Give me a linebacker and a siren WHOOOOOOO
There was undoubtedly a point in Ben Kline's recruitment where Dave Wannstedt looked him in the eye and asked him, "Kid, why would you want to go play for Penn State? Do you think Joe Paterno is going to be there to shake your hand on senior day?"
Well, Wannstedt didn't even make it to Ben Kline's signing day. And now Kline will be playing linebacker for the Nittany Lions.
The 6'3" 225 lb linebacker from Dallastown originally committed to Pitt back in June, but lately it was rumored he was having second thoughts and wanted to look around. During a recent visit to Penn State he got an offer that gave him some things to think about. It sounds like he was on the fence for a while, and Wannstedt's firing pushed him over the edge.
"My parents and I sat down today and I talked to my coach and I'm going to go to Penn State," he said Wednesday evening. "I really enjoyed my visit this weekend, I was up there, I really liked everything and all the coaches and the whole situation.
"I was weighing my options and everything and trying to figure out everything that I wanted to do. Obviously with Coach Wannstedt being let go, I love those guys out there and everything and I really feel for them, but once that all happened it just kind of solidified that Penn State was the place for me."
Rivals and Scout both rate him as a three star prospect. Rivals considers him the #25 linebacker in the nation, while Scout ranks him #29. Kline had an impressive offer list that includes Rutgers, Boston College, West Virginia, Michigan, UConn, Maryland, Illinois, and of course Pitt.
Kline finished his senior year with 152 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3 INT at middle linebacker in leading Dallastown to an 11-1 record. He was also a standout at running back and tight end with 35 catches for 510 yards and 7 receiving TD to go with 36 carries for 338 yards and 6 TD. As a junior he had 118 tackles and scored 8 TD on offense.
Kline becomes Penn State's ninth verbal commitment for the class of 2011 which is picking up momentum and looking to finish strong in the final month-and-a-half. Here is what you won.