Committany Nation: Ohio State Visitors

Welcome back to a special Friday edition of Committany Nation! With Ohio State coming to town this Saturday, both the football and basketball program will be hosting multiple visitors for the big recruiting weekend. As always, this list is subject to change, but with kickoff being just a little over 24 hours away, you can expect most of these names to show up.

Sean Fitz of Lions247 has a free update on the potential 2017 visitors this weekend, so be sure to check that out. He has a premium list ($) of 2018 visitors, too.

2017 Visitors

• Penn State Commits — Most of the 2017 class should be in attendance Saturday. Big weekend for LB Brelin Faison-Walden as the Nittany Lions will certainly look to sure up his verbal commitment which is on shaky ground after taking visits to Michigan, Georgia, and Virginia Tech.
• RB Anthony McFarland (4-star) — The highly-touted DeMatha running back will be making an official visit to Penn State, with it actually being his first visit to Happy Valley since last year’s Buffalo game. There hasn’t been a ton of Penn State buzz in McFarland’s recruitment, but obviously the coaching staff has done a good enough job to get McFarland back on campus for its biggest recruiting weekend. Miami and Maryland remain the contenders here, but the Nittany Lions — who are without a running back in the 2017 class — could make themselves a dark horse with a good weekend.
• WR Jaylen Harris (4-star) — The 6-foot-5 Ohio wide receiver will also be in Happy Valley this weekend for an official visit. Ohio State is still the leader for Harris, but it remains to be seen if he’s a take in Columbus, with Urban Meyer and company going after bigger fish nationally. If Ohio State doesn’t have room for Harris, it’s probably going to be a Michigan State/Penn State battle, so obviously this weekend will be crucial for the Nittany Lions.
• DE/DT Olalere Oladipo (3-star) — Defensive tackle recruiting continues to be a crapshoot, but the Nittany Lions will be hosting current Illinois commit DL Olalere Oladipo. At 6-foot-3, 240-pounds with a good frame, Oladpio has the versatility to end up at defensive end or defensive tackle, similarly to current Penn State commit Damion Barber.
• DT Kyree Campbell (3-star) — Originally a Virginia native that signed with the Tar Heels in 2016, Campbell ended up not being admitted into North Carolina and is now doing a prep year at Wyoming Seminary (PA). Different from junior colleges, prep years don’t impact Campbell’s eligibility, meaning he’ll still have five years to play four no matter where he ends up.
• DB Tariq Castro-Fields (4-star) — Another versatile defender that could end up at safety or cornerback, Castro-Fields is scheduled to be in Happy Valley for the Whiteout. It continues to look like a Maryland/Penn State battle with Alabama having a legitimate shot too if it were to push.
• CB Lamont Wade (4-star) — Quite possibly Penn State’s number one overall target, Wade will be back in town for this weekend’s affair. Not much has changed in Wade’s recruitment, as Pitt and Penn State continue to be on top while the Tennessee Volunteers are surging of late.

2018 Visitors

(* denotes PSU offer)

• Penn State Commits — DE Micah Parsons, WR Justin Shorter, and OL Chris Bleich are all scheduled to be on campus, meaning the only one not making the trip is TE Pat Freiermuth.
• *RB Ricky Slade (5-star) — The five-star running back is back for his second Penn State game this year. Virginia Tech and Florida join the Nittany Lions as Slade’s leaders thus far. I don’t think it’d be a stretch to say that Penn State is probably the favorite, despite Slade saying all three schools are tied. Still, I wouldn’t expect a Slade siren this weekend.
• *WR Shaquon Anderson-Butts (4-star) — The Harrisburg wide receiver will be back in town with teammates DE Damion Barber and DE Micah Parsons. Anderson-Butts is another recruit that has Penn State leading, but a commitment doesn’t seem likely yet.
• OG Evan Gregory (4-star) — Three 2018 DeMatha prospects will be making the trek to Happy Valley this weekend, as DE John Morgan and DT Austin Fontaine will join Gregory. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound OG is still without a Penn State offer, but one shouldn’t be too far away for the Maryland product. The Terrapins currently lead his recruitment.
• *OG Blaine Scott (3-star) — Another offensive line class of three or four is expected in 2018, and one of the more likely candidates is Ohio OG Blaine Scott. This will be Scott’s second visit to Penn State, and his first for a game
• *DE John Morgan (3-star) — As mentioned above, Morgan will be at Penn State with his teammates this weekend. Morgan has a fantastic relationship with James Franklin, as Morgan’s father and Franklin apparently go way back. Still too early in his recruitment for a commitment now, but definitely a name to keep an eye on down the road.
• DE Alex Reigelsperger (3-star) — Another Ohio recruit, Reigelsperger doesn’t have an offer from the Nittany Lions yet, but he’s a solid candidate to earn a Penn State offer down the line.
• *DT Austin Fontaine (4-star) — The most highly-touted of the 2018 DeMatha trio visiting, Fontaine’s offer sheet is a who’s who of college football: Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Penn State, and many others have already offered the 6-foot-2, 312-pound defensive tackle. This will be his first visit to Happy Valley.
• LB Brian AsaMoah (NR) — Despite being currently unranked, AsaMoah should see his recruitment pickup in the next few months. He’s an athletic, lanky outside linebacker with a 6-foot-2 frame to hold more weight.
• *DB Isheem Young (4-star) — After Slade, Young might be the most talented 2018 prospect visiting. Playing at Philadelphia powerhouse Imhotep, Young is one of the elite prospects in the state next year. Schools like Florida State, Ohio State, and a number of SEC schools have come and will come calling, but Penn State’s in a very good spot for Young.
• *CB Christian Tutt (4-star) — One of the nation’s top cornerbacks, Christian Tutt will be coming up to State College all the way from Georgia. With offers from just about everywhere, it’ll be tough to pull Tutt from the SEC’s claws, but getting him on campus for an unofficial visit is a start.
• *CB Jornell Manns (3-star) — Manns landed an offer over the summer from the Nittany Lions, but it was as a cornerback, not as a wide receiver — his preferred position. Remains to be seen if that will be a holdup in his recruitment.

Basketball Visitors AKA #DoWorkPat

• PG Dwayne Cohill (4-star) — The top prospect in Ohio, Cohill will be back on campus for his second visit this season. Not all that surprisingly, Thad Matta and the Buckeyes are Penn State’s top competition for the combo guard.
• SG Robby Carmody (4-star) — Pennsylvania’s second top prospect will be in Happy Valley on Saturday too, as Carmody will be visiting Penn State for the first time since last January.
• SF Myles Dread (3-star) — Penn State’s loan 2018 commit will be in attendance as well.