Committany Nation: Visitors Flocking to Happy Valley

Upcoming Visits

While the Blue-White Game will be the big recruiting event of the spring, Penn State will take advantage of the practices leading up to the game to host a number of prospects on visits. Let’s take a look at a couple recruits who are scheduled to be on hand in the coming weeks:

• 2018 DT Aeneas Hawkins (March 24): The Ohio defensive tackle plans to commit on May 10, and with his recruitment probably coming down to Ohio State or Penn State, this will be a big weekend for the Nittany Lions.
• 2018 CB Houston Griffith (March 24): The son of BTN’s Howard Griffith, IMG Academy cornerback Houston Griffith will be in Happy Valley this weekend. Obviously due to his father’s connections, his recruitment should have a Big Ten flavor to it, with Ohio State being the presumed leader.
• 2018 LB Jack Lamb (First week of April): A name that just recently popped up on the recruiting scene, Lamb hails from California but has major interest in the Nittany Lions, as both of his parents are Penn State graduates. He’ll be visiting Happy Valley over his spring break, and should pickup an offer while on campus. At 6-foot-4, 211 pounds, he’s an impressive looking prospect.
• 2019 RB Jordan Houston (March 24): Already holding an offer from the Nittany Lions, the Virginia running back will be back at Penn State for the third time dating back to the fall. Big Penn State lean, but it’s doubtful he wraps up his recruitment this early.
• 2019 OL Caeden Wallace (March 24): Another 2019 prospect already with an offer in hand, Wallace is scheduled to make a quick return trip to Happy Valley this weekend.

Texas CB Trending To Penn State

Three-star cornerback Trent Gordon visited Penn State last weekend, and following the visit it appears that the Nittany Lions made a strong impression as Steve Wiltfong and Sean Fitz both Crystal Ball’d him to Penn State.

The Nittany Lions are still without a cornerback commit in the 2018 class, and with the Mid-Atlantic crop looking rather bare, it’s not a surprise to see Penn State take a national approach. Gordon seems like a good fit from an on-the-field standpoint (5-foot-11, 172 pounds) and off-the-field standpoint (boasts offer from Dartmouth and Yale).

Midwest OT Lands Offer

Fresh off a trip to Penn State earlier this week, Illinois offensive tackle Bryce Effner landed an offer from the Nittany Lions.

Only holding Power-5 offers from Kansas State and Kansas, Effner has flown under the radar at this point. But the Nittany Lions clearly see something in the 6-foot-5, 280-pound OT that was worth offering.

It should be noted that — just like they did for Gordon — Fitz and Wiltfong both put in their Crystal Ball prediction for Penn State here, so perhaps this is one we should watch through the spring.