2015 Penn State Football

[SoxJox]

With a nudge from sfip in the 2014 thread, and given that we are past the halfway mark of the first month of 2015, here's the start of 2015.
 
A quick summary of Penn State's recruiting class as we approach national signing day this coming Wednesday - Feb 4.
 
All 17 verbal commits are on campus this week.
 
If there is one player that most people believe can and likely should make a mark, it's 4* RB Andre Robinson out of Harrisburg, PA.  His film looks awesome.
 
 
  [tablegrid= Penn State 2015 Recruiting Class  ]Player Position Hometown High School 247 Ranking Also considering Still Being Pursued           Shareef Miller DE Philadelphia, PA George Washington 3 * Florida, Rutgers Josh Petrishen Safety Pittsburgh, PA Central Catholic 3 * Virginia, Pitt Nick Bowers TE Kittanning, PA Kittanning 3 * Verbally committed to Pitt             Class of 2015 Verbal Commits           Saquon Barkley RB Whitehall, Pa. Whitehall 4*   Ryan Bates OT Warminster, Pa. Archbishop Wood 4*   Manny Bowen LB Barnegat, NJ Barnegat 3*   Ryan Buchholz DE Malvern, PA Great Valley 4*   Kamonte Carter ATH Gaithersburg, MD Gaithersburg 3*   Irvin Charles WR Haddonfield, NJ Paul VI 4*   Jake Cooper LB Warminster, PA Archbishop Wood 4*   Steven Gonzalez OL Union City, NJ Union City 4*   Jonathan Holland DE Potomac, MD Bullis School 3*   Juwan Johnson WR Glassboro, NJ Glqassboro 4*   Daiquan Kelly ATH Union City, NJ Union City 4*   Jarvis Miller DB Suffield, CT Suffield 3*   Ayron Monroe DB Washington, DC St. John's College 3*   Brandon Polk WR Ashburn, VA Briar Woods 3*   John Reid DB Philadelphia, PA St. Joseph's 4*   Andre Robinson RB Harrisburg, PA Bishop McDevitt 4*   Robert Windsor DT Fond Du Lac, WI Fond Du Lac 3 * [/tablegrid]

 

[sfip]

Thank you for starting the thread, SoxJox. I have some good news. Shareef Miller has committed to PSU.
 
 

 

[SoxJox]

TE Nick Bowers switches commitment from Pitt to Penn State
 
DE Sharif Miller also commits.
 
This puts 9 of 247Sport's top 13 PA recruits at Penn State.

 

[sfip]

Tweet from @OnwardState:
 

Penn State just picked up another recruit for the class of 2015. Johnny Petrishen just announced his commitment.

 
4-star CB Lavert Hill from Michigan also commits to PSU.

 

[sfip]

Center Kevin Reihner of Stanford transfers as a grad for his final year from Stanford to Penn State.

 

[SoxJox]

Compared to some others, the Nittany Lions' "Signature Event" went off pretty much as planned.  No surprises, although some late developments, such as sfip's reported matriculation of Stanford's Kevin Reihner and former Michigan commit Lavert Hill materialized late.  The final rundown shows Penn State with national ranking in the top 10.
 
  [tablegrid= Penn State - 2015 Recruiting Class Summary ]Name Pos Ht Wt Hometown Rivals ESPN 247 Scout Sterling Jenkins OT 6'8" 294 Pittsburgh, Pa. ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Paris Palmer OT 6'7" 290 Plymouth, N.C. ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Tommy Stevens QB 6'4" 186 Indianapolis, Ind ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Saquon Barkley RB 5'11" 210 Coplay, Pa. ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Ryan Bates OL 6'5" 275 Warrington, Pa. ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Manny Bowen LB 6'2" 206 Barnegat, N.J. ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Nick Bowers TE 6'4" 245 Kittanning, Pa. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Ryan Buchholz DL 6'6" 241 Malvern, Pa. ★★★★ ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Kamonte Carter DE 6'4" 257 Silver Spring, Md. ★★★★ ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Irvin Charles WR 6'4" 215 Sicklerville, N.J. ★★★★ ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Jake Cooper LB 6'2" 226 Doylestown, Pa. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Kevin Givens DL 6'1" 245 Altoona, Pa. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Steven Gonzalez OL 6'4" 328 Union City, N.J. ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★ Jonathan Holland TE 6'4" 235 Brandywine, Md. ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Juwan Johnson WR 6'4" 212 Glassboro, N.J. ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Daiquan Kelly LB 6'2" 205 Newark, N.J. ★★★★ ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★ Jarvis Miller DB 6'2" 197 Suffield, Conn. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Shareef Miller DE 6'5" 230 Philadelphia, Pa. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Ayron Monroe DB 6'0" 197 Largo, Md. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Johnny Petrishen DB 6'1" 189 Lower Burrell, Pa. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ Brandon Polk WR 5'9" 163 Ashburn, Va. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ John Reid DB 5'9" 181 Mount Laurel, N.J. ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Andre Robinson RB 5'10" 215 Mechanicsburg, Pa. ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Garrett Taylor DB 6'0" 196 Richmond, Va. ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ Robert Windsor DL 6'4" 278 Fond du Lac, Wis. ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ [/tablegrid]
 
The "Signature Event" has been going on for a number of years.  Quite slickly produced, as I am sure it is similarly executed at other schools.  I'd be interested to hear how other schools do theirs.

 

[SoxJox]

According to WalterFootbal.com, Christian Hackenberg assessed as #3 QB in 2016 NFL draft.  I'm not buying that at the moment.
 
And the top 3 QB prospects are all B1G, with MSU's Connor Cooke and tOSU's Cardale Jones being #1 and #2, respectively.

 

[SoxJox]

Lions offer preferred walk-on to Rosemont (MN) QB Jackson Erdmann. 6"4" 205#.  MN All-State, Gatorade Player of the Year Finalist.  Wasn't heavily recruited because he suffered from an extended bout of mononucleosis his junior year, and suffered a season-ending broken fibula (but remained in the game) during the first round playoff game his senior year.  Still, 2,043 yards, 24 TDs (in 34 quarters of action) (the most of any QB in MN Class 6A history), and 4 rushing TDs.

Said Erdmann, "Penn State is the best actuary science program in the country, and that is what I'm looking to study."

 

[SoxJox]

As many on the board might know, Penn State hosts the largest and most successful student-run philanthropy event in the country - "THON", short for Dance Marathon.
 
The annual event kicks off this Friday and will run through Sunday.
 
The event benefits Hershey Medical Center's Diamond Fund for pediatric cancer.  To date, THON has raised nearly $115-million, with last year's event bringing in a record $13,343,515.33.  The event involves over 15,000 volunteers and organizers.
 
On a personal note, I had the great privilege (although I didn't know it at the time) to participate in the inaugural event in 1973, when we had something less than 100 dancers who danced continuously for 36 hours.  And back when it was held in the Hetzel [Student] Union Building (HUB) - before it swelled to a capacity (6,000+ dancing now for 46 hours, and thousands of other attendees) that now requires that the event be held in Bryce Jordan Center.  We raised a paltry sum that year, but it was a good start.
 
If you would like to make a donation, please visit Thon.org.  This is a fight we can and must win.

 

[SoxJox]

Again, not football related, but this year's THON raised $13.02M, just short of last year's record.
 
That brings the total to over $127M for pediatric cancer.
 
Thank you to any and all who contributed.

 

[twibnotes]

Again, not football related, but this year's THON raised $13.02M, just short of last year's record.
 
That brings the total to over $127M for pediatric cancer.
 
Thank you to any and all who contributed.

My wife is a penn stater and just said that when she was there (class of '00), it was a big deal that they went over a million. What an amazing event, a real credit to the school.

 

[SoxJox]

I couldn't resist.  This has nothing to do with football.  But here is the winning dance [athletics] team from this year's THON.
 
This is hilarious and fun.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwAsQT44M9o

 

[SoxJox]

A good man finds a new home.
 
Tom Bradley deserved none of the bad karma. Glad to see him landing again in hopefully a more permanent home.
 
For all the PAC12 - UCLA just got better defensively.

 

[sfip]

Keith Olbermann has been suspended by ESPN for the rest of the week. A Penn Stater tweeted at him, "We Are" with a link that talked about the money raised for THON. He responded, "Pitiful" and further tweeted insults about Penn State students.

 

[WayBackVazquez]

Really incredibly childish and embarrassing behavior. He should get more than a week.

 

[SoxJox]

Unfortunately, KO is a cagey cat, and I don't think he's quite used up his allotment of 9 lives.
 
Let's see...
 

1. ESPN pas une
2. MSNBC: Big Show
3. MSNBC: Countdown
4. Current TV
5. ESPN pas deux

And the beat goes on.

 

[Norm Siebern]

The HS I teach at has raised 10,000.00 this year for its own "thon" with all the money going to the four diamonds fund. It is run by a Penn State grad whom I teach with. I have become a Penn State fan because of this charity. Good for Penn State. This is a credit to the university.

 

[SoxJox]

Edit: Apologies.  This more appropriate over here.

 

[spy5007]

A good man finds a new home.
 
Tom Bradley deserved none of the bad karma. Glad to see him landing again in hopefully a more permanent home.
 
For all the PAC12 - UCLA just got better defensively.

Tom Bradley is a great guy. I distinctly remember emailing him as a student on Xmas Eve 2011 to thank him for his service as interim HC and standing strong in such a tough time for the University. He responded 15 minutes later (!) telling me what an honor it was to receive my email, and that he really appreciated me even thinking about it that way, nevermind emailing him to thank him. Always nothing short of a class act and very happy for his new and well-deserved position. 

 

[SoxJox]

ESPN's first ranking for the 2016 Recruiting Class is out.
 
Duke at 12?  Kentucky at 14.
 
School / # of Commits

1. Florida St 14
2. Miami (FL) 20
3. Ohio State12
4. Ole Miss 12
5. LSU 9
6. Georgia 10
7. Clemson 8
8. Penn State 6
9. UCLA 7
10. Baylor 7
11. USC 6
12. Duke 10
13. TCU 8
14. Kentucky 16
15. Alabama 6

 

[terrynever]

Attended the Blue-White scrimmage this past Saturday. Hackenberg was sacked five times, although the sacker just taps him as he goes by. Left tackle Paris Palmer was victimized for two sacks. Offense looked very similar to last year. Lot of short throws to right sideline, nothing deep. Running backs often got stuffed a couple yards behind the line of scrimmage. Hackenberg ran what was essentially the first-team offense (for the moment) against the first-team defense and it was no contest.
Hackenberg is also still wearing what appears to be a permanent knee brace on his right leg. He was limping around after one play when he got stepped on. Nobody replaced him because second-string QB Trace McSorley was a late scratch. Hack played the entire scrimmage and Franklin let the clock run throughout the second half just to get the thing over with.
True freshman Tommy Stephens ran the White offense for most of the first half. He's tall and skinny and plays with a lot of confidence for a kid who arrived on campus in January. But he made a few dreadful throws, including a balloon he hung up in the wind on a gadget play. His backup was a 5-foot-10 kid whose name I forgot. Awful. And lefthanded, to boot.
On the plus side, Franklin and his social media staff lured 67,000 fans to the scrimmage (Ohio State drew 98,000). The scoreboard showed practice video and inspirational messages throughout the game. The mountains still look nice.
I attended a post-game party where Graham Spanier showed up. There was a buzz when he walked in, alone, but he was mostly among loyalist friends. (I kept my distance.) The debate still rages on among both camps; even at a loyalist party the ranks are divided. The media focuses on events staged to absolve Joe but the real-life conversations in State College would seem to be almost 50-50, if this party was any indication. (Talking mostly senior adults, not students.)
On the football side, most people are giving Franklin five years. The two former Penn State football players I ran into are willing to give him the time to succeed, even as they question his ability to strategize in a game, and what the hell kind of offense he is installing.
In Franklin's defense, his offense is suited to a mobile QB and he inherited Hackenberg, a pocket passer. But instead of doing things to exploit the skills of a talented passer, Franklin has Hack rolling out left and right. The kid is far from accurate throwing on the run and misfired on at least five occasions in those situations on Saturday.

 

[sfip]

4-star OL Michal Menet had a press conference at 3pm to announce his decision with PSU & Duke being the final 2 choices.
 

 
Onward State @OnwardState

Offensive lineman Michal Menet, the top prospect in Pennsylvania, just announced his commitment to Penn State.
3:06 PM - 29 May 2015

 

[SoxJox]

Haven't summarized in a while, but here is where the Lions stand at the moment for 2016.  Depending on who you prefer, the class is ranked as a high as 7th in the country
 
Jake Zembiec could be a sleeper at QB.  He was injured early in his junior year and missed the remainder of the season, But he has impressed evaluators at camps.
 
Encouraging that they can successfully recruit out of MI and OH.  Looks like they're putting the right emphasis on bolstering their offensive line.
 

1. Michal Menet, Exeter Township (Reading, PA), OT, 6-5/271, Composite = 95, National = 57, Position = 9, State = 1
2. Shane Simmons, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD), WDE, 6-4/221, Composite = 96, National = 38, Position = 1, State = 2
3. Miles Sanders, Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh, PA), RB, 5-10/195,  Composite = 93, National = 150, Position = 3, State = 3
4. Lavert Hill, Detroit Martin Luther King (Detroit, MI), CB, 5-10/166,  Composite = 95, National = 60, Position = 6, State = 1 
5. Connor McGovern, Lake-Lehman (Lopez, PA), OC, 6-4.5/295,  Composite = 90, National = NA, Position = 5, State = 9
6. Jake Zembiec, Aquinas Institute (Rochester, NY), PRO QB, 6-3.5/211,  Composite = 91, National = NA, Position = 11, State = 1 
7. Zechariah McPhearson, Riverdale Baptist School (Upper Marlboro, MD), CB, 5-11/180,  Composite = 92, National = 203, Position = 18, State = 8
8. Will Fries, Cranford Sr (Cranford, NJ), OT, 6-6/270,  Composite = 89, National = NA, Position = 32, State = 12
9. Danny Dalton, Marshfield (Marshfield, MA), TE, 6-5/230,  Composite = 92, National = 214, Position = 7, State = 1
10. Alex Gellerstedt, Dublin Coffman (Dublin, OH), OT, 6-7/275,  Composite = 85, National = NA, Position = 80, State = 45

Edit: I'll convert this to a table later.

 

[SoxJox]

Now in tabular form.
 
[tablegrid= Penn State 2016 Recruiting Class as of 6/10/15 ]Recruit High School Position HT/WT Composite National Position State Michal Menet Exeter Township (Reading, PA) OT 6-5/271 95 57 9 1 Shane Simmons DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) WDE 6-4/221 96 38 1 2 Miles Sanders Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh, PA) RB 5-10/195 93 150 3 3 Lavert Hill Detroit Martin Luther King (Detroit, MI) CB 5-10/166 95 60 6 1 Connor McGovern Lake-Lehman (Lopez, PA) OC 6-4.5/295 90 NA 5 9 Jake Zembiec Aquinas Institute (Rochester, NY) PRO QB 6-3.5/211 91 NA 11 1 Zechariah McPhearson Riverdale Baptist School (Upper Marlboro, MD) CB 5-11/180 92 203 18 8 Will Fries Cranford Sr (Cranford, NJ) OT 6-6/270 89 NA 32 12 Danny Dalton Marshfield (Marshfield, MA) TE 6-5/230 92 214 7 1 Alex Gellerstedt Dublin Coffman (Dublin, OH) OT 6-7/275 85 NA 80 45 [/tablegrid] 

 

[SoxJox]

2016 commit Jake Zembiec selected to attend The Opening, an elite high school football showcase held each summer in Beaverton, OR. Zembiec earned his spot by first competing well at a Nike Football Training Camp regional event in Columbus before competing at the first Elite 11 semifinals in Eugene, OR.
 
Of the 18 signal callers selected for The Opening, which runs July 5-10, camp organizers will release a list of their Elite 11 quarterbacks in the nation at the conclusion of the event.
 
He joins fellow Penn State commits DE Shane Simmons, C Lavert Hill, and RB back Mile Sanders.

 

[SoxJox]

Penn State commit Michal Menet moves up to five-star status in Scout rankings
 
 
Some very high praise by Go Big Recruiting's Ross Tucker (former 7-year NFL OL).

 

[SoxJox]

Penn State release v2015 "Why Penn State" video. Apologies,  Can't embed videos from this computer.

 

[DJnVa]

Penn State pissing off the SEC/ACC with their satellite camp with ODU: http://hamptonroads.com/2015/06/odupenn-state-football-camp-draws-recruits-eager-make-rounds
 
More than 1000 players turned out.
 

 
Jake Bentley flew into Norfolk this week for personal reasons. Most of his family is in town visiting his brother, Shuler Bentley, who will start at quarterback for Old Dominion next season.
 
"It will be good to spend some time with my brother and my family," Jake said.
 
But it was also a business trip for the rising junior, a 6-foot-4 quarterback from Opelika, Ala.
 
He already has scholarship offers from big-time schools, including Clemson, Auburn and Miami. Yet the four-star recruit is intrigued by Penn State.
So he and his family built the trip to Norfolk this week around a summer camp that ODU hosted Thursday night with Penn State's coaching staff.
"I'm interested in talking to them," he said.
 

 
 
 

ODU was the last stop on a road trip of three satellite camps for Penn State coach James Franklin and his staff. Franklin was so pleased with the turnout that ODU coach Bobby Wilder announced that Penn State is returning to ODU for a camp next summer.

 

[canderson]

Good for Franklin. The SEC has always thought the SE was hallowed ground and they could do anything while preventing other schools for working hard for the kids. Fuck them, I hope every school in the country follows suit. 

 

[SoxJox]

I hope every school in the country follows suit. 

 
They will.  And that will be the NCAA's cue to beat their chest and inject themselves quickly into the process.  Let's see how badly they can screw it up.
 
Edit: But the more I think of it the more I believe it's likely they have a greater apprehension about Urban Meyer doing the same thing because well, he was once one of them - and a damned good recruiter who knows the area very, very well.

 

[SoxJox]

Penn State gets commit from 5* punter - yes, punter - Blake Gillikin from Westminster School (Atlanta).  Gillikin is considered by many to be the best punter in the country.
 
Edit; Of course, last year's trio of punters averaged something like 36.4 yards.  Maybe that had something to do with it.

 

[SoxJox]

And it looks like it's down to UM and PSU for the top kicker in the country: Quinn Nordin, from Rockford, MI.  But with a hometown such as that, we can only guess where he'll go.

 

[SoxJox]

With commit from Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic DT Michael Dwumfour, Penn State moves back into Top 10 of 247Sports recruiting class for 2016.
 
There is an interesting graphic in the first link abuot "SPARQ" ratings.  Dwumfour's rating is 93.36.
 

 
For comparison, Reggie Bush had a SPARQ rating of 93.38, while Tim Tebow's was 96.92. For a comparison among other defensive tackles, Rashan Gary and Julian Rochester – the No. 1 and 4 defensive tackles in the country – have SPARQ ratings of 95.82 and 88.71, respectively. So basically, Franklin reeled in someone who is a *really* good athlete.
 

 

[SoxJox]

Penn State dips into ACC territory to pick up commit from Christian Colon, 3* DT from Independence HS (Charlotte, NC).  6'3", 325#.  Colon is the 13th commit for 2106.

 

[SoxJox]

Jim Haslett named football consultant for the Lions on Wednesday.
 

 
Haslett will have direct contact with members on both sides of the ball for the Nittany Lions, bringing 20 years of NFL coaching experience to the second-year staff.
 
A native of Pittsburgh, Haslett appears to be a natural fit on a Penn State staff that was looking to increase its NFL experience.
 
Having most recently served as the defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins from 2010 to 2014, the 1979 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year has spent 12 years in professional football as a coordinator, as well as six seasons as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2000 to 2005 - and being named 2000 NFL Coach of the Year.
 

 

[canderson]

My PSU buddies say he's essentially the defensive coordinator in waiting after Shoop leaves following this upcoming season.

 

[SoxJox]

It will be interesting to see since they awarded Shoop a raise in January amidst the LSU wooing., essentially doubling his pay to $1M (+ performance incentives that could take him close to $1.5M).  Now, if you're talking about leaving for the NFL, that's a completely new ball game.

 

[SoxJox]

Penn State gets 3rd DT commit of the week in 4* DT Ellison Jordan of Gilmore (MD) School.
 
The 2016 Class summary to date:
 

• Christian Colon, DT, Independence (N.C.): Colon has a massive frame and a motor that never stops, often overpowering multiple blockers with brute force. He's a three-star prospect with a college-ready frame at 6-3 and 305 pounds.
• Danny Dalton, TE, Marshfield (Mass.): Dalton rates as a four-star prospect from 247 Sports and has three-star ratings from ESPN, Scout and Rivals. He's 6-5 and 230 pounds and shows early signs of thriving as a receiver and blocker.
• Michael Dwumfour, DT, DePaul Catholic (N.J.): Dwumfour jumped on a PSU offer after a June camp, where he stood out. He's on the short side at 6-1 and 285 pounds, but has a thick lower half and plays with leverage.
• Will Fries, OL, Cranford (N.J.): Fries, the fourth offensive line commit in the class, calls versatility a strength. He has the frame (6-6, 270) and talent to make an impact at guard and/or tackle at Penn State.
• Alex Gellerstedt, OT, Coffman (Ohio): Gellerstedt is a huge three-star commit at 6-7, 287 pounds. He is also athletic, and it shows in his shuffle in pass protection and ability to block on the move. His frame also lends itself to growth.
• Blake Gillikin, P, Westminster School (Ga.): Gillikin is the No. 1 punter in the country, according to 247 Sports, and No. 4 on KohlsKicking.com. An Atlanta native with a college-ready leg, Gillikin chose PSU over in-state Georgia.
• Lavert Hill, CB, Martin Luther King (Mich.): What Hill might currently lack in size (5-10, 165), he more than makes up for with quickness. The four-star prospect has recovery speed and loose hips, traits that can help him excel at the next level.
• Ellison Jordan, DT, Gilman School (Md.): Jordan has rare speed and instincts as a disruptive force who shoots gaps. He's undersized at 6-0 and 260 pounds but has good strength and a high motor.
• Connor McGovern, OL, Lake-Lehman: McGovern is a big, throwback lineman with explosive power and whistle-to-whistle aggression. A four-star prospect, McGovern is the No. 1 center in the nation, according to Rivals.
• Michal Menet, OL, Exeter: Menet is the No. 1 player in the state and a talented, athletic lineman who could play guard, center or tackle. He has a good chance to be special as a 6-5, 270-pounder with the explosiveness to dunk a basketball. 
• Zechariah McPhearson, CB, Riverdale (Md.) Baptist School: McPhearson is a big corner with good ball skills. He could also play safety and owns the skills to blossom into a special teams force. His brother, Josh, is a walk-on WR at PSU.
• Miles Sanders, RB, Woodland Hills: The first commit in the '16 class, Sanders stands at 5-11, 190 pounds and has special ability as a home run hitter. He's listed as the No. 1 player in the state and No. 2 back in the country by Rivals.
• Shane Simmons, DE, DeMatha (Md.) Catholic: Simmons could be a five-star athlete by the end of the cycle. He's long and athletic, with the versatility to play OLB or DE. He's the No. 21 player in the country, according to ESPN.
• Jake Zembiec, QB, Aquinas (N.Y.) Institute: Zembiec is the No. 6 pro-style passer in the country, according to Rivals. He stands at 6-3 and 205 pounds and is poised and polished as a pocket passer with mobility to make plays with his legs.

 
BY POSITION

• Offensive linemen (4), defensive tackles (3), defensive backs (2), defensive ends (1), quarterbacks (1), running backs (1), specialists (1), tight ends (1).

BY STATE
 
Pennsylvania (3), Maryland (3), New Jersey (2), Georgia (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1).

 

[SoxJox]

Very few saw this coming...
 
DE Daniel Joseph (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest Academy Commits to Penn State
 
4* 247/ESPN, 3* Rivals/Scout
 
6'3"/240 lbs
 
Offer Sheet: Penn State (obvi), Bowling Green, California, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami (OH), Michigan, Michigan State, NC State, Nebraska, New Mexico, Northwestern, Rutgers, Stanford, Syracuse, Toledo, Vanderbilt
 
He is the No. 73 recruit in America on ESPN and the No. 128 recruit in the country on 247.
 
With Joseph's commitment, Penn State now has the No. 2 class in the Big Ten and the No. 6 class in America, according to 247. At only 15 members, Penn State has the third-smallest class in the top-10 of 247's rankings.

 

[canderson]

Still need a tight end and a QB after Hackenberg IMO. 

 

[SoxJox]

Current roster has TEs Adam  Brenneman, Kyle Carter, and Mike Gesiki, the latter two with significant playing time and who have shown themselves quite capable.  Brenneman was the #1 TE in the country in the class of '13.  Redshirted and then was injured in '14. Still considered a looming presence.  Size, speed, hands, and a very capable blocker. I think we'll see a great deal of him this year.
 
And this year's class includes 4* Danny Dalton, MA's #1 TE.
 
As far as QBs, word is that SO Trace McSorley is better than most 2nd string QBs, but flying under Hackenberg's radar.  And recruit Jake Zembiec's stock has been rising quickly in the super elite camps (He made the Ellte 11, and will be in the Super 7 competition on LA.  He was a highly regarded as a JR in HS but was injured early in his SR year, so didn't receive as much attention as others.  IMHO, his film and camp performance are demonstrating that he is a sleeper in the 2016 class.

 

[SoxJox]

An interesting short article on "talent" cycles.
 
What the article does't say, but what is clearly obvious, is the long term detriment resulting from JoePa reducing the time he spent actively recruiting as his tenure wore on.
 

 
As one might expect, Penn State has been lacking significant talent across the roster during the sanction era. It's easy to see how strong recruiting classes can be a quick fix to this issue but to truly replenish the roster's quality takes time.
But what would "normal" look like for Penn State? More importantly, what would it look like to get Penn State back to what it once was?
To try and understand the ever changing talent pool at Penn State, consider the following situation.
In 2002 a true freshman football player at Penn State would see just 19 four-star players come through the program by the time he left in 2005. This number doesn't include 4/5-star players already on the team, simply the addition of talent to the current roster during his four year stay in Happy Valley.
Extending that exercise gives us a better idea of the influx of talent over a four year span from 2002 until now. The number listed is the total number of 4/5-star commits to join the program over that four year span.

• 2002-05: 19
• 2003-06: 23
• 2004-07: 32
• 2005-08: 36
• 2006-09: 40
• 2007-10: 44
• 2008-11: 38
• 2009-12: 30
• 2010-13: 26
• 2011-14: 15
• 2012-15: 22
• 2013-16: 27
• 2014-16: 23
• 2015-16: 19

Out of this come a few notable stats. For one, the Nittany Lions peaked in terms of incoming talent in the span of years from 2007-10. Forty-four players joined the program at the 4/5-star level.
And from there the talent went down in terms of numbers. Each year, even before the sanctions, Penn State slowly brought in fewer and fewer top prospects.
Perhaps the most eye opening figure: a true freshman who joined the program in 2011 would see only 15 top prospects join the program. A freshman enrolling in 2014 has already seen 17 players join the program at the 4/5-star level. The 2016 class will add at least six more players to that total. The 2017 year is an unknown.

 

[SoxJox]

Nation's #1 PK, Nordin Quinn, commits to Lions.
 

 
Nordin joins Atlanta punter Blake Gillikin, the nation’s No. 1 punter according to the same metric, to form a special teams dream team for the Nittany Lions. 

 
Short video of practice in arena - hits 45-, 50-, and 55-yd FGs.
 
And a longer video.  Looks like he's kicking just about everything into or out of the EZ - albeit from the 40 YL.
 
Looks like he's a pretty damn good punter as well.
 
[Apologies, can't embed video from this computer]

 

[SoxJox]

From here...
 

 
Nordin is on the record as booting a 65-yard field goal at a Kornblue Kicking camp back in January.

 

[RedOctober3829]

Ditching the nameplates this year. Good decision by Franklin.

 

[SoxJox]

link.
 
Penn State's 2015 season mantra: 'No names, all game'
 
Franklin:

 
"The 2012 team, permanently recognized in Beaver Stadium, will hold an enduring place in our program's history. Their commitment will never be forgotten. However, it's time we bring back the tradition that represented Penn State for 125 years."

 

[sfip]

Daiquan Kelly dismissed for violating team rules.

 

[SoxJox]

Daiquan Kelly dismissed for violating team rules.

Syracuse will probably pick him back up.
 
Edit: I say that in jest since we have no idea yet what the offense is, but to be so summarily dismissed suggests something beyond forgetting to pay for a pack of gum or some other minor twerk.  And it can't be academics as he hasn't even started classes.

 

[canderson]

Friend said it is academic, he said he failed summer classes he needed for university admittance.

 

[sfip]

Kelly is signing with UMass.