Penn State Football Recruiting Roundup: March 1, 2017

Welcome back to VBR’s weekly look at all things Penn State football recruiting, the Penn State football recruiting roundup.

This past weekend was one of the most important ones on the recruiting calendar for James Frankly and company. That is because this past weekend was Penn State’s Junior Day. Due to this, the Nittany Lions hosted many of their top targets in both the class of 2018 and class of 2019.

While the Nittany Lions did not receive any commitments over the weekend, it was still a very successful one. Many times weekends like this past one help lay the groundwork for commitments down the road. And all signs point toward that being the case for Penn State after Junior Day.

While the past weekend is the big news, it is not the only news in the world of Penn State Football recruiting. Let’s begin this week’s round up.

Junior Day Recap

As I said above, despite not receiving any commitments, yet, this past weekend was extremely successful. The Nittany Lions were able to host many of their top targets for both the 2018 and 2019 recruiting classes. Due to this, Penn State is now in a great spot for many of these players.

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Penn State was able to get four-star offensive tackle Qadir White on campus over the weekend. The Bronx native does not yet hold a Penn State offer, however, that will most likely change. White missed most of his junior season due to a knee injury, leaving him with a little tape for coaches to evaluate. I look for White to camp at Penn State this summer and to receive an offer then, if he does not receive it even sooner than that.

Four-star safety target Kwantel Raines was also in Happy Valley over the weekend. This was the Aliquippa native’s first trip to Penn State since being in town for the Nittany Lions’ victory over Iowa back in November.

The recruitment of Raines continues to appear to be an in-state battle between Penn State and Pitt. Right now, I see the Nittany Lions as the team to beat.

The Nittany Lions also offered class of 2018 defensive lineman Marcellus Earlington . The visit over the weekend was the New Jersey native’s first trip to Happy Valley. This visit combined with the offer from the Nittany Lions has put them in the driver’s seat for Earlington.

The recruit that Penn State made arguably the biggest move with this past weekend is four-star offensive tackle Nana Asiedu. The Stafford, Virginia, native entered this visit with the Clemson Tigers as the team to beat. However, it appears that has changed.

According to Michael Clark of Scout.com, the Nittany Lions are now the team to beat for the top-100 offensive tackle. It is very possible, if not likely, that this is simply part of Asiedu’s post-visit high. However, the Nittany Lions are now firmly in the mix for one of the nation’s best offensive tackles.

The key for Penn Stat will be getting Asiedu back on campus again this spring. If he visits for a spring practice and/or the Blue White Game, then, odds are, it is game on in this recruitment.

Class of 2018 commits Zack Kuntz and Charlie Katshir were also in town for Junior Day.

As for the class of 2019, the Nittany Lion coaching staff was very busy this past weekend. Visitors included players such as offensive lineman Caedan Wallace, athlete DeMarcco Hellams, defensive tackle Jacob Lacey, cornerback Nyquee Hawkins, and athlete Ronnie Hickman.

Entering the weekend the Nittany Lions were the team to beat for Hawkins, and this certainly has not changed. Also, Wallace and Lacey received offers while on campus over the weekend. Due to this, all five class of 2019 players mentioned now hold Penn State offers.

Jacob Lacey is one of the best defensive tackles in the country for the class of 2019 and will be a very tough pull. However, after offering Caedan Wallace the Nittany Lions may now be the team to beat there.

Additionally, class of 2020 defensive lineman Bryan Bresee was also in town. Bresee, a Maryland native, will be one of the top recruits in the country in the 2020 recruiting cycle. During his visit, the Nittany Lions offered Bresee.

Penn State Cracks Brian Asamoah’s Top Six

Last Friday, three-star linebacker Brian Asamoah released a top six. Unsurprisingly, Asamoah’s list included Penn State. The other five schools are Cincinnati, Michigan, Pitt, UCLA, and West Virginia.

As Asamoah’s Tweet points out, his current tentative commitment date is April 21. Personally, I would not be surprised if he does not commit on April 21. The reason for this is because I do not believe Asamoah is a take at Michigan or Penn State right now.

He last visited Happy Valley earlier this month and will be in Ann Arbor in March. This could change between now and April 21, but due to having higher targets still on the board, I do not believe he is a take at either school right now.

If Penn State pushed for Brian Asamoah, I believe they could land his commitment. Personally, I hope they do. I know the staff wants to add another linebacker to their 2018 recruiting class to go with Charlie Katshir and Jesse Luketa, and, of the other linebackers they are targeting, Asamoah seems to be the most realistic. Additionally, Brian Asamoah is also a very good linebacker.

Nittany Lions Offer Legacy Recruit

On Monday, Penn State extended a scholarship offer to a legacy recruit. This recruit is three-star wide receiver Solomon Enis. Solomon Enis, an Arizona native, is the son of legendary Penn State running back Curtis Enis.

The Nittany Lions became the eighth Power Five Conference program to extend a scholarship offer to Enis. The Nittany Lions joined Arizona, Arizona State, Duke, Utah, UCLA, USC, and Vanderbilt as Power Five Conference programs to offer Enis.

Due to him being a legacy recruit, one would imagine the Nittany Lions will be a big contender for Enis. The next step for the Nittany Lion coaching staff is to get him on campus for a visit this summer.

Next: Penn State News Roundup

That will do it for this week. As always, stay tuned here at VBR for all of the latest news in the world of Penn State football recruiting.