Penn State Recruiting Roundup 5.10.12

In Obvious Lead News News. So the Alex Anzalone thing happened. It's been covered everywhere, so we don't need to rehash the causes of his decommitment from Ohio State. But the fact of the matter is that he's now back on the board at linebacker, a position of great need in this class. Once again, the top players are Florida, Stanford, PSU, and, yes, Ohio State.

Penn State was high on Anzalone's list before his commitment, so it stands to reason they remain there. However, Florida is a strong contender for Anzalone's services, and the Gators will be tough to beat.

In No News Is News News. There really isn't much to report, which is why (among other reasons) there was no Recruiting Roundup last weekend. There are some new offers going out, and the staff continues to make their rounds (Larry Johnson in Florida? Yes, please.), but there isn't much happening. The next big event is the summer camp in a few weeks (June 2). Could there be a siren before then? Yes, but it's probably not going to happen.

In Junny Abroad News. Alex from Eleven Warriors and I were guests of Ace's on the recent mGoblog recruiting podcast. Since I lived through it, I haven't listened to it, but apparently the intro music, dubbed in by Brian Cook, is pretty good. Listen to it if you essentially want a verbal rundown of the Big Board below.

And As Usual. The Big Board.

Penn State Recruiting Class of 2013 Big Board
Estimated Class Size: 16-22
Current Commitments: 8

Quarterbacks (1-2)
1. Christian Hackenberg (Fork Union (VA)) (Committed: 02/29/2012, Recruited by Charles London)
Others: None.

Notes: Should the number of scholarship quarterbacks change in the coming weeks or months, I don't think you'll see another pro-style quarterback, the type of passer best suited for the Bill O'Brien offense, taken in this class. There are a couple of Athlete/Quarterback prospects that Penn State could go after should they decide to take another commitment. Until that becomes an apparent strategy, conventional wisdom says Hackenberg is the man in this class.

As for the Class of 2014 (well, this QB class is nicely wrapped up, so it's never too early to look ahead), Penn State is already targeting some top notch passers. Players like Andrew Ford (Cedar Cliff (PA)), DJ Gillins (Eagle's View (FL)), and DeShone Kizer (Central Catholic (OH)) have already been in contact with the staff.

Running Backs (1-2)
1. David Williams (Imhotep Charter (PA)
2. Richie Anderson (Johnson (MD))
3. Zaire Williams (Timber Creek (NJ))
4. Roman Clay (Lancaster Catholic (PA))
Others: Austin Brown (FB) (Easton Area (PA)), Corey Clement (Glassboro (NJ))

Notes: Another week, another "So, David Williams...what's up man?" theme. Williams continues to take his time with his recruiting, but the PSU staff may be getting slightly impatient. An offer went out to Clement recently, but he recently named a top four that didn't include Penn State ($). Florida's Ryan Green recently got an offer as well, but I'm not even going to list his name here - he won't be a Nittany Lion. So it still appears to be David Williams or Bust. But that can only go on for so long.

Wide Receiver (1-3)
1. Robert Foster (Central Valley (PA))
2. Brian Lemelle (Bishop McDevitt (PA))
3. Tyler Boyd (Clairton (PA))
4. Kyle LaPorte (Piscataway (NJ))
5. Paul Harris (Frederick Douglass (MD))
Others: William Fuller (Roman Catholic (PA)), Zach Grant (Paul VI (NJ))

Notes: Not much movement here, as things have really quieted down for the wide receivers.

Tight End (0-1)
1. Adam Breneman (Cedar Cliff (PA)) (Committed 03/09/2012, Recruited by the ENTIRE STAFF)
Others: None

Notes: N/A

Offensive Line (3-5)
1. Brendan Mahon (Randolph (NJ)) (Committed 03/17/2012, Recruited by John Strollo)
2. Andrew Nelson (Hershey (PA)) (Committed 04/15/2012, Recruited by Larry Johnson)
3. Dorian Johnson (Belle Vernon (PA))
4. Derwin Gray (Friendship Academy (DC))
5. Jaryd Jones-Smith (West Philadelphia Catholic (PA))
Others: Brad Hanson (Monsignor Donovan (NJ)), Tommy Hopkins (Westlake (NY)), Jordan Page (Pennington (NJ)), Dan Samuelson (Plymouth (IN)), Tevin Montgomery (Tabor Academy (MA))

Notes: Johnson recently named a top four comprised solely of schools within a three hour radius of his hometown (staying close to family is *very* important to Johnson), but this is almost certainly a Pitt/PSU battle. After that, watch for some camp offers to come out on the offensive line in a few weeks, a position notoriously difficult to project.

Defensive Tackle (1-2)
1. Greg Webb (Timber Creek (NJ)) (Committed 04/05/2012, Recruited by Larry Johnson)
2. Justin Moody (George Washington (PA))
3. Donovan Munger (Shaker Heights (OH))
4. Donta Wilkins (Potomac (VA))
5. Maurice Hurst, Jr. (Xaverian Brothers (MA))
Others: Tevin Montgomery (Tabor Academy (MA)), Rod Crayton (Dadeville (AL)), Poet Thomas (Detroit Country Day (MI))

Notes: Like many other positions, not much movement here. Donovan Munger reportedly tried to commit to Ohio State, but was unsuccessful for a variety of reasons. He is getting more and more attention as the weeks go on, but something stopped his Buckeye commitment.

Defensive End (2-3)
1. Garrett Sickels (Red Bank Regional (NJ) (Committed 03/04/2012, Recruited by Jon Strollo)
2. Curtis Cothran (Council Rock North (PA)) (Committed 03/26/2012, Recruited by John Butler)
3. Dajaun Drennon (Timber Creek (NJ))
4. Wyatt Teller (Liberty (VA))
5. Nick Arcidiacono (Archbishop Wood (PA))
Others: Jonathan Allen (Stone Bridge (VA)), Alquadin Muhammed (Don Bosco Prep (NJ))

Notes: The staff has stopped by some of the other names on this list, including Allen, but barring a commitment from a very highly rated player (like Allen), this spot is done for awhile.

Linebacker (3-4)
1. Alex Anzalone (Wyomissing (PA))
2. Buddy Brown (Williamstown (NJ))
3. Michael Deeb (MLB) (American Heritage (FL))
4. Zayd Issah (Central Dauphin (PA))
Others: Marcus Newby (Quince Orchard (MD)), Jake Plonski (Erie Cathedral Prep (PA))

Notes: Hey, look at that! A top linebacker, back on the board. Like I said above, landing Anzalone is by no means a given for any school, but I don't think PSU is on top. Florida and Stanford will be strong candidates for the four-star linebacker.

Defensive Back (3-4)
1. Ross Douglas (CB) (Avon (OH)) (Committed 02/29/2012, Recruited by Stan Hixon)
2. Nadir Barnwell (CB) (Piscataway (NJ))
3. Delton Williams (S) (Erie Cathedral Prep (PA))
4. Darian Hicks (CB) (Solon (OH))
5. Reon Dawson (S) (Trotwood-Madison (OH))
Others: Kirk Garner (S) (Good Counsel (MD)), Delando Johnson (S) (Calvert Hall College (MD)), Kennedy Frazier (S) (Calvert Hall (MD)), Milan Collins (Bishop McNamara (MD))

Notes: N/A

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