Goodbye: Levi Norwood
by Run Up The Score on May 11, 2010 9:47 AM EDT
in Recruiting
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After a week or two of whispers and rumor, FOS is reporting that Penn State has granted Levi Norwood his release from scholarship before he even showed up on campus:
The Norwood era at Penn State is over, after all.Brian Norwood served as a Nittany Lion secondary coach from 2001-07 before leaving to take the defensive coordinator job at Baylor. His son, Jordan Norwood, was a standout receiver at PSU from 2005-08.
Another son, Levi, was supposed to join the Lion football team this summer as a member of State's Class of 2010. But according to a source close to the family, Levi asked for and was given a release from his letter of intent with the Nittany Lions.
No specific reason was given for his change of heart.
Norwood's departure open up another scholarship for Penn State's Class of 2011.
Norwood's inclusion in Penn State's most recent recruiting class raised a lot of concerns among Penn State fans, not because Levi was a bit of an unknown (he didn't play football when he first moved to Waco with his father), but because it appeared that Penn State nudged away five-star WR recruit Kenny Stills in the process. Stills was a California kid who showed initial interest in PSU but eventually landed at Oklahoma, where he tore up this year's spring game:
"Kenny is very comfortable, very natural," coach Bob Stoops said. "With body control, going after the ball, running routes — he sure has made some excellent progress in a short time."He has a chance to be a really good player."
Stills showed that chance might come as soon as next season.
He led all receivers with six catches for 84 yards, which featured a pair of electric catches downfield that turned out to be the two best plays of the day.
Not sure how much the coaching staff could have done with this situation, however. Norwood was a bit of an unknown, although the PSU coaches supposedly loved his performance at one of their camps in Happy Valley. They chose to cut bait with the five-star kid who was a 30% shot to sign with PSU, and instead went with the legacy kid from Texas who was practically a sure thing -- only to get burned late in the game. This dings the wide receiver depth a bit for next season, but opens up a new scholarship for PSU's tiny (and painfully vacant) current recruiting class.
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Woooo tearing it up in the spring game...
I’m not sayin he won’t be a great player, but spring games don’t carry a lot of weight.
Norwood would have been a lot more highly rated had he played football his junior year.
"I'm colonel cool! And I'm the captain on this rocket to the stars!"
PAUL JONES DOESN'T THINK YOU'RE FUNNY.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 11, 2010 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Stealing my post, huh?
JK.
As someone pointed out there, though, this doesn’t open up a scholarship. Norwood was a likely grayshirt, so his scholarship was never actually counted, and you can bet that when it opens up, it’s going to Big Texas Butters.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
It opens up a scholarship for *next* year, though, right?
He would’ve been on scholarship for 2011-12, which is essentially next February’s signing class.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 11, 2010 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Sort of.
Butters will now likely be granted an immediate schollie, as opposed to waiting for his preferred walk-on schollie. Which opens up a 2011 schollie, but the overall 85 number remains unchanged. Essentially, we just traded Levi Norwood for a starting punter. Nothing against Levi, but with our depth at WR and lack of a punter, I’m ok with this.
And as I said in the FanShot, I wish nothing but the best of luck to Levi.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't think Butters is getting jack shit for at least a year.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 11, 2010 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Maybe.
But that still takes a schollie from the 2011 guys.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Lil' Red's not on scholarship this year
I would think he gets it way before Butters.
http://lionnews.com/scholarships.html
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 11, 2010 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions
And is Collin Wagner seriously not on scholarship?
That can’t be right, can it?
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 11, 2010 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm sure that has been taken care of by now.
But that, plus the Breen sitch, plus all the other schollie haggling is why there is no definite number for the 2011 guys. Big Red has it on lock, I’m sure.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm almost positive
They said he was on scholarship during the bowl game. Somewhere in between comments on Royster being good at lacrosse and LSU being really fast.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
Royster? Lacrosse?
Royster was an exceptional high school lacrosse player eh?
I did not know that.
Wonder if that is why he has such great balance and ability to gain yards after first contact.
Hey, did you know Mark Rubin beat Michael Phelps in swimming when he was younger?
Any guesses on what this year’s Nittany notable will be for national television crews to spew relentlessly at us?
by NittanyBadger on May 11, 2010 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Kevin Newsome once punched a hole in a cow just to see who was coming up the road.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Dakota Royer's poop is used as currency in Argentina.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions
It will definitely be clips of Royer jumping out of the 4th pool.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
Justin Brown doesn't wear a condom. He wears a snake.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Mike Hull once had a staring contest with himself in a mirror. On the fourth day, he won.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions
SOA smiled once. Once.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Kevin Haplea counted to infinity. Twice.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Breen is still listed there
is that scholarship accounted for?
by Illegal Formation on May 11, 2010 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't know.
If McGloin doesn’t see the field, and then, as all assume, he is passed by Jones and Bolden on the depth chart, do we really give him a scholarship over the starting punter?
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Walk ons are weird like that
They’ll get a scholarship for a year or two. Shaine Thompson’s an example of that. McGloin had one, then it was taken away, and now he may or may not be back on. It seems that scholarship table is outdated (which surprises me, because it’s usually pretty good).
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 11, 2010 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Plus, who says he's the starting punter yet?
We’re all acting like Anthony Fera doesn’t exist anymore just because he was picked up for underage drinking once. He’s still going to be around and in the hunt for a starting job.
Granted, the Butters thing makes it look like the coaches might be ready to move on, but who knows what goes on up there sometimes…
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 11, 2010 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
I think the job is Fera’s, but after his incident I’m thinking Joe doesn’t want to put all his eggs in that basket. Don’t let the kid think he’s got it in the bag. So bring in another kicking stud to keep him focused and motivated.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
Why not Nye?
This is Joe Paterno, after all.
by Illegal Formation on May 11, 2010 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Thump, Thump
Not withstanding the lack of real punting in the BW game, Nye looked very slow and methodical on his punts. Maybe he’s better in real game action but after last year’s failures I expect everyone on the schedule will be going after the punt blocks.
by Frank O'Brien on May 11, 2010 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Again, I'm still not sure.
I like Fera, but I like him to be the alltime kicker by next year, if not sooner. I thought we had that Nye kid punting as well? I think this Butters kid will be starting, or, in the alternative, someone not named Fera or Zug will be punting. Just a hunch.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Nye, Butters, Zug
will be the Game 1 depth chart. That’s my prediction.
by Illegal Formation on May 11, 2010 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Sounds like...
The first three ingredients to an Apfelstrudel recipe.
by Pentimental on May 11, 2010 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Where's the fault here?
Maybe Levi was no Stills, but he was a legitimate three star prospect just like his older brother was.
And I agree with STL…Loyalty is a good thing.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
that's the impression
I got from reading RUTS’s post. Loyalty’s great, until it’s not so great.
by Mr. Rosewater on May 11, 2010 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Nah, I think this is a very unique situation
Levi’s dad was a coach for a long time, Jordan was a great player and representative of the university/program, etc. If it was just some kid from Jersey as opposed to Levi Norwood, I wonder if PSU would’ve been so gracious as to release the kid from his commitment.
"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee
by Run Up The Score on May 11, 2010 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Surely
This opens up a scholarship for a Suhey or a Ganter on the squad.
We've got the Suhey quota filled already.
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by Jeff Junstrom on May 11, 2010 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Anymore Wisniewskis coming of age?
I’d love for a solution to the OL problem.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
And don't call me Shirley
We haven’t had a Collins or Hamilton in a while.
by Steeler Fan in Saudi on May 20, 2010 3:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Also, what did we give the kid?
What’s a grey shirt except a promise for something in the future? If somebody offered him a scholarship for 2010, well, shit or get off the pot. If anything, my guess is that we were trying to sneak a legacy through based on his loyalty, and he decided to go play somewhere else.
Pitt currently has both a better football and basketball team than Michigan.
A fat, singing woman?
"I want your money, but I don't want your two cents." - JVP
by ReadingRambler on May 11, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
naw
the fat ladies sings…it’s over. opposite of a siren.
by Mr. Rosewater on May 11, 2010 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Taterine is the siren (wooo!! Wooo!!) of demise
by Mr. Rosewater on May 11, 2010 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions
oh, now I see Rambler
had to adjust my monitor. pure genius.
by Mr. Rosewater on May 11, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Amazing...
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
The STB picture?
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, IT WAS JUST A JOKE DONT POST IT
by dawsonPSU10 on May 11, 2010 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Is…is that…Big Butter Jesus?
Sometimes I write here- www.thegallyblog.com
by TheK-GunNeedsReloaded on May 11, 2010 5:06 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Good luck and God speed young Norwood
Hate to lose a good kid but it looks like he was 2 to 3 years away from even seeing the depth chart. Let me know if we’re short on WRs in 2015.
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