PSU NOTEBOK

Lee's status uncertain for Iowa

Jeff Rice

Sean Lee's week began with some good news that was quickly dampened by some bad news.

CDT photo/Craig Houtz

Penn State linebacker Sean Lee’s (45) status for Saturday’s game against Iowa is uncertain after he sprained his left knee against Temple this past weekend.

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• Iowa looming for Penn State
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Penn State’s star linebacker was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Monday after recording 13 tackles in Saturday’s win over Temple, but his status for this week’s game against Iowa is uncertain.

Lee, who leads the team and is tied for third in the Big Ten with 32 tackles, sprained his left knee in the second half against the Owls and is “day to day” according to gopsf.com. It was a torn ACL in Lee’s right knee that kept the 6-foot-2, 236-pounder out of the 2008 season, but the current injury is the latest in a steady stream that has depleted a deep corps of linebackers.

The Nittany Lions lost Michael Mauti to a torn ACL during the preseason and have been without Navorro Bowman since the first quarter of the Akron game as he continues to recover from a nagging groin injury.

If Lee is unable to go, junior Bani Gbadyu is his likely replacement, and State College product Nathan Stupar will make his third straight start if Bowman can’t play. Senior middle linebacker Josh Hull, a Milheim native, is the only remaining healthy starter.

Penn State burned junior Chris Colasanti’s redshirt early in the Temple game, and redshirt freshmen Michael Zordich and Michael Yancich are also available.

In other injury news, Penn State spokesman Jeff Nelson said wide receiver Graham Zug, who left the game in the second quarter and did not return after suffering a shot to the head, passed all his concussion tests Monday and was cleared to practice.

Easley chooses Penn State

The Nittany Lions’ strong recruiting haul improves by the week.

Penn State received a weekend commitment from Dominique Easley, a defensive end from Staten Island, N.Y., who is the top-ranked prospect in his state according to Rivals.com. Easley was in town for the weekend on an official visit.

The 6-foot-2, 260-pounder made 10 sacks as a junior at Curtis High School last season and already has five sacks through three games of this season. He gives Penn State 18 commitments and six defensive line prospects for the Class of 2010.

Illinois game time set

Penn State’s first road game of the season, its Oct. 3 date with Illinois in Memorial Stadium, will kick at 3:30 p.m. and be televised on ABC.