Hearing new #psu commit JP Holtz will be a fullback at PSU. Therefore, PSU still going after FL TE Kent Taylor
July 11, 2011 at 9:30 am · Filed under Football, Headline, Penn State, Recruiting
Article from NittanyWhiteOut - Penn State Nittany Lions Blog. Read more here
Nyeem Wartman with Joe Pa at Junior Day
Penn State has just picked up it’s 11th recruit for the Class of 2012. Valley View HS linebacker Nyeem Wartman has committed to the Nittany Lions over the weekend. A fitting end to a 5 month process that began with the extension of a verbal offer by Dick Anderson to Wartman back in
February 2, 2011 at 3:14 pm · Filed under Featured, Headline, Penn State, Recruiting
Article from NittanyWhiteOut. Read more here
Who said signing day would be boring for Penn State fans?
Sure, this year’s crop of recruits seemed to decide early–both for and against Penn State–leaving Joe Paterno and his staff without much to do in the final days of the season. There was no Terrelle Pryor, no Jelani Jenkins, no uncommitted 5-star at least publicly considering the Blue and White. And all 15 verbals faxed in their LOIs, in a timely and orderly fashion.
But that doesn’t mean we couldn’t have any excitement, as Adrian Amos will trade one shade of blue and white in for another.
Penn State didn’t have a particularly long time to earn the commitment of Adrian Amos. The Maryland native had announced that he would be playing for UConn early in his senior season, and it wasn’t until Randy Edsall’s departure for, ironically enough, Maryland, that his commitment started to waver. The coaching staff didn’t have more than a month to get Amos on board, but they certainly acted fast, and Connecticut’s loss will be Penn State’s gain. Just minutes ago Sean Fitz of Lions 247 reported that Amos would be a Nittany Lion in 2011, beating out West Virginia, Vanderbilt, and UConn for his services.
He’s rated as a 3-star prospect by pretty much every recruiting service–Rivals, Scout, ESPN, and even 247 Sports. But don’t let the recruiting rankings fool you; Adrian Amos is a player. A first-team all-state player, and standout in the Crab Bowl, Amos racked up 78 tackles last year, to go along with 4 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. A true safety, Amos is simultaneously a ball hawk and a heavy hitter, combining solid size–he’s listed at 6’1, 205 pounds–and good speed with nice ball skills. His highlight tape is impressive, and he may be instantly able to step in and improve a very thin Penn State secondary. With D’Anton Lynn, Nick Sukay, and Drew Astorino set to graduate after the 2011 season, and Malcolm Willis the only returnee with any experience at safety, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Amos groomed as the hero from day 1.
This recruiting season, we saw Penn State address two huge areas of need, and that’s reflected in the final commit list. 9 of Penn State’s 16 signees-and most of their highest profile recruits–will play in the trenches, either along the offensive or defensive lines. But that success didn’t carry over to the staff’s other priority–the defensive secondary. Penn State struck out on pretty much everyone they recruited there, from Kyshoen Jarrett to Albert Louis-Jean to Blake Countess. This commitment might not turn too many heads now, but it’s one of the more important ones we’ve received all year.
January 20, 2011 at 10:26 am · Filed under Featured, Headline, Penn State, Recruiting
Article from NittanyWhiteOut. Read more here
Penn State’s recruiting class has, slowly but surely, continued to build up steam as we head towards LOI day just two weeks away. Despite a few bumps in the road, and though this class won’t be anything to brag about, the impending destruction of the Nittany Lion program has at the least been staved off for another day. At 8 o’clock this morning, one more top prospect committed to Joe Paterno and crew, becoming the 14th commitment to a steadily improving recruiting class–so many of them players who will do the dirty work in the trenches at the next level.
Getting Deion Barnes is no small potatoes, even if the fact that he’s been considered a Penn State lock for months diminishes the impact of his commitment. Though there’s some disagreement between the recruiting services on his true skill level–Rivals ranks him as the #6 defensive end, the #158 prospect in the country, and the #2 prospect from Pennsylvania, while Scout’s sipping the haterade, slotting Barnes in as the the #31 player at his position–he’s still one of the likelier impact players of this recruiting class.
The 6’5, 225 Philadelphian had an impressive offer list–he had narrowed down his selection to Penn State and Georgia, but could’ve taken a scholarship from Michigan, Pitt, West Virginia, South Carolina, or pretty much any other school in the region. It’s not hard to see why he was so highly coveted–he’s got the kind of frame and athleticism that bode well for development into an elite pass rusher.
Barnes’ high school exploits landed him on the second-team all-state, though he was the Philly Public School player of the year, racking up 85 tackles–35 of them for a loss–along with 13 sacks. And he had a straight-out-of-the-movies moment in his final high school game:
He led Northeast to its first city title since 1983, blocking a punt that set up a touchdown and catching the eventual game-winner off of a fake field goal.
But for Penn State, character is often as important as talent, and in Barnes, they’ve got a great kid. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a great story over the summer, showcasing his heart and determination–he’ll be the first member of his family to go to college. But it’s gut-wrenching, too, chronicling his escape from one of the worst areas of a dangerous city:
Since 2007, the year Barnes entered high school, 130 people have been shot within a half-mile of his North Philadelphia home, and at least 20 have been slain. Tragedy has also darkened his family. Barnes’ uncle was shot and killed at 21. That uncle’s son was also shot and killed at 21, buried this summer. And Barnes and his brothers have friend after friend who have been killed in gun violence.
With that in mind, it’s not hard to understand why Barnes would choose Penn State. He gets to stay close enough to home so his parents–who’ve watched every football game he’s ever played–can keep seeing him in person. And he’s going to a school where he can do more than just play football, where the school is as committed to his education as he is. As he told Sean Fitz, at Lions247:
“I am making this decision because of academics and the comfort level. I am not going to be one of those guys that just stays three years, I want to be there for four. For those reasons, I am going to Penn State.”
For an effort that started as slowly as it did, to salvage respectability as the coaching staff has is nothing short of a significant accomplishment. But we need to remember that these recruits are kids, too, and the story of Deion Barnes may be even greater than the defensive end, himself.
January 17, 2011 at 8:27 pm · Filed under Featured, Football, Headline, Penn State, Recruiting
Article from NittanyWhiteOut. Read more here
Ishaq Williams may have chosen Notre Dame over Penn State, but that doesn’t mean Joe Paterno and his staff can’t finish up their 2011 recruiting class with a bang. With plenty of Nittany Lion prospects still uncommitted, this year seems downright salvageable. Perhaps the commitment of New Jersey athlete Bill Belton–news first reported by FightOnState’s Cory James–will help re-energize the momentum that seemed momentarily lost.
Belton originally committed to Pitt early in the recruiting process, but we won’t hold that against him. He became one of a number of verbal commits to look elsewhere after the firing of Dave Wannstedt (and the subsequent firing of Mike Haywood), and quickly whittled down his choices to West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Penn State, and today made his intentions clear–he’ll join the Blue and White.
The 5’9, 180-pounder was one of the top athletes on the east coast, and his offer sheet reflects that. In addition to the aforementioned four schools, Belton received scholarship offers from schools as far south as Florida and Georgia Tech, and to the west, from Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Oregon. Rivals ranks Belton as the 25th best “athlete,” as the #8 prospect from the state of New Jersey, and as a 4-star recruit, sentiments echoed by Scout–who calls Belton the #13 wide receiver in this class of 2011.
Belton was a quarterback in his high school days, and his proficiency at that position demonstrates his elite athleticism. He was the Courier Post (a regional New Jersey newspaper) MVP, and his statistics are pretty staggering. He became the first New Jersian to pass for 2000 yards and run for 1000 in consecutive seasons, completing 61% of his passes with 21 touchdowns through the air. And on the ground, he ran for more than 6 yards a pop with another 16 touchdowns, inspiring some pretty awesome quotes:
“He’s an alien. He shouldn’t even be here,’’ Eastern coach Dan Spittal said. “He’s that much better than everyone else.’’
“You just can’t stop him. He’s at a different level,’’ Moorestown coach Russ Horton said. “He’s a man playing with boys. He is that good.’’
“I’ve been coaching for 30 years and he’s the best high school quarterback I’ve ever seen,’’ Spittal said. “He can throw with accuracy, he has poise and he runs when he has to. And when he runs, you couldn’t tackle him in a phone booth.’’
It’s not clear what position Belton will play at Penn State, whether it’s wide receiver or defensive back, but it’s clear that this kid is a football player, and is a big get for Mike McQueary, especially after he whiffed on Bill the first time. Reports were that Belton and his family were enamored with Big Red, and it’s entirely possible that the Penn State WR coach will get 4 or 5 years to work with Bill.
What we’ve won after the jump
January 8, 2011 at 2:24 pm · Filed under Featured, Penn State, Recruiting
Article from NittanyWhiteOut. Read more here
Just moments ago, during a break in the action at the Army All-American Bowl, Donovan Smith made his college decision public. As expected, he will join the Blue and White, choosing Penn State over his other two finalists, UCLA and N.C. State. In choosing Penn State, the 6-6, 280 pound offensive tackle becomes the 12th member of Penn State’s 2011 recruiting class.
“”It looks like I’m going to be playing in State College.”
In addition to those three schools, the Maryland native Smith received scholarship offers from West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Michigan State, among others. Rated a 4-star prospect by both Scout and Rivals, Smith is a good get for Joe Paterno and his staff, even if this was one that most saw coming from a mile away. Penn State hasn’t typically had much success in snagging commitments at these nationally televised all-star games, but Smith has been reported as a Nittany Lion lock for a while.
Given Penn State’s struggles along the offensive line in recent years, it’s encouraging to see them focus on that position in this year’s recruiting. Smith joins Angelo Mangiro and Anthony Zettel as highly sought after linemen who have committed to Penn State. Since the regular season ended, Penn State’s recruiting efforts have certainly picked up, and with a number of other, key, undeclared prospects still available, one can only hope this momentum continues into Signing Day.
States like New Hampshire are often overlooked by college recruiters scouring the northeast. With a population of a little over 1.3 million (barely 14.5% of the population of New York City), the talent pool in the Granite State is as shallow as it gets when it comes to Division I football players. With so many other recruiting hotbeds in the region, college coaches just haven’t found a reason to stop in New Hampshire
For Holtz, it 
