Why should that be obvious, you ask?  Simple, BOB has seen Ferguson with his own eyes.  He’s coached him, and and watched him in his offense.  As talented as Hackenberg is, and as much as he’s studied the PSU offense, he hasn’t taken a single snap or thrown a single pass under the tutelage of O’Brien or Charlie Fisher.  Of course the known quantity is going to have a slight edge at this point.  What still baffles me is the insistence of some (many?) that Hackenberg has to start.  I have absolute faith that if he does, it’s because he’s the best option, and he’s 100% ready.  But I’m not exactly rushing to throw another true freshman into the fire.  He’s not Rob Bolden, and this is not the old coaching staff.  But I can count on 1 hand the number of quarterbacks in BCS conferences that have started as true freshman, and gone on to big things.

One other area BOB addressed was the transfer of Steven Bench.  He said that over the course of the 15 spring practices, not just the Blue-White Game, Ferguson had pulled slightly ahead of Bench.  It has been speculated, and confirmed by Bench’s father, that O’Brien had told Steven that Ferguson would be splitting time with Hackenberg with the first team upon his arrival, leaving little chance to compete for the starting position.

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With all due respect to Jake Seymour, Austin Whipple, and D.J. Crook, this is a three horse race at best.  Rising sophomore Steven Bench, JUCO transfer (and sophomore eligible) Tyler Ferguson, and incoming uber recruit Christian Hackenberg are the three names we’ll be discussing in the coming months.  Here’s our incredibly early, and overly speculative look, at those three.

STEVEN BENCH

Going back to his high school tape, Steven has very impressive accuracy, and an above average arm.  There are several areas that give him an advantage over the other two candidates, the biggest of which is of course his experience.  A full season in the program, learning the offense, the coaches, and his teammates, is no small thing.  He is also of course the only QB on the roster to have taken a snap for the Nittany Lions.  One area that I do not think gets nearly enough attention is his athleticism.  For a big guy, Bench runs rather well (4.68 40 as a high school senior).  In his brief stint vs. Virginia, you saw a little read option, which I would not be surprised is something O’Brien wouldn’t mind adding to his offense, if he has a QB that can execute it.

TYLER FERGUSON

Tyler filled a huge need on the QB depth chart when he committed to PSU in December, and enrolling just weeks later in January.  At the time Penn State faced the prospect of just 2 scholarship QBs in the fall, and just 1 in the Spring.  Ferguson is hardly a place holder though.  In his first season at College of the Sequoias, he threw for 2,600 yards and 26 touchdowns.  Tyler has a big time arm, and certainly looks the part at 6’5″, 210 lbs.  Joining the program in January will of course give him the opportunity to not only study the playbook, but work with the staff throughout spring ball. He is also the only player in this competition to have played more than a few snaps above high school.  Sure, junior college isn’t exactly Ohio State, but there is most definitely a step up in competition that should serve Tyler well.

CHRISTIAN HACKENBERG

There is not much I can say here that we haven’t already said about Christian.  If you were to write down all the traits you want in a quarterback, he has it, size, arm strength, accuracy, and probably most importantly, the desire to be great.  It wasn’t long after he signed his letter of intent, that he began tweeting about digging into the Lions’ playbook. About the only thing holding back Hackenberg is he won’t be on campus until this summer, while Ferguson and Bench will be getting reps with their teammates, and working with the coaching staff.

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You can exhale now, Penn State.  All everything QB recruit Christian Hackenberg’s letter of intent has arrived in Happy Valley.  The 5-star, Elite 11 finalist, Under Armour All American held a small signing ceremony Fork Union Military Academy before sending the paperwork up to Penn State.

Regardless of what ranking service you choose to follow, Christian is one of the top pro style QB’s in the country.  247 ranks him as 5-stars, and the top pro-style QB, while both Scout and Rivals give him 5 stars as well, and the #2 ranking.  All the rankings are well and good, but Christian went out and backed it up at the Under Armour All American game, with nearly every talent evaluator in attendance proclaiming him the top QB in the heavily scrutinized practices leading up to the game.  Oh, and he was named one of Elite 11 finalists at the prestigious quarterback camp over the summer.  Perhaps most importantly, Christian has the work ethic and desire to go along with his natural ability.

Hackenberg also quickly bonded with classmates Adam Breneman, Garrett Sickels and Brendan Mahon.  Those 4 became the core of the class that was key in keeping the group together post sanctions.

Don’t be surprised to see Christian redshirt this season, as Steven Bench and Tyler Ferguson will almost certainly be ahead of him on the depth chart.  If there is a weakness in his game, it is likely understanding and reading defenses, something that Bill O’Brien’s offense demands much of.  The year to get acclimated to the college game, and work with O’Brien and Charlie Fisher could be crucial to Hackenberg’s long term devleopment.  Oh, and he’d have 2 potential bowl eligible seasons.

Follow VBR Lead Editor Matt de Bear on Twitter for the latest on Penn State and National Singing Day

November 24, 2012; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Bill O

When Bill O’Brien took over in January, he made no secret about the rigors of the quarterback position, and how much he asks of the guy he puts under center.  He also promised a true competition for the starting spot, and that whoever won it, would be his guy.  Matt McGloin, Rob Bolden, and Paul Jones entered Spring practice with the proverbial clean slate and equal time to impress O’Brien and new quarterback coach Charlie Fisher.  None of the three were terribly impressive in the Blue-White scrimmage, but fan sentiment seemed to favor Jones, if for no other reason than we had all seen the other two options.  Jones at least provided the raw talent, and the “can’t be worse” factor.  However, on June 1st, McGloin was named PSU’s starter.  By the time fall camp started, Bolden was in Baton Rouge, and when camp broke, freshman Steven Bench had supplanted Jones as the backup.  By the time Big 10 season came around, Paul Jones had moved to tight end, and then left the program.  It was clear that position was McGloin’s.

As with practically every other spot on the offense, it was very clear early how well McGloin had taken to O’Brien’s offense.  Not only was he making all the throws, he showed a remarkable ability to get the Lions into the right play on many occasions.  For a quarterback that was virtually forbidden making an audible at the line, McGloin relished the opportunity to change the play. When asked by the BTN crew during fall camp what his favorite part about the new offense was, McGloin told the gang “checking at the line and going downfield”.  In essence, f*** it, going deep.

About the only weakness McGloin showed was with blitz recognition, and dealing with pressure.  O’Brien and Fisher coached out many of the flaws in his game, but even when faced with heavy pressure and no chance to make a play, McGloin often sought to buy more time, ultimately costing the offense more yardage.  In PSU’s two Big 10 losses, McGloin also threw costly interceptions, giving both Ohio State and Nebraska early 2nd half momentum.  The Buckeyes took their interception back for 6, while Nebraska’s set up an offensive score.  However, given where he was just a few months prior, the advances McGloin made were astonishing.

September 22, 2012; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Matthew McGloin (11) reacts after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Temple Owls at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Temple 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Rob Christy-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into 2013, O’Brien will again have a major decision to make with his signal caller.  Steven Bench is the only quarterback currently on the roster returning next season.  JUCO transfer Tyler Ferguson from California will be arriving on campus in January with 3 years of eligibility, and will be expected to challenge Bench for the starting spot in spring practice.  Blue chip recruit Christian Hackenberg is also expected to sign with Penn State in February, and arrive on campus for the first summer session in June.  With Ferguson’s arrival, the staff will have the option to potentially redshirt Hackenberg, and still have two scholarship QBs available.

With the steps McGloin took this season with just 10 months of coaching from O’Brien and Fisher, you can’t help but wonder how much better McGloin could be.  His grasp of the offense, and close relationship with O’Brien had me wondering at times during the season if we might not see him back at PSU down the road as graduate assistant or assistant coach.  With all that said, and with the record breaking season McGloin had, it’s hard to go any direction other than an A.

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QB: 1 (previously 1) (Chritian Hackenberg)
As long as Christian Hackenberg is interested in Penn State, they will have a spot for him.

RB: 1 (previously 1-2)
The staff will have to look a little deeper than expected, but getting a running back in this recruiting class is vital.

WR: 1-2 (previously 2-3)
It looks like the coaching staff would have been content taking just two wide receivers in the first place. The fact that they brought in three WRs last year (Lewis, Golden, Warner) gives them some flexibility here. I wouldn’t be totally shocked to see just one player taken this year, due to other areas of need.

TE: 1 (Adam Breneman )
No other TE was ever offered this year.

OL: 2-3 (previously 3-4) (Brendan Mahon, Andrew Nelson)
I think the staff would like to add another tackle, after not landing one in 2011. But with the big local targets off the board, it’s tough to predict what they’ll end up with.

DT: 1-2 (previously 1)
The transfer of Jamil Pollard may leave them wanting an extra DT than they had previously had planned. Problem is, they have zero right now.

DE: 2 (previously 2) (Garrett Sickels, Curtis Cothran)
These two have both solidified their commitments following the NCAA sanctions. For now, the defensive end position is finalized.

LB: 3? (previously 3-4) (Brandon Bell,  Zayd Issah)
After taking just two LBs total in the last two classes, Penn State is very thin on underclassmen linebackers. Bell is a solid commitment, but the jury is still out on Zayd.

DB: 3-4 (previously 4+) (Neiko Robinson)
Probably the biggest depth chart issue on the team, Penn State will likely have to reach to at least add some bodies to this unit. If they don’t have the class full by mid-January, I’d expect to see a couple offers thrown out here to some fringe prospects.

Total: 15-19 15

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

In no particular order, here are FIVE reasons why Penn State will not fall into obscurity in 2013:

photo by Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

Silas Redd Was Not That Important.

Silas Redd is a terrific player. However, it’s not like the Nittany Lions are left playing with 10 players in his departure. Last year, Redd had 1,241 rushing yards, which was really good. It was actually the third best total for Penn State…in the last seven years. In fact, Penn State has produced a 1,000 yard rusher in eight consecutive seasons, including 1,200+ yard seasons from Evan Royster, Rodney Kinlaw and Tony Hunt. Bill Belton has a legit shot at approaching that 1,000 yard mark in 2012, and in 2013 he will be a junior, with a year of experience under his belt. Silas Redd may not have been at Penn State in 2013, whether or not he had transferred.

Coincidentally, fellow Penn State commit Adam Breneman will be in State College for a routine doctors appointment regarding his recent knee surgery. Conveniently for those involved, Adam will see his doctor in the morning, allowing him time to take in the practice with his fellow classmate. Adam played a part in the recruitment of Issah, originally, while spending the day with him at the Big 33 Game in Hershey, PA. Adam was also in State College two Saturdays ago with Christian Hackenberg, Brendan Mahon, Garrett Sickels and Andrew Nelson, all of whom remain committed to Penn State.

It’s my opinion that Zayd Issah is one of the most underrated recruits in the state of Pennsylvania. He not only totaled over 100 tackles in his first season playing defense, he also gained over 2,000 yards and scored 31 touchdowns last season for Central Dauphin, on their way to a AAAA State Championship. I think he could play a variety of positions at the next level, but with the proper coaching, he could become a prototypical outside linebacker.

Hanging onto Zayd Issah would be a nice statement for the Penn State coaching staff in the state of Pennsylvania. Three other in-state commits (Mahon, Cothran, Breneman) have re-affirmed their commitments to Bill O’Brien. Only Philadelphia’s Will Fuller has changed his mind about his commitment.

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

TE Adam Breneman, QB Chritian Hackenberg, DE Garrett Sickels,  OG Brendan Mahon, OT Andrew Nelson and WR Will Fuller made the trip to speak with the staff and each other about their commitments to Penn State.

Before today, Mahon, Sickels and Breneman, to an extent, had re-affirmed that they were still 100% committed, while the others wanted some answers before making that statement. I’ve been told that after meeting with O’Brien and discussing the future, all six players have decided that they are 100% committed.

And then they almost broke twitter.

Love this 2013 class. @AdamBreneman87 @BigBabyMahon @Will_Fuller7 @DorianJ64 @GarrettSickels @ANelson59

— Christian Hackenberg (@chackenberg1) July 28, 2012

-Christian Hackenberg

GREAT time at Penn State! Coach O’Brienmade me remember why I committed in the 1st place. I’m 100% committed to the greatest college.

— 4a Mvp (@Will_Fuller7) July 28, 2012

-Will Fuller

100% committed to Penn State and Coach O’Brien. Love these guys. @chackenberg1 @BigBabyMahon @GarrettSickels @ANelson59 @Will_Fuller7

— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman87) July 28, 2012

-Adam Breneman

We are the 2013 class. @BigBabyMahon @chackenberg1 @AdamBreneman87 @Will_Fuller7 @ANelson59

— Garrett Sickels (@GarrettSickels) July 28, 2012

-Garrett Sickels

#RestoreTheRoar wouldn’t want to do it with anyone but these guys @BigBabyMahon @Will_Fuller7 @GarrettSickels @chackenberg1 @AdamBreneman87

— Andrew Nelson (@ANelson59) July 28, 2012

-Andrew Nelson

This is a special group of young men and, along with the leaders from the 2012 class who are set to start camp in a week, the future of Penn State football is bright.

And also very talented.

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

Christian’s father has stated that his son remains currently committed to Penn State, but added that the blue chip quarterback needs to have some questions averted before making a final decision.

Will Fuller told me earlier this week that he hoped to speak with his high school coach and family soon before making a decision of his own. He likely has questions for O’Brien, as well. Remember, Fuller committed to Penn State just days after earning his offer. There’s no doubt he wants to be aNittany Lion.

It’s an understatement to call this a critical weekend in the future of the Penn State football program. If O’Brien can convince the core group of this class that Penn State still has plenty to offer, the football team has a strong chance of thriving through the bowl-less seasons.

Adam Breneman has stated that he hopes to get other recruits, such as Dorian Johnson and Curtis Cothran, on campus as well.

My theory is that the more time these kids spend together and with O’Brien and his staff, the more likely they are to remain committed to eachother and the university.

Stay tuned this weekend.

Following the news and abundance of not-really-news-but-instead-crazy-opinion-articles from the last five days, a few people have floated questions my way about potential de-commitments from current Penn State recruits.

Rather than asking kids if they are considering de-committing, I presented several of them with the same question and assured their answers would be anonymous.

On a scale from 1-10, how committed to Penn State are you right now?

• 10 “Fully committed.”
• 9
• 10 “For now.”
• 10 “No doubt.”
• 10 “and you can reveal my name. I’m proud of Penn State, the students, alumni and faculty currently there!” -Garrett Sickels, per his request.
• 10 “I don’t see any point of being committed if you’re not committed.”

A few haven’t answered yet, but you get the idea. This is a tight group of kids. I did not ask Adam Breneman or Christian Hackenberg, but you can rest assured that the average would have gone up if I had.

Cory Giger of The Altoona Mirror recently did a story, documenting the commitments of the offensive duo. When asked if his commitment was still strong, Hackenberg replied “Yeah, without a doubt.” What about if there were sanctions?  ”Yeah. It would have to be the death penalty or the whole staff leave.”

As for Breneman, his father told Giger that ”As long as there’s football at Penn State, Adam’s going to be committed.” Adam later added the same sentiment as his future quarterback, saying that a bowl ban or TV ban would not deter him.

As for the players who didn’t reply by post time, I wouldn’t worry too much. The kids who did were convincing enough for me.

Don’t forget to check out Catch the Cure, Adam Breneman’s effort to raise money for ALS!

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

After telling me that he thoroughly enjoyed his recent visit and that he would be returning for an official visit to watch a game this fall, he revealed a “lucky 13″ list of his favorites and Penn State didn’t make the cut. Strange on a couple levels.

Naming a “Top 13″ is absolutely pointless.

— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman87) July 4, 2012

With Green apparently…maybe…no longer interested, pressure is on for PSU to land David Williams. He is apparently the lone running back left  that the Nittany Lions are pursuing. New Jersey’s Zaire Williams recently camped at Penn State, hoping to earn an offer so that he could join high school teammate. That offer did not come and Zaire committed to West Virginia on Monday night. Keep an eye out for a guy like Roman Clay, who visited back in April, to get some attention. Roman has offers from schools like UMass, Towson and Delaware right now but hit the camp scene hard this summer, visiting UConn, Pitt, Temple, Duke, UNC, NC State and others.

This weekend at The Opening, Alex Anzalone committed to Notre Dame, leaving Penn State fans wondering who, if anyone, would fill his spot as the 4th linebacker in this class. I’ve maintained that a fourth linebacker is not a guarantee. I’m sure that a spot would have been quickly cleared for Anzalone, but the lack of offers over the recent weeks makes me wonder if they’re aggressively pursuing another linebacker. Newby committed to Nebraska, Deeb to Notre Dame, Stevenson to Florida State and, assuming they saw the signs that the rest of us did, they knew that Anzalone to Notre Dame was coming. Still, no notable contact with new linebackers. It’s possible that the staff feels good about their chances with guys like Al-Rasheed Benton or maybe Jermaine Grace, but if they were adamant about a fourth backer in the class, it seems like they’d be casting a wider net. I suppose we shall see.

In some good news, DT Eddie Vanderdoes won the DL MVP Award at The Opening and talked about some upcoming visits. I was able to confirm with his father that he still intends on taking an official visit to Penn State in the fall. He could end up as a five star DT, as one of the best DTs in the country. Getting him on campus for a gameday atmosphere would be Penn State’s best chance at luring Eddie away from the west coast.

Seeing what BOB is able to do under these circumstances really makes you realize how much old staff was hurting PSU in terms of recruiting.

— Devon Edwards (@Devon2012) June 25, 2012

That seems a bit harsh.

I understand what is being said. This is a different situation. What O’Brien has done during his time at Penn State, with the circumstances that he’s been given, is nothing short of admirable. Please don’t mistake this for criticism of O’Brien and his staff. However, the “old staff” did some fine recruiting, themselves. They did it with an aging head coach who didn’t make in-home visits and never could say how long he’d remain the coach.

Heading into November last year, Joe and the staff were well on their way to a top 10 class, nationally. It would have been the second top 10 class in the past three years. It would have contained one of the top corners in the country, one of the top defensive tackles in the country and just maybe the top defensive end in the 2012 class.

But then, things happened. O’Brien was forced to pick up the pieces and finished with a tremendous group of young men. For the sake of this argument, we’ll throw out 2012 because it wasn’t really anybody’s class.

Penn State’s 2011 class was lackluster. It was referred to as a “meat and potatoes” class. It was small in number (19) and didn’t contain a single QB or RB. What it did contain was five 4 star players, each of which was a lineman, most of who will play or start this season.

The reason that was a “meat and potatoes” class was because in 2010, the old staff scored a strong, top 10 class that was ranked as the top class in the conference. It contained TWO standout QBs in Rob Bolden and Paul Jones, two of the top linebackers in the country in Mike Hull and Khairi Fortt, one of the top centers in the class and a running back named Silas Redd. In all, the 2010 class contained 10 four star players.

O’Brien is well on his way to an excellent class. Hackenberg, Breneman and Dorian Johnson are fantastic prospects and great kids. All I’m saying is let’s hold off on the whole “I’m glad they’re gone…” mentality. It’s ok for the grass to be green on both sides of the fence.
For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

2013 commit Christian Hackenberg had a big week. 1st, he was named a finalist for the Elite 11 challenge, a national quarterback competition between the best signal callers in the country. Following that, Hack headed to Atlanta to compete in the Rivals100 Five Star Challenge (I think that’s what it’s called…). He left with hardware, being named the top QB at the competition, over USC commit Max Browne and others. He led his Northeast Team to the 7 on 7 championship.

Joining Christian on that squad was WR Tyler Boyd, who raised a lot of eyebrows over the weekend, “catching everything thrown his way.” Word got out that he and Hackenberg were spending quite a bit of time together over the weekend and that Boyd may join Hackenberg in Happy Valley this  weekend. I have not yet been able to confirm that with Boyd, but you’ll know more when I do.
From what I’m told, it’s USC, WVU and Penn State at the top for Boyd. However, his friend and teammate, Titus Howard, committed to Pitt over the weekend and admitted he would be recruiting Tyler.

Also in Atlanta was OG Brendan Mahon, who drew high praise. In the one-on-one battles, Mahon won 6 of 7, which is very impressive for an interior lineman playing in space.

2014 Ohio linebacker Michael Ferns named his three “finalists” and Penn State made the cut. Joining them are Michigan and Notre Dame. Ferns told me that he plans on making his decision at the end of his junior year. He is one of the top linebackers in the 2014 class.

Alex Anzalone plans on taking a two day visit to State College this weekend. He wants to meet with academic advisers on the first day, before staying over with a player and working out the next day. Alex will be joined by Christian Hackenberg, as I mentioned, as well as Adam Breneman, Andrew Nelson and Curtis Cothran (“hopefully”).  Be confident that there will be some recruiting going on there. Also, be hopeful that the academic folks figure out a way to get Anzalone into the honors program.

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Al-Rasheed Benton visited Penn State on Sunday and was reportedly “blown away.” Benton has been high on PSU for quite some time and is officially on commit watch.
p.s. He’s from New Jersey

Belle Vernon OT Dorian Johnson visited Ohio State last weekend and a source tells me that he loved it. It seems that was once considered a two-horse race between Pitt and PSU now has a third team in the mix. However, Johnson will be visiting Happy Valley this weekend and you can be certain that the coaches will be putting the full-court press on him.

Florida linebacker Freddie Stevenson had previously listed Penn State, Florida State and Texas A&M as his top three but after visiting Florida, he expanded his top schools to four and the Gators are now a player. However, Freddie has yet to receive an offer from the Gators, but it’s not far-fetched to think that one may be coming. Freddie is looking forward to an official visit to Penn State this fall, but I kind of get the feeling that the longer this recruitment goes, the smaller chance PSU has.

One of the top running backs in the country, Derrick Green, visited PSU over the weekend. Charles London has been hard at work on Green, including a visit to his high school earlier in the spring. Green is a beast and getting him on campus for an unofficial is pretty significant. He has told me that he plans on taking an official visit to PSU this Fall to see a game. He will be visiting Auburn soon.

Alex Anzalone is back on the market and is taking another round of visits. He was on his way to Notre Dame last week and attended a one day camp at Florida over the weekend. He will be in Happy Valley on June 29-30 for a camp as well as a meeting with academic advisers. Remember, his original decision was influenced largely by his admission to the honors college at Ohio State. Joining Anzalone on campus that weekend will be Penn State commits Christian Hackenberg and Andrew Nelson. Also scheduled to be on campus is Adam Breneman, but I have not confirmed that trip with Adam since his injury. If I were guessing, Adam won’t miss an opportunity to hang out with Hack and recruit Anzalone, but I don’t know what his status will be.

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Many recruits are pledging their verbal commitements to the Nittany Lions to be able to strap on that White Helmet. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

PENN STATE’S 2013 VERBAL COMMITS

BIG TEN CLASS NATIONAL RANKING

*VBR Composite is the highest rating for each player from all of the 4 major recruiting sites.

For the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Staff Writer, Chris Chuff on Twitter.

Updated: June 6, 2012

Yesterday, Penn State received a commitment from Neiko Robinson, who is a three start on Rivals.com, but is unrated by Scout and 247Sports.

What does it all mean? Nothing? Everything?

Another week with no commitments, puts us around 6 weeks now since the commitment of Andrew Nelson. Have no fear, I will personally GUARANTEE that June will give Penn State at least one commitment. GUARANTEE!

This weekend will mark the first of five summer camps that will be attended by players from all over the northeast. Offers will come out and players will commit. GUARANTEED!

In the meantime, quite a few offers have gone out in the last week! Remember, you can click on a player’s name to see his film!

New Jersey three star linebacker, Brandon Bell (6’1″ 225 lbs.) was offered a scholarship. I thought that this had been coming for a while now. Brandon visited the week before the Blue-White game and has offers from all the northeast regulars (UConn, BC, Cuse, Rutgers) as well as Northwestern, WVU and Maryland.

Ohio three star athlete Marcus Ball also received an offer last week. I’ve been a big fan of Ball’s for some time. He probably projects as a safety for Penn State but is very diverse.

Penn State wasn’t done in Ohio, offering St. Edwards safety Solomon Warfield (***) a scholarship last friday. Solomon quickly scheduled a trip to Penn State, but it conflicted with his SAT. He tells me that he will re-schedule and make it to Happy Valley this summer. He has offers from Mich State, Illinois, WVU and Arizona, among others. His film is short, but I love his play recognition and tremendous closing speed in the clips available. Plus, St. Eds plays a top notch schedule in Ohio.

Duke commit, safety Evrett Edwards, also received a Penn State offer. He committed to Duke on March 21st, but it’s likely that the Virginia three star will take some visits this summer/fall.

Ebenezer Ogundeko was also offered last week. The 6’3″ 240 pounder tells me that he is being recruited by Penn State as an outside linebacker, the position that Scout.com ranks him as 35th in the country. He said he is “taking Penn State very seriously” and plans on announcing his decision on August 14th.

Last week I wrote that Penn State had offered the nation’s top 2014 LB, Dante Booker. Since then, Michael Ferns has joined him as 2014 Ohio LBs with offers. Ferns plans on visiting Penn State this summer.

Alex Anzalone tweeted on Tuesday that Penn State and Notre Dame will be stopping by his school on Wednesday.

Rivals updated their Rivals1oo on Tuesday. PSU was represented by TE Adam Breneman (27) and DE Garrett Sickels (60). The glaring omission, in my opinion, was QB Christian Hackenberg. Christian is ranked 11th overall by ESPN and 49th overall by 247Sports but failed to break Rivals top 100.

CLASS OF 2013 COMMITS:

Chritian Hackenberg QB

Ross Douglas CB

Garrett Sickels DE

Adam Breneman TE

Brendan Mahon OL

Curtis Cothran  DE

Greg Webb DT

Andrew Nelson OL

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

psutimm@gmail.com

Before last week, most Penn State fans were under the impression that Christian Hackenberg would be the only quarterback taken in the class of 2013. Has that changed?

Headlining the list is future QB Christian Hackenberg, who is rated as the 11th best player overall and the top “pro style” quarterback in the nation. Christian received an 84 rating.

Joining Christian, and ranked 39th overall, is future Penn Stater Adam Breneman. Adam is listed as the 2nd best tight end in the nation and garnered an 82 rating.

The final Penn State verbal commit on the list is DT Greg Webb, listed as the 123rd player, overall. Greg was given an 80 rating by ESPN.

All three of the prospects listed in the ESPN 150 are rated as 4 stars. Also earning 4 stars were recruits Brendan Mahon (80), Ross Douglas (79) and Garrett Sickels (79).

Penn State is in the mix, if not leading, for several other players on the list of 150. Among them are Robert Foster (23), Dorian Johnson (26), Kendall Fuller (27), Alex Anzalone (65), David Williams (118) and Tyler Boyd (144).

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

psutimm@gmail.com

Total  scholarships: 21 (I’ve seen everything from 16 to 23, I’m going with 21 for now.)

QB: 1 (Chritian Hackenberg)
The other QBs I’ve spoken with have told me that communication has faded, which is consistent with what the staff told Hackenberg.

RB: 1-2
The staff apparently told David Williams that they’d be taking only one RB, but with the depth chart, I struggle to believe that’s the case. I think a scat-back like Richie Anderson could get a late offer.

WR: 2-3
I’m basing this solely off of the current offers out. If they were looking to add more than 3, I think we’d see a lot more offers being thrown around.

TE: 1 (Adam Breneman )
No other TEs ever received offers this year.

OL: 4-5 (Brendan Mahon)
Ideally, Penn State would like to add 2 OTs and another interior lineman to this class, but several of the OTs with early offers are off the board. The staff will likely be branching out with offers soon.

DT: 2 (Greg Webb)
With All-American Webb in the fold, the staff will likely slow down their DT recruiting and be picky. It’s not really a position of need.

DE: 2 (Garrett Sickels, Curtis Cothran)
The staff recently told DaJaun Drennon that they were content with two DEs in this class. This is a position that I think they will add to if they miss at another position.

LB: 3-4
After taking just two LBs total in the last two classes, Penn State will need to take AT LEAST three in this class to offset the depth issues.

DB: 4+ (Ross Douglas)
Probably the biggest depth chart issue on the team, Penn State will likely have to reach to at least add some bodies to this unit. If they don’t have the class full by mid-January, I’d expect to see a couple offers thrown out here to some fringe prospects.

Total: 20-24

It’s crazy how fast 20 scholarships go. Good luck, staff!

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