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Committany Nation (1.21.16): Final Rankings, Moving on from Tre Nixon, a JoePa Reference and More

National Signing Day is coming sooner than you think. GET YOUR KNOWLEDGE UP, BOY.

By Noel Purcell
Greg Oyster, 247Sports

Reminder: Don't Tweet At Recruits. Ever.

I'm opening CN with this. Stop doing it. It's a bad look. Don't make photoshops of the recruits in jerseys. Don't tell them why Penn State is better than their current crystal ball prediction. Don't explain to them how awesome the Den is. Just don't tweet at them at all. Okay? Okay.

Wideouts Comin'?

Penn State is apparently out on Tre Nixon now. The Florida wide receiver will choose between Auburn, Georgia, and Ole Miss, according to Rusty Mansell of 247. Nixon was the only receiving target in the class for a while, but it appears the staff is set on adding at least one, now.

2016 wide receiver Dredrick Snelson out of Ft. Lauderdale had an in-home with Penn State three days ago. His crystal ball has him to Maryland, which means that realistically he's probably all over the place. Snelson will be taking an official visit to State College next weekend, and will choose between PSU, Miami, Central Flordia, and Maryland on National Signing Day.

On a similar note, Penn State also offered Temple commit Dae'lun Darien. A three-star wide receiver, Darien committed to the Owls in November. His offer sheet also includes UConn, Old Dominion, Monmouth, West Virginia, and that red school Jim Delany felt bad for. Whether this is sending Temple a message or not remains to be seen, but the Virginia receiver has options.

Eight Recruits In ESPN 300

Shane Simmons is #14. Miles Sanders is #43. Michal Menet is #58. Daniel Joseph is #80. Zech McPhearson is #129. Ellison Jordan is #155. Cameron Brown is #240. Connor McGovern is #286. This is a damn good recruiting class, folks. And BUUUUUUUD agrees.

WE OFFERED THE #409 RECRUIT GUYS

2017 defensive end Elijah Conliffe is destined to become a Nittany Lion. I mean, he has to be, right? He will lead is TOO GLOREEEEE.

Antjuan Simmons Likes Us Quite a Bit

Well, okay, top-11. But the three-star 2017 linebacker from Ann Arbor is at least interested in Penn State enough to make the cut. His crystal ball leans heavy Notre Dame, with UM and MSU filling it out. He'd be a nice get for a linebacking corps that could use talent and depth.

Rivals Rankings Update, Might Be Salty

Miles Sanders is up to 37th in Rivals' rankings, but Michal Menet is somehow 87th. Oh, and Shane Simmons is nowhere to be found. That is absurd, obviously, and could be partly due to who participates in Rivals' camps. Of course, we would never accuse a recruiting site of using its influence to increase business. Never. Recruiting is a clean activity all-around.

Andrew Pryts Staying Home?

The four-star safety from Hermitage, PA will not be visiting UCLA after all, per Ryan Snyder of Rivals, and will be visiting PSU instead. Holding on to Pryts, who committed in August, would be huge for the coaching staff. He could contribute very early on in a secondary that hasn't quite held its own, despite the pressure the front seven has brought the last two years.

Whatever Aaron Mathews Becomes, He'll Be a Good One

Mathews wanted to come to Penn State badly, and took the offer right after it was given. He's an excellent athlete who, despite playing a lot of wide receiver in high school, was recruited by James Franklin and co. as a defensive player. He's 6'5", 190lbs, and has played safety and outside linebacker. Two years in the weight room could mold him into either one at the college level.

Quinn Nordin Sleepover Spectacular Backup Plan

Penn State offered 2016 kicker Alex Barbir. The #7 kicker in the nation committed to Rutgers back in July, but obviously plenty has changed in Jersey since then. Assuming Jim Harbaugh flips Nordin, expect a hard push from the staff to do the same to Barbir. Otherwise, Blake Gillikin will pull double duty (which he is very good at, so don't worry).

A Very Important Lavert Hill Update

Penn State might not be totally out of it for Lavert Hill just yet.

Biggest Weekend of the Year

As it was last year, this second-to-last weekend in January is arguably Penn State's most important recruiting weekend of the year. Nearly the entire committed class of 2016 will be on-hand, as well as most of the staff's top targets remaining on the board, including Khaleke Hudson, Brendan Ferns and Damar Hamlin. Sean Fitz of Lions247 has the full breakdown of who will be there, and what Penn State's chances are with each of them.

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