By the end of Fourth of July weekend 2008, Penn State had secured oral commitments from 15 prospects, all of whom wound up signing with a 27-member class this past February.
With roughly one-third fewer available scholarships this recruiting season, the Nittany Lions will exit this weekend with commitments from no fewer than 11 prospects, or just shy of two-thirds the projected size of the 2010 recruiting class.
But is Penn State’s cupboard filling up too fast? Could the next seven months drastically change the shape and breadth of what most pundits are calling one of the nation’s top 10 classes?
“It can happen, but it’s a risk to take,” said Sean Fitz, a recruiting analyst for Blue-White Illustrated. “If you get the guys you want now, you don’t have to worry about it later.”
And the Nittany Lions, like they haven’t for some time, are getting virtually all of the guys they want, addressing important position needs and pulling in some of the region’s top talent at the same time.
Rankings junkies will be pleased to note that of those 11 prospects, six were rated four-star players by Rivals.com, compared to seven four-star players in the Class of 2009.
Scout.com counted two five-star recruits and six four-star recruits among the 2010 commits compared to one and seven in last year’s class.
More important than the stars next to those names are the hometowns. Six of the 11 (seven if you count former State College High School wideout Levi Norwood, who now lives in Texas but hasn’t played there yet) are from Pennsylvania. Led by defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, the Nittany Lions are serving notice to Pitt, Ohio State and other recent poachers that Penn State’s home turf is not to be trampled on.
Coming off an 11-2 season, they picked a good year to flex their muscle.
“This (Pennsylvania) class, at the top, is stronger than it’s been the last couple of years,” Fitz said. “And Penn State made it a point, after getting embarrassed in its home state the last couple of years, to get back in. They offered kids early, stayed on them through early part of spring, and it’s paid off. Penn State hasn’t seen too many guys who get offers go elsewhere.”
Instead, blue-chippers of all shapes and sizes are pouring in. The offense added dual-threat quarterback Paul Jones of Sto-Rox, athletic receiver Adrian Coxson of Baltimore, Md., and Pittsburgh offensive lineman Miles Dieffenbach. The defense went back to the WPIAL for yet another stud linebacker, Canonsburg’s Mike Hull, and to upstate New York for defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. All five players are ranked in the top 10 nationally at their respective positions by Scout.
More lines are in the water, and some of them are getting tight. Decisions from Michigan quarterback Robert Bolden, Manheim defensive end/linebacker Dakota Royer and State College wide receiver Alex Kenney could all come in the next few weeks, and each of those players have Penn State at or near the top of their pared-down lists.
The Nittany Lions also have better-than-average shots at South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, the nation’s second ranked player overall, Connecticut, linebacker Khairi Fortt, a top-25 overall prospect, and Philadelphia’s Sharrif Floyd, the nation’s third-ranked defensive tackle.
So, conceivably, Penn State could enter the 2009 season with its 2010 class all but intact. The Nittany Lions return 15 scholarship seniors this fall but a few more spots could open up after the season if a couple of players decide to leave early for the pros.
The upside to that is the coaches can devote more time to recruiting the junior class — a big reason they’re having so much success with the current class — and the recruits themselves can relax and enjoy their final seasons with their decisions behind them. Potential downsides? The Nittany Lions could miss out on late bloomers or players recovering from injury or could be left holding the bag if a committed recruit decides to change his mind during or after the season.
Ifs aside, the Nittany Lions are following the chief unwritten rule of recruiting — get the best players you can whenever you can. The teams that do that can sort out the rest later.
“You don’t know when you’ll have the athletes that you need in the recruiting area,” Fitz said. “You can’t recruit one year based on the next year.”
If the Nittany Lions continue to close at their current rate, they should be able to recruit however they want next year.
Jeff Rice covers Penn State football for the Centre Daily Times. He can be reached at 231-4609 or jrice@centredaily.com.
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