:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47406072/McIlwain.0.0.jpg)
Early Enrollees
With the recent news that DT Christian Colón will be enrolling early at Penn State, the Nittany Lions have built up a strong contingency of early enrollees for the 2016 recruiting class.
In talking with Lions247's Sean Fitz, Colón had this to say about his decision.
"I'm ready to start transforming my body and claim my spot. The faster I get up there, the faster I play."
Colón will join a group of early enrollees that also includes OT Alex Gellerstedt, QB Jake Zembiec, C Connor McGovern and CB Lavert Hill.
Very Important Lavert Hill Update
Speaking of Lavert Hill, he's still committed to Penn State.
However, he (and K Quinn Nordin) visited Michigan this past weekend to see the Wolverines stomp out the Wildcats. Now, he is supposedly heading back this upcoming weekend to see the Michigan-Michigan State showdown.
It's certainly not a good sign if you're a Penn State fan, especially considering the success of Michigan's defense this season. It has to be a very persuasive sight for a young defensive back from the state, especially one with so many former teammates and his older brother suiting up for the Wolverines.
I am of the opinion that if he is going to flip to Michigan, it will happen this weekend. If he goes through this visit and is still committed to the Nittany Lions on Monday, I think Penn State is safe. Either way, buckle up PSU fans. It's going to be a stressful weekend for recruiting.
Coaching Turmoil
Unless you live under a rock, you've surely seen the coaching carousel spinning wildly out of control over the past few days. Since we last spoke, Maryland has fired Randy Edsall, USC has fired Steve Sarkisian, Steve Spurrier has announced his retirement from South Carolina and Will Grier was handed a full year suspension along with losing a year of eligibility (I'll explain why that's important in a moment).
Naturally, there are a lot of questions about whether or not Penn State will start trying to pick off any of these future-head-coach-less recruits. Let's take a quick look at who the guys are that Penn State may target, and what their chances are.
TE Cary Angeline (Committed to Southern California): Angeline was a big time Penn State target all the up to his surprise commitment to the Trojans. The Nittany Lions have since moved on and seemingly decided they are okay with having just Daniel Dalton in the class as far as tight ends go. It also appeared that one of the reasons Angeline chose USC in the first place, was because he wanted to get away from home a bit. Whether that's true or not, I'm not sure, but if it is the case, he will likely remain committed to USC.
QB Dwayne Haskins (Committed to Maryland): Haskins has already come out on Twitter saying that he committed to his state, not to a coach (or something along those lines). I still feel pretty good about keeping Haskins if I'm a Terps fan (look at that depth chart), but I think Florida gets more involved here. With the news of Grier's suspension, he will now return mid-way through the 2016 season as a redshirt junior (as opposed to a redshirt sophomore). That sort of freeing up of the Florida QB depth chart could be enough to make Haskins take another look at the Gators, especially when considering their recent success on the field.
QB Brandon McIlwain (Committed to South Carolina): McIlwain has become somewhat of a forgotten name among Penn State fans since committing to South Carolina on New Year's Eve, but he's a name that could very much come back into play. Penn State came in second place for McIlwain the first time he committed, and they'll surely be on the phone with him as soon as possible, if they haven't been already. Part of the reason McIlwain committed to the Gamecocks was to double up with football and baseball, so that could still be a big factor in whether or not he stays or goes. However, Brandon is probably Penn State's best chance at finding another quarterback in the 2016 class that they like. I'll try to check in with McIlwain in the coming days.