Tuesday Recruitin': Deion Barnes down to five schools

Updated 8/25, 7 p.m.

Deion Barnes (ESPN Photo)

Philly lineman Deion Barnes cut his list to five schools this week. Michigan, Penn State, Pitt, Georgia and South Carolina made the list, but it still looks like Penn State is the team to beat. He plans to visit for Penn State's night game against Michigan on Oct. 30, and might announce his decision at the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Game. (Damn, is it really time to start thinking about that game again?) And just a little extra from M-land, MGoBlog.com thinks Rich Rod is walking a tight rope with Barnes, Anthony Zettel, and the two defensive ends already on board. It's interesting.

Zach West is expected to announce tomorrow. It's between Penn State and Kentucky. Update: He picked UK

Miles Shuler is done with Penn State, as he told Scout.com($) that he won't use an official visit for the Nittany Lions, then told Rivals.com that his final list included Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Nebraska, Florida, Notre Dame, Northwestern and Michigan. Notice which team is missing?

This one seems to be a direct result of things breaking down--I still can't figure this one out--with Savon Huggins. The two were probably going to commit to the same school, or at least stay within the same few schools until the very end of the recruiting process. I don't mean to cast Shuler as a tag-along here, but that's exactly what it's looking like.

If there is one thing that I agree on with the OMG!WECAN'TRECRUIT crowd, it's a sense of total befuddlement as to why Penn State has just stopped recruiting some kids that seemed like sure things. How many recruits this year have said something to the effect of "Penn State hasn't been in contact in a while," or "I haven't heard from coach [insert PSU assistant coach] in a few weeks." I don't pretend to know what goes on in Mike McQueary's head. He's the recruiting coordinator, and has done a fantastic job the last five seasons. But this year is just weird.

Dominique Noble committed to Georgia Tech this week, per his Facebook page.

Offer Watch -- Burke(VA) Lake Braddock receiver Matt Zanellato (Rivals/Scout/ESPN) is reportedly gaining more interest from Penn State:

"They only have four offers out to guys who play receiver, but he told me that those guys are primarily defensive backs. He told me if they offer a kid who is just a receiver, I will be getting that offer."

Zanellato isn't what you'd call an elite athlete by any stretch of the imagination, but he did make 43 receptions for 650 yards and seven touchdowns, which isn't bad for high school. Zanellato played for Robinson last season, which is a ground-churning offense that featured two 1,000-yard backs last year. So the 650 yards, when taken into that context, is much better than it is upon first glance. Unless you're coming out of a juggernaut prep school with pro-level quarterbacks, you're not going to put up big numbers through the air in high school. Lake Braddock, however, is a very pass-happy offense. Zanellato should thrive this year, which will bring his stock way up.

2012 -- Frederick(MD) Frederick receiver Jalen Gee is probably going to be very high on the recruiting rankings when next year rolls around. Penn State is in the early running.

**I've finally gotten around to updating the offers/recruiting board, so go check it out!

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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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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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