Penn State Football Recruiting Roundup: June 14, 2017

Welcome back to the Penn State football recruiting roundup here at Victory Bell Rings

The past week has been a busy one in the world of Penn State football recruiting. The Nittany Lions hosted their second elite camp, made the top group of an elite wide receiver prospect, and earned a new commitment.

So, let’s begin with this week’s Penn State football recruiting roundup. Shall we?

Dorian Hardy Commits To Penn State

On Sunday morning, Penn State’s 2018 recruiting class picked up its 13th verbal commitment. This commitment came from 4-star defensive lineman Dorian Hardy. Hardy, a native of Paramus, New Jersey, becomes the first true defensive lineman in Penn State’s 2018 recruiting class.

Checking in at six-foot-five and over 240 pounds Dorian Hardy could grow into a defensive tackle, despite playing defensive end in high school. You can read more about Hardy and his commitment here.

The reason I say true defensive lineman is because defensive athlete Nick Tarburton will almost certainly grow into a defensive lineman as well. Hardy will help to anchor what should prove to be a very strong defensive line class for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State Extends New Offers

Sunday, was the Nittany Lions’ Elite Camp II. At this camp, players from all over the region came to work out for the coaching staff in hopes of earning a scholarship offer. And one of the top prospects in the country for the 2020 recruiting cycle was able to to do just that.

Running back Chris Tyree was offered by the Nittany Lion coaching staff after his performance on Sunday. The Nittany Lions joins Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia as programs who have offered Tyree thus far.

Tyree is a native of Chester, Virginia. Obviously, there is a long way to go in his recruitment. After all, he’ll only be a high school sophomore this fall. However, it does not hurt that the Nittany Lions are getting involved in his recruitment so early. Often times these early relationships pay off in the long haul.

In the past week, the Nittany Lions have also made their first scholarship offer to a quarterback since the de-commitment of Justin Fields. The quarterback who was offered is Kansas native Jace Ruder. In recent weeks, Ruder’s recruitment is one that has been blowing up.

The Jayhawk state standout has received scholarship offers from programs such as Florida State, Georgia, and North Carolina in recent weeks. Right now, Ruder appears to be leaning toward the Tar Heels.

For the Nittany Lions to have a chance with the fast-

rising Jace Ruder, the first thing they need to do is get him on campus for a visit. If this happens, all bets are off. However, getting him to Happy Valley from Kansas for an unofficial visit may prove to be easier said than done.

Penn State Makes The Cut

Last Friday, 4-star wide receiver Randale Moore released his top six schools. Somewhat surprisingly, the Nittany Lions were among these six finalists.

Moore’s other finalists are Kentucky, Ohio State, Pitt, Purdue, and Texas. The reason it was a surprise that the Nittany Lions made Moore’s top group is that they did not extend a scholarship offer to Moore until mid-May and that he has not yet visited Happy Valley.

The Louisville native is one of the fastest players in the country and is heading to The Opening finals later this month. If the Nittany Lions can work their way into becoming a big player in his recruitment, which appears to be happening, that would be a great thing. The next step, however, is getting Moore on campus for a visit.

Next: 2017 Player Profiles: Troy Apke

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