enjoyed Penn State's campus. But even better for Penn State, after Kouandjio took a visit to Happy Valley on March 27, he told BWI:

"They're very strict, it's a lot like Dematha, my own school. It's a very strict bunch and they'll try to develop you as a true man. I like their style. They always want you to be 10 minutes early for everything, show up at every breakfast and be clean cut. They want you shaved down, no long hair, like businessmen, and I like that."

Kouandjio plays on both sides of the ball, but Penn State is most likely looking at him on the offensive line.

Brian Miller
TE
Andover, MA

Miller one of Penn State's earliest targets. However, the highly-touted tight end out of Massachusetts chose to stay close to home, committing to Boston College on April 25. Miller had indicated that he would pick a school before the end of spring football, and stick to his decision. So, even though Penn State's offer is still standing, there's little to no chance of Miller re-opening his recruitment.

Darian Cooper
DT
Hyattsville, MD

Cooper hails from the same DeMatha High School as Cyrus Kouandjio. Kind of scary to think of two such highly-touted players on the same defensive line. Cooper is up to about 10 scholarship offers, spanning all six BCS automatic qualifier conferences. Most recently, Clemson added its name to the offers list, with a solid "in" since Cooper has grandparents and other family in the Palmetto State.

When it comes to Penn State... Cooper had initially been high on just two programs, Penn State and Maryland. But since then, he's opened up to a more national scope. Still, it's never a bad thing to be one of the first schools a recruit likes. The real prize here would be if either Cooper or Kouandjio commits to Penn State. The Nittany Lions love to have their own recruits and/or players do the pitching. It's completely plausible that if one commits, the other could follow.

Ishaq Williams
DE/TE
Brooklyn, NY

Although Williams is now up to 16 or so scholarship offers, the news has been but a trickle over the last few months. One of the top-rated defensive end/tight end prospects this year, Williams has offers from nearly every corner of the nation, including USC, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Florida, Miami, and Pitt. I only mention the Panthers along with the other power programs because Williams had come away very impressed after visiting Pittsburgh. He said he was looking for a "calm campus," that didn't offer a lot of distractions.

When it comes to Penn State... Any time New York City is involved, Penn State is in the mix. Originally, Williams was projected to play for the Nittany Lions as a tight end, but was later informed by the coaches that they want him as a two-way player. However, with a few big tight end prospects falling away or committing elsewhere, the Brooklyn native might find a home in the Penn State offense.

Albert Louis-Jean
CB
Brockton, MA

Louis-Jean gave his verbal commitment to Miami on March 24. A top-five cornerback for the 2011 class, Penn State was looking to add his talents to an already solid backfield. This loss isn't a crushing defeat for Penn State, as there are other defensive backs on Penn State's radar, but it would have been a very good prospect if Louis-Jean had left his recruitment open.

Doran Grant
CB
Akron, OH

Grant is one of the most highly-touted cornerbacks in the 2011 recruiting class. With more than 20 offers on the table right now the Akron product can pretty much take his pick when it comes to playing college football. However, with all those offers, he has only expressed high interest in Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC. In April, Grant revealed his top-seven to Scout.com:

"Ohio State is at number one. Then there's Michigan State at two, Michigan at three, West Virginia at four, USC is five, and there's a tie right now at six between Penn State and Georgia Tech."

When it comes to Penn State... That's the problem, since he gave out his top-seven, it appears Penn State has fallen away. But appearances can be decieving. FOS's Mark Harrington reported that Grant took a surprise visit to Happy Valley on Saturday, the day before the NIKE Camp, adding that Grant is "seriously considering Penn State among his college choices." At Sunday's Nike Camp in State College, Grant came away as one of the most impressive players on the field, earning defensive MVP honors. But BWI's Sean Fitz put a damper on any excitement about Penn State's chances with Grant, with this ominous forecast following the NIKE Camp, "I still don't think there's much of a chance of him ending up at Penn State."

Next up: Part 2

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Tuesday Recruitin': More 2011 Offers (updated)

Updated 5 p.m.

Savon Huggins

In last week's offers update, we touched on some of the early scholarship offers Penn State has made to several highly-regarded high school prospects. In today's update*, we'll go over even more offers put out there the last few weeks. By next week's update, I expect to have a full offers board posted, which we'll update as the offers are handed out.