Victory Bell Rings
Fansided

Penn State Football Recruiting Roundup: January 6, 2017

By Marty Leap

Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts during the third quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game against the USC Trojans at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts during the third quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game against the USC Trojans at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Nittany Lions have finished their magical 2016 season. Now, all eyes turn toward the offseason and Penn State football recruiting.

What a magical, special ride the 2016 Penn State Nittany Lions were. 11 wins, a Big Ten Championship, and a heartbreaking Rose Bowl lose late, the Nittany Lions have officially entered the offseason. Now, all eyes turn toward Penn State Football recruiting.

Welcome back to my weekly look at all things Penn State football recruiting here at Victory Bell Rings. In the past week Penn State has picked up a commitment, sent out a new offer, and has made a top target’s three finalists, among other news.

So let’s begin, shall we?

Isaiah Humphries Commits To Penn State

At 1 AM on New Year’s Eve, Penn State’s 2018 recruiting class got better. This was due to four-star safety Isaiah Humphries committing to the Nittany Lions. Humphries is a native of Sachse, Texas.

According to 247 Sports, Penn State’s 2018 recruiting class was the best in the country before Humphries committed. His commitment just made it even stronger.

More from Victory Bell Rings

Isaiah Humphries, a legacy commit, is the seventh member of Penn State’s top-qranked 2018 recruiting class. You can read more about Humphries and his commitment here.

Penn State Makes Tariq Castro-Field’s Top 3

On Monday night, for-star defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields Tweeted out his top three schools. These three schools are Alabama, Maryland, and Penn State. Additionally, Castro-Fields told the world that he will announce his college decision on January 23rd.

Tariq Castro-Fields is a native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where he attends Riverdale Baptist High School. He was a high school teammate of current Nittany Lion defensive back Zech McPhearson.

Personally, I believe that Castro-Fields is a Maryland lean. The reason I believe this is because I do not believe he currently has a spot at Alabama or Penn State. However, this could change.

He is slated to take an official visit to Penn State the weekend of January 21. Currently, Penn State is at 85 scholarships for next season. So if another spot frees up between now and then, which is very possible, I believe he will end up in Blue and White. If not, I believe he ends up a Terrapin.

Nathan Proctor Commits To Virginia Tech

On Sunday afternoon, long time Penn State target Nathan Proctor committed to Virginia Tech. However, this recruitment is far from over. Just as Ryan Snyder of Blue White Illustrated points out in this Tweet.

Despite his commitment to the Hokies, Proctor will still officially visit the Nittany Lions later this month. Proctor, like Castro-Fields, is a player who I believe will end up a Nittany Lion if a spot opens up. If Penn State ends up having a scholarship available for Nathan Proctor, I expect him to flip from the Hokies.

In fact, I have even gathered intel that Proctor attempted to commit to the Nittany Lions before committing to Virginia Tech. However, he was told Penn State did not have room at the moment hence why he chose the Hokies. And this is also a big reason why I believe he will flip to Penn State if a spot opens up.

Penn State Offers Isaac Taylor-Stuart

Last Friday, the Nittany Lions extended a new 2018 offer. It was to four-star cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart.

The San Diego, California native already holds offers form Alabama, UCLA, and USC, among others. While landing Taylor-Stuart is a huge long shot, it is still great to see the Nittany Lions expanding their recruiting map. And with the success they are starting to have on the field, I would expect to see this continue.

Indiana Commit Sets Penn State Official Visit

Three-star class of 2017 tight end Peyton Hendershot will take an official visit to Penn State the weekend of January 27th. The Lizton, Indiana, native is currently committed to Indiana. However, he has visited Penn State in the past.

Currently, Penn State’s 2017 class does not have a tight end commit. Additionally, it would be difficult to find space for one. However, one thing I have learned about this coaching staff is that if they like a a player enough they will find room for them. Hendershot could be in this group.

Next: Reflecting On The 2016 Season

That will do it for this week. The NCAA recruiting dead period will end on Wednesday (January 11) and with that, the push to National Signing Day will really begin.

So, as always, stay tuned here at Victory Bell Rings for all things Penn State football recruiting.

Home/Football Recruiting