Penn State has landed three quality defensive back prospects over the past three days. The best of the bunch appears to be Darrell Givens (Lackey H.S./Indian Head, MD), teammate of fellow Penn State verbal Malcolm Willis. Givens originally verballed to Ohio State back in April but news leaked early Saturday that he would be switching his pledge to the Nittany Lions. Givens is a big pick up as he not only got the ball rolling with a number of secondary prospects but is Penn State’s first four-star verbal commitment in the class. Questions surrounding Joe Paterno’s future has really hindered Penn State’s recruitment of the nation’s top prospects. Givens’ verbal now gives Penn State an early headline player for the class. Hopefully other top prospects will see his pledge to Penn State as a statement that Happy Valley is still a destination for the nation’s top prospects.

The other two verbal commitments Penn State landed over the past three days are Stephen Obeng-Agyapong (John F. Kennedy H.S./Bronx, NY) and Derrick Thomas (Eleanor Roosevelt H.S./Greenbelt, MD).  Both players are being recruited for the secondary and both have Penn State connections. Obeng-Agyapong plays for John F. Kennedy High School. The school is quickly becoming a pipeline for Penn State as highly-touted redshirt freshman running back Stephfon Green, walk-on linebacker Shaine Thompson, and offensive lineman Nerraw McCormack (by way of junior college) all played there previously. Thomas plays for Eleanor Roosevelt High School, the same school that Derrick Williams attended when he was the top-ranked player in the country four years ago. Obeng-Agyapong also held scholarship offers from Buffalo, Connecticut, and Iowa while Thomas held offers from Illinois, Maryland, and Pitt.

With these three commitments, and Malcolm Willis already in the fold, Penn State is two-thirds of the way to achieving their goal of recruiting six secondary prospects in the Class of 2009. However, the only one of the current four prospects that could provide immediate help as a true freshman appears to be Givens. With Lydell Sargeant and Tony Davis both graduating after the 2008 season, Penn State will likely need freshmen to step in and play in 2009.

Black Shoe Diaries
The Nittany Line
There Is No Name on My Jersey
William Yurasko
Tangled Up in Blue and White
The Big Eleventh
Run Up the Score

1) The announcement Wednesday is that contract talks are on hold until the conclusion of this season, and that Joe might not even need a contract to coach, how do you see this saga ending? Is this the final year for Joe Paterno?

I think it comes down to a few different things regarding whether this is the end for Joe. First and foremost is the all-time wins record. If Joe manages to pass Bobby Bowden, which is a distinct possibility if PSU plays up to its potential and Florida State repeats its shortcomings of the past few seasons. If Joe recaptures the wins record and Bowden bows out, it might make the choice a little easier. Honestly, 2009 doesn’t look good right now. The only thing that will likely keep PSU as an 8-4 team next season is the fact that the non-conference schedule consists of four guaranteed wins and all are at home. Unless Penn State has a disastrous season (read: no bowl game) or his health severely declines, Joe will be back in 2009 unless he has the wins record. Spanier and Curley don’t have it in them to oust him with or without a contract.

2) Joe will clearly not been on the sidelines in 10 years time. Whether he is awarded another extension or is forced out against his will, a new face will inevitably be on the sidelines for the Lions in the years to come. Which candidates would top the list when it comes to a coaching search? Should it be an in-house hire or should we start off with a blank slate?

First, don’t be so sure about Joe not being here ten years from now. Back in 1987, would he have been expected to still be on the sidelines in 1997? In 1997, would he have been expected to still be coaching in 2007? As unlikely as it seems, just don’t count it out. Also, he won’t be forced out unless ticket sales plummet or the donations dry up. Forcing out Joe Paterno would be a PR nightmare. It’s just not going to happen.I favor an outside hire. I just believe that hiring someone from the staff leaves too much room for Paterno to still dictate how the program is run and that is a detriment since it would likely include Jay Paterno being kept on in some capacity on the coaching staff. Outside of Larry Johnson Sr., Ron Vanderlinden, and Tom Bradley, the entire coaching staff really needs to be cleared out. There has been no accountability on this staff for years. Changes must be made to improve the state of Penn State football.

Greg Schiano is still my top choice to succeed Paterno. He has exactly what Penn State needs in its next head coach- a young coach with Penn State ties, thus an appreciation for the “Penn State way,” yet still has the ability to inject new blood into the program, something it so badly needs. While some may criticize Schiano for Rutgers seemingly stalling out in its ascension as a program, he has had more success there in his brief tenure than every other coach in Rutgers history combined. He has taken the program from being a laughingstock to a respectable, competitive team year in and year out. He is a master recruiter and could become the next “rock star” coach (Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, etc.) with the Penn State name backing him. He would also revive dead recruiting pipelines in New Jersey and Florida. While it’s hard to say that the transition from Paterno to the next head coach will be flawless regardless of who it is, Schiano would certainly be a very smooth transition. Schiano turned down Miami and Michigan for a reason. I think he knows he has an excellent chance to succeed Paterno. Some other outside candidates I think Penn State should consider include Oakland Raiders’ head coach Lane Kiffin, Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly, South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt, and Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler. Some others who could play there way in depending on who 2008 and beyond (who knows how far into the future the change is really going to happen). Include Temple’s Al Groh, Connecticut’s Randy Edsall, and Southern Miss’ new head coach Larry Fedora, an excellent recruiter.

3) It almost seems as if we find another athlete in trouble with the law each morning when we read the newspaper. What has gone wrong with the once pristine image of the Penn State program?

To steal a favorite phrase from the NCAA, lack of institutional control. Frankly, I just think Paterno has lost a lot of control over the program. Clearly the recruits coming in don’t respect and/or fear him, and the program as a whole, as they once did. Another contributing factor that gets mentioned frequently is the fact that the State College police, right or wrong, has taken a lot of control away from Paterno. In the past many of these incidents would’ve been handled in-house by Paterno. But now the police seem intent on getting these kids, as well as their own, names in the paper. I think this should be among the many things that Spanier and Curley address with Paterno at their season end review. There has already been enough trouble to make it a big issue and spring practice is not even over yet. I would have expected this team to be on their best behavior after the fight last spring and certainly after Andrew Quarless’ pre-season underage drinking citation. But apparently they just don’t get it.

4) After 14 years in the Big Ten, Penn has not dominated the conference in football as most presumed when we joined winning only 2 Big Ten titles in that span. In 1994, Joe Paterno’s undefeated Nittany Lions were also backstabbed by its Big Ten breathern when most conference members voted for Nebraska instead of Penn State. Is the Big Ten the right home for Penn State? Or would Joe Paterno’s dream of an all-eastern conference be a much more ideal conference for the Nittany Lions?

From a purely academic and overall perspective, the Big Ten is a great fit. It associates Penn State with some of the top public and private universities in the nation and has been a major part of turning Penn State into one of the top public universities. The revenue distribution also helps to fund the non-revenue, but often times more successful, athletic programs. From a football and basketball perspective it is clearly a big no. Penn State football continues to be the red-headed stepchild of the conference. And whether you buy into the anti-Penn State refereeing bias or not, Penn State is still even after 15 years not treated like an equal member. The Rose Bowl tie-in crushed the hope of a Penn State-Nebraska showdown in 1994 to decide the national championship and that was compounded by the Big Ten writers turning their backs on Penn State. That would never happen to Michigan or Ohio State. Being a Big Ten member has also hurt recruiting significantly. It has allowed schools like Michigan and Ohio State to come into not only Pennsylvania and take recruits but it has allowed them into a place like New Jersey as well. Meanwhile, Penn State has failed to make significant in-roads into the only real fertile recruiting ground in the Big Ten, Ohio. Joe’s eastern conference at the time would have been a perfect move for Penn State. But to try to construct that now would be nightmarish and likely hurt Penn State worse than the Big Ten has. Unless Boston College, Maryland, and even a Virginia and/or Virginia Tech were to sign on for it, we would be talking likely about Penn State moving to the Big East which would be suicide for the program. The Big East needs Penn State more than Penn State needs the Big East. Programs like Pitt and Syracuse can continue to let their football programs rot away in the basketball conference. Both said no to Joe initially and then Pitt kept Penn State out of the Big East when it went to a vote. The Big Ten might not be ideal but it’s better than that mess of a conference. If Penn State were to leave the Big Ten, I would want to see them land in the ACC. It would put Penn State in good company academic-wise with Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, etc. but also put the program back into its old recruiting territory and also allow Penn State to play more road games in areas with a significant amount of Penn State alumni.The addition of Penn State would also perhaps help the conference finally gain the footing necessary to be considered as strong a football conference as it is a basketball conference. The only issue would be finding room for Penn State. None of the present members seem eager to leave. The ACC would likely need to go to 14 teams, something that it seems unlikely to do. However, it would be a chance for Pitt to ride Penn State’s coattails out of the Big East. While West Virginia would be a more beneficial athletics member, its academics aren’t really up to part with the rest of the league. Other potential moving partners could be Connecticut, Syracuse, and Rugers.

5) With the lack of our traditional rivals in the Big Ten conference, and our unwillingness to reschedule any of them in any consistant manner, which teams are emerging as Penn State’s chief rivals in the Big Ten? (USC-Notre Dame proves that rivalries aren’t all about geographic significance.)

Clearly it’s Ohio State. With a few exceptions, the games are usually close and competitive. The teams go head to head for a lot of the same recruits every year and it’s a border war. Obviously Penn State will never be able to unseat Michigan as the Buckeyes’ top rival but if Penn State ever manages to become the power it was expected to be in the Big Ten back in the early to mid ‘90s, this game will carry a lot of clout, like a Georgia-Auburn of sorts. It’s hard to call Michigan a rival because of the incredible lack of success against them in the past decade but there is a clear dislike, even hatred, towards the Wolverines because the fact that PSU just can’t seem to beat them. Other than those two it’s really hard to sayPenn State has any rivals. Obviously there are the two fictitious rivalries with Michigan State and Minnesota but any true Penn Stater knows that there is no hatred there. I’m very indifferent towards the rest of the conference. I can’t say I feel there is any sort of rivalry with any other member of the conference.

Bonus Question: Are you going to the Blue-White Game?

No, but I will be watching the webcast from the Big Ten Network.

The last thing Penn State needed was another embarrassing situation to highlight the degradation of the football program. Chris Bell provided just that. It’s really hard to blame some thing like this on Joe Paterno but after so many incidents over the past year, one must look to the top for responsibility.

The problem is, no one is going to find any. For many years a continual problem with the coaching staff has been a lack of accountability. Now that problem has finally made its way to Joe Paterno. This is absolutely unacceptable. The good image of Penn State football has been tarnished on a grand scale on too many occasions in the past year and Joe appears to be doing nothing about this. The entire program lacks leadership from Joe Paterno on down to the lowest string of the foreign team. The players can talk all they want about how this season will be different, etc. but nothing is going to change until Penn State gets another group of captains with the same desire and  dedication as Michael Robinson, Alan Zemaitis, and Paul Posluszny. Those three took it upon themselves to turn the program around. Now it’s on Derrick Williams, A.Q. Shipley, and Sean Lee to do the same. Hopefully now that Bell is gone there will be no more trouble, at the very least for the rest of the spring.

But what this situation really highlights is just how much control Paterno has lost. He’s still the emperor of Penn State football but more and more often now we see that he is not wearing any clothes. Ten, fifteen, twenty years ago this stuff would not have happened to such a magnitude in one year. Penn State did not see these repeated screw ups. The players respected and feared Joe. Clearly that is not the case anymore. One of two things must happen- Joe needs to regain control on the program or surrender it for good. This IS NOT his program to run into the ground. If he’s not going to do the job, it’s time for Spanier and Curley to take charge and oust him, no matter the repercussions.

This is no longer a matter of the football team winning games, it’s a matter of Joe allowing the players he brought in to tarnish the image of the program and the university as a whole.

Penn State finally beat Michigan in some football-related matter. Beaver Stadium is now the country’s largest stadium after Michigan was forced to make seat reductions to complete handicap-accessible improvements with their recent stadium upgrades. Penn State will likely only retain the distinction for two years though as Michigan Stadium will likely reclaim the top spot in 2010 after stadium renovations are complete. Never the less, it feels good to finally beat Michigan at something.

The most serious charge against defensive tackle Phil Taylor has been dropped. Taylor was the fourth football player charged for the October HUB fight, joining fellow defensive tackle Chris Baker, linebacker Navorro Bowman, and defensive back Knowledge Timmons. Baker and Bowman still face felony aggravated assault charges. Timmons faces no serious charges.

Nothing new on the Terrelle Pryor front. He has until April 1st to make a final decision. He is expected to visit Penn State in the near future but all signs still seem to point towards Ohio State.

Terrible. Likely no QB, one RB, one WR (and a sleeper at that), three decent OL, one DB. Obviously the need for a QB is erased if Pryor comes aboard. Beachum is a good running back but this need would have been filled perfectly if Michael Shaw didn’t get away. That was a huge blow. Wide receiver was an unmitigated disaster. If not for A.J. Price, this class would not have had a receiver in it. With immediate playing time available for 2009, that is simply inexcusable. Offensive line wasn’t a huge need but they did need to fill a few spots, and did that, but really didn’t get the type of quality I would hope for. The only one I’m real comfortable with from that group is Matt Stankiewitch. King departing left another hole at DB. Keeping Lynn committed was huge for the staff but they could’ve really used another stud here. Jared Holley would’ve been a perfect fit.

Who was the big fish that got away? The kid you really really wish we had landed?

Deion Walker, with Michael Shaw a close second. Walker loved Penn State but ultimately picked Notre Dame. He would have filled a huge need. He could’ve played as a true freshman and then stepped up as a big contributor in 2009. Instead he decided to throw himself into a glut at Notre Dame. I think Paterno’s inability to go on the road really hurt PSU with this one. Hopefully it was a lesson learned for the coaching staff.

You’re NCAA President Miles Brand. Take a break from counting your BCS cash for a minute. What would you do to improve the recruiting process?

There really should be a way to keep snakes in the grass like Rich Rodriguez from pilfering verbals at the last second. Both PSU and Purdue got burned by his antics with players from Trotwood-Madison High School. I don’t know if an early signing period would really correct that. Perhaps recruits should be allowed to sign their letter of intent whenever they desire and officially end the recruiting process. Unfortunately, there’s really no way to stop this madness. There are always going to be coaches that find a way to get to these recruits after they have made verbal commitments. 

Now you’re Joe Paterno. So I guess prepare to dodge the question. What would you change about Penn State’s recruiting strategy?

Firstly, if Joe isn’t healthy enough to make in-home visits in January, he needs to retire. Or at the very least a succession plan needs to be announced. I think that hurt Penn State more than anything with this class and I think that if Pryor picks PSU, it means that there is one in place. I don’t see him coming here amidst chaos. Hopefully Penn State corrects tis problem early on in the year so it doesn’t have the same negative impact on recruiting as it did in 2007. The staff also needs to change is when they offer kids. They really need to start doing what the majority of other top programs do and offer the juniors written offers before the seniors sign. A lot of players seem to feel slighted by PSU because they have written offers from these other schools but not PSU. It’s an absolutely ridiculous reason to lose out on a kid for. It’s an easy thing to correct and the staff should have no problem getting these offers out to their top targets as early as they can. Look at USC and Ohio State, they already have a bunch of top recruits committed for the Class of 2009. One other major thing PSU needs to do is lock down Pennsylvania. Too many top prospects aren’t even considering PSU and a ton from all over the state went to Pitt last year. Penn State should not be losing out on this in-state talent. Ohio State is the perfect model. Very rarely do they lose a top prospect that they want out of the state. Every year you here how the top prospects in Ohio dream of being Buckeyes and such. Penn State needs to re-establish that in PA. Unfortunately I don’t think that’s something that will be corrected until the next staff comes in.

Lightning Round:

Where will Terrelle Pryor go to school? Or should he just live off the hype for the next few years and directly enter the NFL draft in 2010?

He will go to Ohio State. Don’t get your hopes up about him but if he picks PSU, great.

Which member of this class stands the best chance to make an immediate impact?

D’Anton Lynn. With King heading to the NFL I think there will be an opportunity for him to play early in 2008.

Here is a brief look at each of the 14 prospects that signed with Penn State on National Signing Day. If Terrelle Pryor ends up signing with Penn State, I will do a much more extensive write-up on him and he impact he would have at Penn State.

RB Brandon Beachum (Youngstown, OH)- Beachum was the only running back signed by Penn State in the Class of 2008. He chose Penn State over offers from Boston College, Florida State, Nebraska, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. He is a powerful runner with deceptive speed that seems like he could be another Tony Hunt but with an extra gear to break off the long gainers. He enrolled early at Penn State and with the running back position currently open, Beachum should see immediate playing time in 2008. If he has a strong spring, he could push Evan Royster and Stephfon Green for carries immediately.

DE Jack Crawford (Richland, NJ)- Crawford is the most raw player in this class as he only has a few years of organized football experience. He initially came over to the United States from England to play basketball. At 6-6 255, Crawford has the type of frame to grow into an elite pass rusher off the edge. He has tremendous speed for a player his size and could also factor in as a tight end if he doesn’t push for immediate playing time at DE. He chose Penn State over offers from Boston College, Minnesota, Northwestern, Pitt, Rutgers, and Syracuse. Because of his lack of experience he will likely redshirt as a true freshman in 2008 but don’t be surprised to see him make a major impact in 2009.

OL Mike Farrell (Pittsburgh, PA)- Farrell is one of the several sleepers taken by Penn State in this class. With his 6-5 285 frame he has the potential to grow into a solid tackle. He will almost assuredly redshirt as a true freshman in 2008. Farrell chose Penn State over Miami of Ohio.

DB D’Anton Lynn (Celina, TX)- Recruiting sagas seem to rarely end well for Penn State but with the one involving Lynn, it did. After committing to Penn State in November, Lynn reopened his recruitment when his lead recruiter, Brian Norwood, left to become the defensive coordinator at Baylor. Lynn began reconsidering Oklahoma, USC, Baylor, and Texas Tech. In the end it came down to Penn State and USC and Lynn decided to stick with his verbal. Landing Lynn was extremely important to Penn State for a number of reasons. He was the only defensive back landed in this class but also hails from Texas, a far from traditional recruiting territory for Penn State. If Lynn comes to Penn State, plays early, and succeeds, it could open up some more opportunities in Texas. Penn State has largely avoided the three major recruiting states- California, Florida, and Texas- in recent years but could really pick it back up with a strong showing by Lynn. He has the potential to contribute immediately in the secondary with Justin King departing early for the NFL. There is a chance he could redshirt but I expect to see him on the field in 2008. Lynn chose Penn State over offers from Baylor, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and USC.

DE Pete Massaro (Newtown Square, PA)- Massaro is another prospect that doesn’t seem to quite fit at any position yet but could develop into a serviceable defensive lineman in the future. At 6-4 240 it is conceivable that he bulks up only enough to stay at defensive end. However, he does possess the frame to add enough weight to play defensive tackle as well. He is a certain redshirt candidate as Penn State has plenty of young talent on the defensive line. Massaro chose Penn State over offers from Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Syracuse, and Temple.

LB Michael Mauti (Mandeville, LA)- Mauti seemed destined to be a Nittany Lion from the start. His dad, Rich, played under Paterno decades earlier, his brother, Patrick, is a walk-on wide receiver, and Penn State is becoming a popular destination for the nation’s top linebacking prospects. Mauti was injured for a good portion of his senior season but impressed numerous scouts at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. With quite a bit of depth at linebacker, it is almost a certainty that Mauti or one of the other two linebackers in this class will redshirt in 2008. It will likely come down to summer practice to decide who that individual (or perhaps two individuals) will be. But with Mauti’s impressive All-American Bowl performance, he will make a strong push for playing time as a true freshman. Mauti chose Penn State over offers from Arkansas, Louisiana Tech, and Oklahoma.

OL Deon’tae Pannell (Birmingham, MI)- Pannell is one of the two tackle prospects brought in by Penn State, along with Mike Farrell. He is likely destined to play tackle but is a certain redshirt candidate with Penn State’s offensive line mostly pieced together already. Pannell chose Penn State over offers from Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin.

WR A.J. Price (Reston, VA)- Price is perhaps the most underrated prospect in this class. Initially he was unsure if he was even going to play his senior year of football in high school. This is the reason his tapes were so late in getting out to recruiting services and college coaches, likely the result of his low rating by most scouting services. However, Price has all of the flash and talent of a much more highly-rated and recruited athlete. Price is the only receiver in this class and that will give him a leg up on the true freshmen that will undoubtedly be competing for playing time in 2009. Price will almost certainly redshirt in 2008 with the amount of depth that Penn State has at wide receiver and he also needs to add some additional weight to his 6-4 175 frame. Look for him to be a major contributor in 2009. Price chose Penn State over offers from Duke, Michigan, North Carolina, and Virginia.

OL Matt Stankiewitch (Schuylkill Haven, PA)- Stankiewitch was Penn State’s first verbal to the Class of 2008 when he chose the Nittany Lions back in April. He filled an immediate need as he projects to the center position in college, despite playing guard in the Under Armour All-American Game. After a redshirt season in 2008 he should be ready to push for the starting center spot vacated by A.Q. Shipley. Stankiewitch chose Penn State over offers from Connecticut, Rutgers, and West Virginia.

DT James Terry (Brandywine, DE)- Terry is one of the more questioned members of the Class of 2008. When he committed to Penn State back in July it did not become public knowledge for two weeks. Despite his only other offer being from Temple, Larry Johnson Sr. reportedly handpicked Terry and wanted him to be a Nittany Lion. It remains to be seen of course whether that was the right decision. Penn State could certain use some additional depth at DT and  Terry fills that void. He will almost certainly redshirt in 2008.

DT Brandon Ware (Harrisburg, PA)- Ware, much like Terry, is another questioned member of this class. Just like Terry, his only other offer came from Temple. However, Ware is an intriguing prospect because of his massive 6-4 358 frame. It is undecided whether his future is on the defensive or offensive side of the ball. Because of that, and the fact that he will need to lose some of that weight, he will be a certain redshirt in 2008. If he struggles to shed the weight, expect to see him stay on the defensive side of the ball. However, if he maintains the large size and really bulks up, he would be an ideal candidate for Penn State to use in a 3-4 formation down the road. While we can pretty much give up on the idea of that becoming Penn State’s base defense, having a guy like Ware to put at nose tackle could make it an interesting diversion.

TE Mark Wedderburn (Springfield, PA)- Wedderburn, along with Mauti and Zordich, is one of the legacy recruits in this class. His brother, All-American OL Floyd Wedderburn, played at Penn State in the mid to late 1990s. Wedderburn joins a crowded group at tight end for Penn State. However, the possibility exists of Wedderburn moving outside to a wide out position due to that crowding at tight end. He has the size and ability to create some mismatches in the secondary. Wedderburn could push for some early playing time as a true freshman but there seems to be a good chance he gets redshirted due to all of the depth at the position currently. He chose Penn State over offers from Florida, Louisville, Michigan, Rutgers, and Tennessee.

LB Mike Yancich (Washington, PA)- Despite often being overshadowed by Ohio State-bound teammate Andrew Sweat, Yancich distinguished himself as the top linebacker prospect in Pennsylvania in 2007. He is a tackling machine that brings a non-stop motor to Penn State. He was also an accomplished running back in high school but does not figure to see any time there at the collegiate level. He has the potential to push for immediate playing time, along with Mauti and Zordich, but it is doubtful all three will play as true freshmen. It will likely come down to their performances in summer practice. Yancich chose Penn State over offers from Boston College, Connecticut, Duke, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Pitt, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and West Virginia.

LB Mike Zordich (Youngstown, OH)- Zordich follows in his father’s footsteps as he decided to come to Happy Valley. While many felt it would be difficult for the Nittany Lions to pull Zordich away from the Buckeyes they ultimately pulled it off and used him as the base for a very strong class of linebackers. Zordich is a hard hitter and could be an immediate contributor on special teams. He has just as good a shot as the other two linebackers to play as a true freshman. Zordich chose Penn State over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Syracuse, and Wisconsin.

Penn State lost out on another top recruit today as DeMatha High School WR Kenny Tate chose Maryland over Illinois and Penn State. Tate joins a long list, including Notre Dame-bound Deion Walker, of top receiving prospects that spurned Penn State in favor of other schools despite the possibility of immediate playing time or at the very least significant playing time in 2009.

Now I will take a look at some of the players remaining on Penn State’s offer board, examining what the current situation is and my prediction of where they will end up.

QB Terrelle Pryor (Jeanette H.S./Jeanette, PA):

Penn State remains a player in the race for the Vince Young clone from Jeanette, PA, but even as an extreme optimist, I just don’t see him ending up in Blue and White. Although the fact that he is considering delaying his decision until after February 6th can be viewed as a positive for Penn State. Supposedly he is interested in making a visit to Oregon and that is one of the things that could hold up him making a decision on National Signing Day. It remains to be seen what kind of impact Joe Paterno, Tom Bradley, and Jay Paterno’s visit to his high school yesterday had on him. I believe he is headed to Ohio State but if he holds out past February 6th, I could see Penn State becoming a bigger player in the race.

Considering: Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State

Prediction: Ohio State

ATH Marcus Davis (Ocean Lakes H.S./Virginia Beach, VA):

Davis remains the best chance of Penn State landing a QB in this class. While he could play a multitude of positions at the collegiate level, he is an excellent example of the type of QB that Penn State is looking for to run the “Spread HD”. Davis is waiting to make choice until National Signing Day, perhaps waiting to see where Pryor ends up. He really liked Florida early on but an offer never came from the Gators. It appears to be a battle between Penn State and Virginia Tech. I see Pryor heading to Columbus so I think Davis will make a nice consolation prize for PSU on signing day.

Considering: North Carolina, Penn State, and Virginia Tech

Prediction: Penn State

OL Corey Lewis (East Stroudsburg South H.S./Cresco, PA):

After committing to Virginia early in the summer, Lewis has re-opened his recruitment in recent months. While he is still committed to the Cavaliers, he is now considering Penn State and Illinois as well. Lewis would fill a big need for Penn State in this class that sorely lacks highly-ranked linemen (although I believe Mike Farrell could be a big sleeper despite lack of interest from bigger programs). However, the fact that he remains committed to Virginia shows that he still has strong interest in them as well. Penn State seems like a logical choice given its location and need for offensive linemen but there’s obviously something that keeps him thinking Virginia. I think he stick with the Cavaliers come signing day.

Considering: Virginia (committed), Illinois, and Penn State

Prediction: Virginia

DB D’Anton Lynn (Celina H.S./Celina, TX):

The situation with Lynn is one of the more troubling for Penn State. After committing to the Nittany Lions back in November, Lynn re-opened his recruitment after safeties coach Brian Norwood, who created Lynn for Penn State, took the defensive coordinator job at Baylor. While Lynn has remained committed to Penn State, he expressed renewed interest in Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and USC. However, last weekend it was revealed that he was still remaining committed to Penn State but would consider taking a visit to USC. As of right now there is no confirmed visit planned to USC and the Trojans recently received a commitment from another defensive back prospect. While only rated as a 3-star prospect by Rivals.com, Lynn boasts an impressive offer sheet that includes PSU, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Florida, among others. With no other commitments from DB prospects, Penn State must hold on to Lynn. Keeping him is more important than landing any of these other prospects, save perhaps Terrelle Pryor. But after all the agony of the past month, expect him to stick with Penn State.

Considering: Penn State (committed), Oklahoma, and USC

Prediction: Penn State

WR Randall Dunn (Ocean Lakes H.S./Virginia Beach, VA):

A teammate of Marcus Davis, Dunn came onto Penn State’s, and many other teams’, radar late in the process. The wide receiver appears headed to Virginia Tech in all likelihood but I figured I would still mention him since he’s uncommitted. Perhaps Kenny Tate choosing Maryland today will get Dunn to take another look at Penn State but I seriously doubt it. Even if Davis ends up coming to Happy Valley, don’t expect to Dunn to follow. He will announce on signing day.

Considering: North Carolina, Penn State, West Virginia, Virginia, and Virginia Tech

Prediction: Virginia Tech

By my predictions Penn State comes out of signing day with Lynn still in tow and Marcus Davis joining to give the class a slightly more complete feeling as he has the tools to potentially play QB. Penn State has a shot at prying Corey Lewis away from Virginia but I’m just not feeling that one right now. Hopefully I will be dead wrong.

The only way for this signing day to be anything real special is if Pryor decides he wants to be a Nittany Lion. Or at the very least that he is delaying his decision. Personally, I would consider that event a minor victory. If he doesn’t select Ohio State or Michigan on signing day, Penn State’s chances at landing him increase significantly. Just don’t count on it.

Once the class is all accounted for (or so we think, depending on what course of action Pryor takes) I will have a more detailed analysis. For now I’m just going to confirm my views as being in the same realm as just about anyone else’s: this class was a massive disappointment. Even if Pryor ends up being a part of it, there are still a lot of missing pieces. But having the “perfect” QB to run the spread would compensate an awful lot for the rest of the shortcomings.

It is unclear where King will likely be drafted. The NFL’s advisory committee pegged him as a second or third round pick. However, with a strong combine performance he could boost himself perhaps into the first round, where he likely would have been selected in the 2009 draft had he elected to return for 2008 and clear up some of his struggles from 2007.

What does this mean for Penn State? I think it’s very debatable at this point. While King, along with Derrick Williams, was a catalyst for the turnaround at Penn State, he really struggled at times this season. I think the team will ultimately miss his potential leadership as a senior captain more than his on-field performance. Penn State has done a fairly good job at developing corner backs over the past several years so I think they will be able to fill King’s role fairly well, especially if A.J. Wallace really matures into a shutdown corner. It will be interesting to see how the staff goes about addressing the vacant starting corner spot. Lydell Sargeant would seem like the natural solution since he started for a good portion of 2007 before being replaced by Wallace. Tony Davis could also be moved back from his safety spot. Penn State has several young prospects that could fill the safety spot that would be vacated by Davis.

All I can say after last night about the offense is thankfully the Anthony Morelli era is over. The Alamo Bowl was a microcosm of Morelli’s career- at times he looked good, at times he looked bad, and at times he looked downright confused. I want to blame Jay Paterno as much as anyone else for Morelli’s shortcomings but as I’ve mentioned all season, at some point it just has to be considered that Morelli does not have the mental skills necessary to be a top flight QB. Good luck to any NFL team willing to take him on. Honestly, he has the impressive arm strength and prototypical stature of an NFL QB but the good ends there. If he lasts more than a season or two on an NFL bench or practice squad I will be extremely surprised.

There’s not a whole lot else to mentioned about the offensive performance that hasn’t already been mulled over on here so many times before. The running game was strong with both Kinlaw and Royster. Rodney Kinlaw deserves a lot of credit for the way he just stepped in for Austin Scott and had a really nice but quiet 1,000-yard season. It should be interesting to see how Stephfon Green likely fills Kinlaw’s role as a scatback (although it’s unfair to really label him as such after so many strong rushing performances). Royster showed he has the potential to be the next great Penn State running back when he blasted through the line and then burned Texas A&M’s secondary on his way to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. I’m really looking forward to seeing him in a more prominent role next season.

The offensive line once again played an outstanding game. Morelli had a lot of time to throw and was hardly touched by the Aggie defense all night long. The OL really has not received the credit it deserves for this season, paving the way for a 1,000-yard season for a smaller back like Kinlaw and protecting a very non-mobile QB like Morelli. This was easily Penn State’s best offensive line in years. I believe it was even better than the 2005 senior-laden offensive line. It was never quite clear truly how good that group was because they had a mobile QB in Michael Robinson who certainly helped avoid a number of sacks on his own. With all five starters returning in 2008, both Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin will have a major asset to work with that Morelli did not in his first season as a starter- a well-established offensive line.

It was nice to see Daryll Clark get some playing time. However, the way in which the offensive staff went about using him was just utterly bizarre. Sorry, but if the point of playing Clark was to get him some meaningful reps in preparation for 2008, there was no reason for Morelli to be on the field with him making the play calls. It should have been only Clark, getting some experience as the leader in the huddle. Not to mention that Morelli provides nothing when he’s split out wide. I just don’t understand the thinking behind this one. It was clear that if Clark was on the field he would be running with the football. This was just too much of a reminder of those awful plays with Michael Robinson under center and Zack Mills split out wide.

Only real item of note is that D’Anton Lynn seems extremely uncertain of his commitment to Penn State. While he still maintains that he is committed to the Nittany Lions, I have a feeling he’s either going to end up at Oklahoma or at Baylor with Brian Norwood when it’s all said and done. I don’t have a good feeling at all about Lynn staying committed to Penn State.