/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/42428732/Roundup.0.jpg)
If you haven't noticed, I've been all about using mini tables to show information about the recruits. Leave feedback in the comments if you like the use of said tables in this post, or if you liked the original format more. Thanks in advance. Now let's get down to business.
New Rankings
ESPN released their newest edition of the 2015 ESPN 300 this week. ESPN's rankings always look somewhat different than rankings from the big boy recruiting sites like 247Sports, Rivals, and Scout, but they are rankings nonetheless (even if the scouting reports they have on recruits are hilariously outdated). The new top 300 included numerous Penn State-bound high schoolers, as well as some of Penn State's remaining targets. Let's check out where they all fell.
Commits
- #90- Adam McLean (DT)
- #105- Sterling Jenkins (OT)
- #107- Ryan Bates (OT)
- #168- John Reid (CB)
- #190- Juwan Johnson (WR)
- #194- Steven Gonzalez (OG)
- #235- Manny Bowen (LB)
- #256- Jonathan Holland (DE)
- #287- Saquon Barkley (RB)
- #17- Tim Settle (DT)
- #72- Matthew Burrell (OG)
- #81- Christian Wilkins (DT)
- #122- Ricky DeBerry (LB)
- #130- Garrett Taylor (CB)
- #229- Pat Allen (OT)
- #244- Grant Newsome (OT)
- #270- Darrin Kirkland (LB)
- #289- Juwuan Briscoe (CB)
Having nine commits in the top 300 (according to ESPN), is a great accomplishment for James Franklin and the staff. Pessimists will look at the rankings and question why Penn State's highest rated commit is #90 overall, but those people are missing the point. Not to mention, should Penn State hit on any of their top targets left, they will take an even greater stake in this list.
Adam McLean- Out for the year
In a truly saddening turn of events, Adam McLean will miss the remainder of his senior season due to an injury. Thankfully, things seem to be going well early on for Adam in his recovery, as his always entertaining twitter account shows.
Leg is straight and it's been 5 days pic.twitter.com/fhljaHF9pz
— *Next Level* (@MoneyMakeinAdam) October 22, 2014
People think that I'm worried about my injury when I'm already in attack mode and ready to work and do whatever to get back to 100%
— *Next Level* (@MoneyMakeinAdam) October 22, 2014
While we're on the subject, I've had many people asking me about McLean's official visits, and the likelihood of a flip in his commitment. Naturally many people are feeling worried after the Brandon Wimbush situation. That being said, this is very different. McLean has publicly given two main reasons as to why these official visits are taking place. Number one, there's no point in not using chances to visit colleges for free. Number two, he wants to make sure that he has no regrets about picking Penn State, meaning he wants to go and reaffirm to himself how much he loves State College and Penn State. If you still find yourself worried about his feelings for the Nittany Lions, take a deep breath and read these tweets.
Going Home this weekend #BeatOhioState
— *Next Level* (@MoneyMakeinAdam) October 22, 2014
Recruit some of these top guys that's going to be at the Game #Workthemagic
— *Next Level* (@MoneyMakeinAdam) October 22, 2014
New Highlight Tape
Hopefully you had a chance earlier in the week to check out my review of Saquon Barkley's newest senior year Hudl film. If you didn't get a chance to do so, I'll give you a quick preview. He's really, really good.
Barkley wasn't the only one to release new highlight tape, however. Sterling Jenkins put out new tape. Ryan Buchholz showed off his extremely impressive body of work thus far. Ryan Bates also showed impressive potential in his new tape. Finally, Jake Cooper shows why he is a standout for Archbishop Wood.
Breakdowns of the tape on Jenkins, Bates, Cooper, and Buchholz are coming as their own features as well. Look for at least one of them early next week.
Don't Forget About Me
For a while, Andre Robinson (Bishop McDevitt) was considered the "Must Get" of the 2015 class. His recruitment began under the O'Brien staff, and intensified under the Franklin staff. Originally committing on the 27th of February, Robinson has been a Nittany Lion pledge for some time. Unfortunately, he sustained a bone bruise that sidelined him for five games of his senior season. He was finally able to return to action a few weeks ago, and in the two games since his return, Andre has rushed for 422 yards and found the end zone four times. I think it's safe to say that Robinson is set on reminding Penn State fans why they were so excited about landing his commitment.
The Michigan Crew
A group of Michigan commits have been making regular appearances in our recent recruiting talk. Grant Newsome, Darrin Kirkland, Garrett Taylor, and Alex Malzone are all reportedly being recruited by the Nittany Lions as of right now. All four of them either have connections to Penn State or have interest. However, until and unless Brady Hoke loses his job, all four will likely remain Wolverines. Reports are that Newsome and Malzone are two who are working hard to keep the class together as of right now, but Malzone's interest in the Nittany Lions has been documented, and Penn State finished number two on Newsome's list when he committed to Michigan. Garrett Taylor has stated that he will "most likely" take an official visit to Penn State, and Darrin Kirkland has already begun taking visits elsewhere. It's likely that Penn State will at least get a look from Kirkland, as they were his top choice before he was told to look elsewhere thanks to the Josh Barajas commitment. If Hoke does indeed lose his job at some point, look for Penn State to really turn up the heat on all four of these guys.
Who's Ready for a Whiteout?
Finally, the moment that most of you have been waiting for, the list of what recruits will be in Beaver Stadium soaking in the whiteout atmosphere, and hopefully watching Penn State put up a fight against the Buckeyes. If you're looking for a more complete list than the one I'm about to give you, I encourage you to check out who Sean Fitz (of Lions247) has confirmed will be there, as well as who Ryan Snyder (of Blue White Illustrated) has contacted.
First off, here are the commits that will be in attendance.
- Adam McLean (2015 DT) ★★★★
- Andre Robinson (2015 RB) ★★★★
- Juwan Johnson (2015 WR) ★★★★
- Brandon Polk (2015 WR) ★★★★
- John Reid (2015 CB) ★★★★
- Jon Holland (2015 DE/TE) ★★★
- Irvin Charles (2015 WR) ★★★★
- Ryan Buchholz (2015 DE) ★★★
- SaQuon Barkley (2015 RB) ★★★★
- Sterling Jenkins (2015 OT) ★★★★
- Miles Sanders (2016 RB) ★★★★
And here are the other names that should be familiar to Penn State fans by now.
-
Tim Settle (2015 DT) ★★★★(UPDATE: Cancelled visit) - Matthew Burrell (2015 OT) ★★★★
- Juwuan Briscoe (2015 CB) ★★★
- Ricky DeBerry (2015 LB) ★★★★
- Shareef Miller (2015 DE) ★★★
- Tommy Stevens (2015 QB) ★★★ (UPDATE: New official visit)
- Emanuel McGirt (2015 OL) ★★★★ (UPDATE: New visit)
- Damar Hamlin (2016 CB) ★★★★
- Jauan Williams (2016 OT) ★★★★
- Michael Menet (2016 OL) ★★★★
- Rashan Gary (2016 DT) ★★★★★
- Trevon Diggs (2016 WR) ★★★★
Penn State Recruiting Class of 2015 Big Board
Current Commitments: 18
Name | Rating | Style | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Demry Croft | ★★★ | Dual-Threat | Boylan Central Catholic (IL) | 6'5"/187 | Committed to Minnesota (6/30/14) | Hudl |
Alex Malzone | ★★★★ | Pro-Style | Brother Rice (MI) | 6'1.5"/200 | Committed to Michigan (5/12/14) | |
Tommy Stevens | ★★★ | Dual-Threat | Decatur Central (IN) | 6'4"/200 | Committed to Indiana(6/2/14) | Hudl |
Name | Rating | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saquon Barkley | ★★★★ | Whitehall (PA) | 5'11"/190 | Committed to Penn State (2/19/14) | Hudl |
Andre Robinson | ★★★★ | Bishop McDevitt (PA) | 5'9"/205 | Committed to Penn State (2/27/14) | Hudl |
Name | Rating | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Juwan Johnson | ★★★★ | Glassboro (NJ) | 6'4"/200 | Committed to Penn State (3/16/14) | Hudl |
Irvin Charles | ★★★★ | Paul VI (NJ) | 6'4"/212 | Committed to Penn State (7/19/14) | Hudl |
Brandon Polk | ★★★★ | Briar Woods (VA) | 5'9"/152 | Committed to Penn State (3/25/14) | Hudl |
Name | Rating | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nick Bowers | ★★★ | Kittanning (PA) | 6'4"/225 | Committed to Pittsburgh (1/27/14) | Hudl |
Name | Rating | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ryan Bates | ★★★★ | Archbishop Wood (PA) | 6'5"/280 | Committed to Penn State (2/15/14) | Hudl |
Steven Gonzalez | ★★★★ | Union City (NJ) | 6'3"/300 | Committed to Penn State (3/29/14) | Hudl |
Sterling Jenkins | ★★★★ | Baldwin (PA) | 6'8"/305 | Committed to Penn State (5/6/14) | Hudl |
Matthew Burrell | ★★★★ | C.D. Hylton (VA) | 6'5"/302 | Top 3: Tennessee, Ohio State, Florida State ($), visiting PSU (10/25) | Hudl |
Emanuel McGirt | ★★★★ | Hillside (NC) | 6'6"/275 | Planning Official Visits ($), visiting PSU (10/25) | Hudl |
Grant Newsome | ★★★★ | The Lawrenceville School (VA) | 6'6"/290 | Committed to Michigan (6/11/14) | Hudl |
Patrick Allen | ★★★★ | Franklin (MD) | 6'5"/286 | Committed to Georgia (8/4/14) | Hudl |
Name | Rating | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adam McLean | ★★★★ | Quince Orchard (MD) | 6'2"/290 | Committed to Penn State (4/12/14) | Hudl |
Christian Wilkins | ★★★★ | Suffield Academy (CT) | 6'4"/290 | Setting Up Official Visits | Hudl |
Tim Settle | ★★★★ | Stonewall Jackson (VA) | 6'2"/362 | Leader: Virginia Tech, visiting PSU (10/25) | Hudl |
Name | Rating | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ryan Buchholz | ★★★ | Great Valley (PA) | 6'6"/240 | Committed to Penn State (2/24/14) | Hudl |
Jonathan Holland | ★★★ | The Bullis School (MD) | 6'4"/240 | Committed to Penn State (5/3/14) | Hudl |
Shareef Miller | ★★★ | George Washington (PA) | 6'5"/220 | Visiting Penn State (10/25) | Hudl |
Name | Rating | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jake Cooper | ★★★ | Archbishop Wood (PA) | 6'1"/220 | Committed to Penn State (2/24/14) | Hudl |
Manny Bowen | ★★★★ | Barnegat (NJ) | 6'2"/206 | Committed to Penn State (6/21/14) | Hudl |
Kamonte Carter | ★★★★ | Gaithersburg (MD) | 6'4"/235 | Committed to Penn State (2/15/14) | Hudl |
Daiquan Kelly | ★★★ | Union City (NJ) | 6'2"/206 | Committed to Penn State (9/14/14) | Hudl |
Ricky DeBerry | ★★★★ | Atlee (VA) | 6'2.5"/240 | Visiting Penn State (10/25) | Hudl |
Darrin Kirkland | ★★★★ | Lawrence Central (IN) | 6'2"/235 | Committed to Michigan (5/18/14) | Hudl |
Name | Rating | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Reid | ★★★★ | St. Joseph's (PA) | 5'10"/180 | Committed to Penn State (8/8/14) | Hudl |
Garrett Taylor | ★★★★ | St. Christopher's School (VA) | 6'1"/195 | Committed to Michigan (3/24/14) | Hudl |
Juwuan Briscoe | ★★★ | Thomas Stone (MD) | 6'0"/182 | Committed to Clemson (5/17/14), visiting PSU (10/25) | Hudl |
Ugo Amadi | ★★★ | Overton (TN) | 5'10"/182 | Committed to Ole Miss (3/21/14) | Hudl |
Name | Rating | High School | Height/Weight | Commit Status | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jarvis Miller | ★★★ | Suffield (CT) | 6'2"/188 | Committed to Penn State (2/15/14) | Hudl |
Ayron Monroe | ★★★ | St. John's College (DC) | 6'0"/195 | Committed to Penn State (5/10/14) | Hudl |
The Black Shoe Big Board
As a quick reminder, my own personal Big Board is simply a list of the remaining recruits organized by probability of committing to Penn State combined with talent and potential. Sometimes it might be the same as Penn State's true Big Board, but we'll never know if it is because none of us are on the coaching staff.
- Christian Wilkins
- Ricky DeBerry
- Tim Settle
- Matthew Burrell
- Garrett Taylor
- Juwuan Briscoe
- Ugo Amadi
- Emanuel McGirt
- Darrin Kirkland
- Grant Newsome
- Tommy Stevens (Newly added)
- Shareef Miller
- Alex Malzone
- Demry Croft
- Nick Bowers
Link$ and Other News
- Sterling Jenkins is excited to get to Penn State, writes Audrey Snyder for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Brandon Polk played a big part in helping Briar Woods to victory.
- John Reid, who has given some fantastic interviews, goes in depth with Sean Fitz about his decision to commit to Penn State. ($)
- 2016 Five star defensive tackle Rashan Gary (Scotch Plains, NJ) visited Maryland last weekend, and will be at Penn State this weekend. Ryan Snyder of BWI talked with him about how he feels about the schools. ($)
- According to Ryan Bartow of 247Sports, Penn State recently offered a new 2017 linebacker. ($)
- Juwan Johnson tells Lions247 that he's happy to be an All-American.