Penn State made a concerted effort for the first time in years to recruit the south, and it has already begun to show results, with 3 of PSU’s 17 commitments hailing from the talent rich region.  Alabama DT Parker Cothren is one of those, and he has faxed his Letter of Intent to the PSU coaching staff.  Parker is a 3-star player on 247.

Parker had originally committed to Purdue over the summer, but backed out following an offer from Penn State, and a subsequent visit.  A relative unknown at the time, Parker quickly became one of the hotter prospects in Alabama, picking up offers from Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, and Auburn in a 6 day period in January.  Despite the intense interest from the SEC, Coach Johnson did a solid job keeping Parker in the fold.

Going into the 2013 season, I would not be surprised to see Cothren work his way into the defensive line rotation.  Larry Johnson has never been shy about playing freshman if they are ready, and the limited depth at tackle means there is plenty of opportunity should he show he is ready.  And let’s be honest, how excited are you to see Parker Cothren line up next to Curtis Cothran on the same defensive line?

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