#PSU has landed a commitment from Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) WR Troy Apke a #Pitt legacy #WPIAL

— Bob Lichtenfels (@BobLichtenfels) April 13, 2013

Troy picked up his offer back in February when he visited campus for Penn State’s junior day recruiting event.  247 gives Troy 3 stars, and ranks him the 9th best prospect in Pennsylvania, and 42nd best receiver nationwide.  If the last name rings a bell, it may be Troy’s father, Steve.  The elder Apke played linebacker for Pitt, and his alma mater was one of Troy’s other offers.  In addition to the two home state schools, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Toledo had also offered.  Of all the receivers we looked at back in March, Troy might have been the most complete player on video.  He has good speed (4.47 40), solid hands, and a 6’1″, 187 lb. frame that looks like it was built to play receiver in the Big 10.

Troy becomes the 4th player to commit for the 2014 class, joining Mark Allen, Nick Scott, and Troy Reeder.  PSU can of course sign up to 15 players, but also must be under 65 scholarships by the 2014 season, which could put this class in the 12-13 player range, depending on transfers, early graduations or other circumstances.

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The Mt. Lebanon Senior High School star picked up his Penn State offer while visiting campus last month for Junior Day, which was his second offer at the time.  The son of former Pitt linebacker Steve Apke, Troy has had an offer from the Panthers, and picked up another from Georgia Tech last week.  247 has not ranked him, but their composite ranking gives him 4 stars.  Watching his highlight tape, you see the 4.47 40 speed seems legit, as are his hands.  Already 6’1″, you can of course expect him to add some weight to his 173 lbs. as he gets older, and into a college training program.

Apke is just one of a few players offered at wide receiver, and as mentioned earlier, don’t expect PSU to take more than 1 player with only 15 scholarships available.  Over the coming weeks and months, it will be interesting to see how the situation plays out.  After seeing what Allen Robinson was able to do under Coach O’Brien’s offense, it’s no surprise PSU is getting serious interest form Troy, and other high level receiver prospects.

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• WR Troy Apke (Pittsburgh, PA) – We listed Troy yesterday, along with some speculation that PSU might hold off on offering until highly regarded Thaddeus Snodgass and Chris Goodwin made decisions.  So much for that.  The son of former Pitt LB Steve Apke already had an offer from his dad’s alma mater, setting up what could be an interesting recruiting battle between the rivals.  Troy is not yet ranked on 247, but his good size (6’1″) and impressive speed (4.47 40) make him a very intriguing prospect.  Check out Troy’s highlight video.
• DT Thomas Holley (Brooklyn, NY) – PSU didn’t take a true defensive tackle in the 2013 class, although one or two players could ultimately end up there.  There is pretty good depth at the position, but I would expect PSU to take one tackle in this class, if they find the right fit.  Thomas would be a pretty good one.  247 gives him 4 stars, and he reports offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami, Rutgers and Syracuse.
• CB Anthony Davis (Monroeville, PA) – Despite taking 4 defensive backs in the 2013 class, it remains an area of questionable depth, and adding another couple players in the 2014 class would be great for the long term stability of the secondary.  Anthony has 4 stars on 247, along with offers from West Virginia, Missouri, Texas Tech and Maryland.  Here are Anthony’s highlights.
• OL/DL Noah Beh (Scranton, PA) – Noah is listed as a defensive end on 247, but numerous reports say that Penn State offered him as an offensive lineman.  His 6’7″ height would make you think that might be a good move.  He’s not yet ranked, but holds a number of offers, including Boston College, Maryland, and Pitt.  Here’s are some highlights form Noah’s sophomore year.

All indications are it was a great day for PSU recruiting.  We will keep you updated as additional offers, and possibly a commitment are confirmed.

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