All your recruit are belong to us

Cael Sanderson's hoarding of the PA class of 2010 continues unabated. Last week, 125 lb PIAA state champ Sam Sherlock announced he will attend Penn State. Sherlock wanted to take his five official visits before making a final decision but…

"Coach Sanderson needs a 133-pounder and he wants me to start as a true freshman," said Sherlock, a two-time WPIAL and one-time PIAA champion. "It was a tough decision, but it's hard to say no to the greatest wrestler in NCAA history. His accomplishments as both a wrestler and coach are just crazy."

"I seriously considered taking my five visits," said Sherlock, who had a score of 1,270 on his SAT. "I did make an unofficial visit to Penn State last winter and watched a football game from the sideline. I just loved the university. But that was before coach Sanderson was hired. When I got a chance to meet him in my living room, I knew Penn State was where I wanted to go."

So yeah, this recruiting thing sure is hard for Cael, Hell even Sam's dad couldn't help being a little star-struck.

"My parents just loved him. In fact, my dad joked that he still has college eligibility and wanted to know if coach Sanderson needed a heavyweight."

While getting kids to come to Penn State may not be all that difficult these days for Cael, it appears he does his homework before deciding on a kid.

"Recruiting is just doing your homework. You can't go online and look up what Web sites are ranking recruits. You've got to spend time watching them and pay attention to how they react when they win and when they lose.

"I'd rather watch a kid lose a match when I'm trying to figure out if he's a guy who will fit well in our program, because that's when you can see if a kid hates losing.

"Did he keep fighting to the end, or did he just put his head on the mat and just let it go? How did he react and how did he respond to certain situations," he said.

Of course Cael's final evaluation is done with a little more of a hands-on approach.

Once those recruits are on campus, Sanderson said, he has his own way of evaluating them. One way is long, intense wrestling sessions -- as long as 45 minutes -- with him.

…If you wrestle a kid hard for 45 minutes straight, seven minutes all of a sudden becomes nothing.

That's painful just reading that, I wouldn't last one minute and I'm not in bad shape, but to most high school wrestlers that's probably close to heaven.

Cael Sanderson era begins with #6 recruiting class

Incoming Penn State wrestling Coach Cael Sanderson has finalized his first recruiting class in fine fashion. The wrestling gurus at Intermat have ranked Penn State's class sixth best in the country one spot behind returning Big Ten champ Iowa and four spots behind Minnesota the highest ranked Big Ten school. Penn State had a small class but more than made up for it in quality. I'll let Intermat do the work for me:

6. Penn State

Top 100 Recruits: No. 1 David Taylor (Graham, OH), No. 5 Ed Ruth (Blair Academy, NJ)

Impact Transfer: Cyler Sanderson (Iowa State/Wasatch, UT)

Other Notable Recruit: Luke Macchiaroli (Corona, AZ)

Commentary: What this group lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. New head coach Cael Sanderson inherited Ruth, who signed in the early period under the previous Penn State coaching staff. Two incoming freshmen -- Taylor and Macchiaroli -- had signed National Letters of Intent to wrestle for Sanderson at Iowa State. However, when Sanderson left, they were released and chose to join the coached that had recruited them in Happy Valley. Also coming along with Cael Sanderson is his brother Cyler, who will be a senior this coming season, and was an All-American in 2008 at 157 pounds.

It was already announced that David Taylor will redshirt next season but I would think that Macchiaroli would probably get a chance to start as a true freshman. He's projected to wrestle 197 in college and Penn State has a dearth of talent at that weight, he could be an instant impact. Also noted is the transfer of Cael's younger brother Cyler who will strengthen the lineup for his final season and help the Sanderson transition go a little smoother. Cyler was an All-American two years ago but just missed out last season. Cyler's transfer was also made official Tuesday.

Penn State steals another lineman from Pitt

After yesterday's fiasco with WPIAL offensive lineman Miles Dieffenbach you would think Pitt would get a break, I mean Miles' dad is a tennis coach there, that must have stung. Well the universe can be very cruel sometimes because, on the heels of Dieffenbach's commitment comes the second WPIAL lineman to spurn Pitt and choose Penn State: Tom Ricketts. The thing is Ricketts father isn't some non-revenue women's athletics coach, no it's much worse for Pitt; much, much worse:

Ricketts' decision might have been even a bigger blow to Pitt. Ricketts father, Tom II, was a standout lineman at Pitt in the 1980s. His mother, Sandy (Albright) Ricketts, was a standout swimmer at Pitt. The parents have season tickets to Pitt football games. Ricketts' great grandfather was Charles "Doc" Hartwig, who was a first-team All-American at Pitt in the 1930s.

The dude's a Pitt legacy the entire freakin' family has award winning athletic ties to Pitt. That, my friends is cold.

"Penn State has always been my secret favorite," Ricketts said. "Growing up, Pitt was a favorite, too. But just looking at the opportunities given to me, Penn State was the best thing for me. ... This past week - and maybe even a little less than that - I was pretty sure Penn State is where I wanted to go. The past three days, I said, 'This is where I need to be.' I love the campus, the coaching staff, everything about Penn State."

More from young Tom about his commitment: "Really, it's just about the best fit for me - as a student and player. Maybe as Tom Ricketts' son, it might have been best for me at Pitt. But as Thomas Ricketts III, Penn State is where I need to be."

Ricketts really didn't have a chance though, he was recruited by Penn State's best recruiter at a VERY early age:

Fourteen years ago, Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley sent a recruiting letter to Tom Ricketts. Ricketts was 3 years old at the time.

Bradley knew Ricketts' father, Tom II, and sent the letter as a joke. Fourteen years later, Bradley recruited the younger Ricketts for real - and got him.

Both Ricketts and his father talked tonight in a phone interview about the letter from Bradley and laughed about it. They have the letter framed in their home.

Somewhere Ron Zook is frantically constructing thousands of recruiting letters for newborns of former college football players.

Somewhere David Jones cringes

York Daily Record reporter Frank Bodani recently wrote an article on Penn State's recruiting push into southern California where long-time high school football coach Rolando Rivera and his buddy Scott Glasson help steer high school kids to schools of interest, schools not named USC. While Penn State is late getting into the game it appears the effort might be paying off.

So far, the Lions have offered San Diego stud receiver Kenny Stills, who plans on visiting State College on a recruiting trip. And apparently they are seriously interested in a handful of other kids there. They also have offered Long Beach area's Sean Parker, one of the nation's top safety prospects.

"If they can get out here and keep meeting kids, I think they can really pull in some great ones," Glasson said of the Penn State coaches.

One of the points in the article that really caught my eye was this nugget:

"Penn State's real slow. They didn't just talk to us right away," Glasson said. "They're real careful about everything they do, absurdly so.

"When people say they're clean, it's true."

This isn't the first time someone outside the Penn State Athletic department has made a passing comment like this, it's too bad more writers don't pick up on it. But that would go against the negative attack agenda Pennsylvania writers have against Penn State and Paterno in general. In many of their misguided minds negative = paper sales.

Inked: Penn State’s new guys

Not a lot happened on signing day which isn't necessarily a bad thing, Penn State managed to land everyone that promised their allegiance to the Blue & White. Thanks to Sporting News for doing all the leg work for me, here is a list of Penn State's signees:

Mark Arcidiacono, OL, 6-5, 289, St. Joseph's Prep, Holland, Pa.
Justin Brown, WR, 6-3, 210, Concord HS, Wilmington, Del.
Nate Cadogan, OL, 6-6, 260, Portsmouth (Ohio) HS
Glenn Carson, LB, 6-3, 220, Southern Regional HS, Manahawkin, N.J.
Curtis Drake, ATH, 6-0, 170, West Philadelphia Catholic/Philadelphia, Pa.
Curtis Dukes, RB, 6-2, 230, Indian River HS, Evans Mills, N.Y.
Brandon Felder, WR, 6-2, 167, Oxon Hill HS, Fort Washington, Md.
Anthony Fera, K, 6-2, 230, St. Pius X HS, Cypress, Texas
Frank Figueroa, OL, 6-4, 280, Edison HS, Alexandria, Va.
Garry Gilliam, DE, 6-7, 245, Milton Hershey HS, Carlisle, Pa.
Darrell Givens, DB, 6-0, 170, Lackey HS, Fort Washington, Md.
Adam Gress, OL, 6-7, 290, West Mifflin (Pa.) HS
Jordan Hill, DL, 6-3, 285, Steelton-Highspire HS, Steelton, Pa.
Gerald Hodges, DB, 6-3, 210, Paulsboro (N.J.) HS
Ty Howle, OL, 6-1, 290, Bunn HS, Wake Forest, N.C.
Shawney Kersey, WR, 6-2, 180, Woodbury (N.J.) HS
Christian Kuntz, WR, 6-4, 190, Trinity HS, Camp Hill, Pa.
Stephon Morris, DB, 5-9, 175, Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt, Md.
Kevin Newsome, QB, 6-3, 215, Hargrave Military Academy, Portsmouth, Va.
Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, DB, 5-10, 180, John F. Kennedy HS, Bronx, N.Y.
Eric Shrive, OL, 6-7, 300, West Scranton HS, Scranton, Pa.
Devon Smith, WR, 5-7, 145, Westlake HS, White Plains, Md.
Sean Stanley, DL, 6-2, 250, Gaithersburg HS, Rockville, Md.
Derrick Thomas, ATH, 6-0, 175, Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt, Md.
John Urschel, OL, 6-3, 270, Canisius HS, Williamsville, N.Y.
Michael Wallace, DB, 5-10, 180, Good Counsel HS, Silver Spring, Md.
Malcolm Willis, DB, 5-11, 205, Lackey HS, Marbury, Md.

The Nittany Lions landed some BIG offensive lineman and a plethora of wide receivers. In fact four of the players listed at WR are at least (listed at) 6-2 or taller which is more and more the trend in college football: big tall wide receivers. That's pretty important considering Penn State seems to be married to the spread with the signing of dual-threat QB Kevin Newsome and the loss of all three starting wide receivers to graduation. Don't be surprised if you see many of the guys listed as wide receivers or the ever vague "athlete" playing early on for the Nittany Lions, Penn State's depth at wide receiver is woeful. Offensive line and defensive back are other positions we could see some from this class contribute right away. Rankings be damned, Penn State did a great job of addressing glaring needs at WR, OL, and DB and signed a very highly touted dual-threat quarterback. They only signed one quarterback, and it would have been nice to land a couple more, but with one in the pipeline for 2010 they can concentrate on a top tier QB for next year's class.

LOI day is here: all rejoice at the choices of 18-year old kids

I once tried to cover recruiting here at TNL at least from a birds-eye perspective but found the task a little daunting and quite frankly, the guys over at BSD do a much better job than me so I gave it up altogether. Having said that, it is national signing day and Christmas for adults if you believe some news services. Really, if you want no better example, look at SportingNews.com's college football home page. It's plastered with all kinds of recruiting stories and if you want exhibit A of why recruiting is so dirty and sleazy to me, look no further than the main picture of undecided WR Marlon Brown on the front page. There's something a little… oh… less than straight about having a website geared toward grown men with a picture of an 18-year old football player with his shirt half off. Just sayin'.

While most articles tend to laud the exploits of Team A's talent or Coach B's recruiting prowess, there is one very interesting article that needs our attention.

Scouting services often miss best recruits

The Associated Press reviewed the top 50 recruits as named by Scout.com and Rivals.com from 2002-04, two services that essentially began as start ups but sold in recent years for tens of millions of dollars.

The AP found that when picking the 10 players with the brightest football futures, the services were right a little more than half the time, based on whether a player started 20 games or more in college, his recognition for awards or whether he made it to the NFL.

When it got to picks 11-50, the services were even more hit and miss.

I've been around for the exponential rise of Scout and Rivals and quite frankly I've always looked at them with a skeptical eye, and don't even get me started on sleezemaster Tom Lemming. At any rate though, Penn State is looking to turn in a very good recruiting class and they still have Linebacker Jelani Jenkins, wide receiver Justin Brown and defensive back Jim Noel on the radar screen. Jenkins is one of the best linebackers in the country (if you believe all the recruiting services) and would make a great exclamation point to this class.

Contract extensions and all things Paterno

Penn State has agreed to extend Coach Joe Paterno's contract another 3-years.

University President Graham Spanier and Athletic Director Tim Curley announced today an agreement that will provide for the opportunity of Coach Joe Paterno leading the football program through the 2011 season. It was also agreed that the parties might re-evaluate their circumstances and alter the arrangement by either shortening or extending its length as necessary.

So there you have it, Paterno's under contract through 2011. This really comes as no surprise to me and I'm not getting too excited about it. To some it's a great thing to others that want to see Joe go, it's a bad thing, but did anyone really believe that Spanier and Curley were going to do anything different? It would be difficult to argue with two Big Ten championships over the last 4 seasons and both those teams greatly overachieved as far as preseason expectations were concerned. I will say this, the 3-year window allows for a lot more stability in the recruiting process, the coaches can at least use it to an advantage.

Speaking of which, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that erstwhile Wolverine commit and standout Virginia quarterback Kevin Newsome left Michigan in the lurch to "come to Pennnnn Staaaaaate!!!!" Newsome originally committed to Michigan last April. But he re-opened his recruitment in early August.

He visited Penn State on an unofficial basis when the Lions whipped the Wolverines Oct. 18. He returned to Happy Valley for an official visit for the weekend of Dec. 5-7, just a few days before Devlin left the program.

Kinda brings a smile to your face doesn't it?

Finally, I was e-mailed from Sports Media Challenge asking for TNL's participation in a birthday celebration for Coach Paterno.

Sports Media Challenge, working in conjunction with PSU athletics, invites you to help us celebrate and honor JoePa all this week leading up to the big day by participating in a surprise virtual birthday party. Please share your favorite emories, videos, pictures, and birthday messages. We have PSU Season In Review DVDs and Big Ten Champs hats to give away as prizes for the best submissions.

While the whole "surprise" thing sounds a little hokey to me the website is fun to read especially the 82 reasons we love Coach Paterno. My favorite:

10) Joe Paterno will never die. He has earned the right. -bullettheblue

Larry Johnson: master recruiter

Despite what the message boards and (some) recruitnics might tell you Penn State is doing a fine job of plucking good talent from the state of Maryland, much to the dismay of Terps fans.

Penn State has won most of the recruiting battles against the University of Maryland this year. Of the Nittany Lions' six Maryland commitments, Felder, Givens, Stanley and Thomas also held offers from Maryland.

So far, Maryland has seven in-state commitments. Of the seven, only Forestville defensive end DeOnte Arnett, a four-star recruit on Rivals.com and Scout.com, was offered by Penn State.

Of course this is the work of Larry Johnson Sr., Maryland is his old stomping grounds and he's made quite the pipeline straight to Happy Valley. So how does LJ do it? What makes him such a success at luring kids away from their own backyard to play in another state?

"Kids really relate to him, high school coaches like him a lot and kids look at him like a father figure," said Bob Lichtenfels, a regional manager for Scout.com. "He still has some great in-roads in Maryland, probably some better than the coaching staff at Maryland."

Johnson's positive, straightforward approach, also has resonated with high school coaches.

"He doesn't put down other schools, doesn't discuss other schools; he just talks about what Penn State has to offer and their plans for the kids," Eleanor Roosevelt coach Tom Green said. "He basically talks to them about the positives of Penn State, and that's it."

Imagine that, actually selling the merits of your school and not going down the negative path that so many coaches take (you know other coaches are using Paterno's age against him). It speaks volumes of Penn State that LJ can take this approach and have so much success. If the next coach does come from outside the program and LJ and Tom Bradley are not kept on or decide to leave, you will most likely see a major drop off in recruiting especially in Maryland and Western PA. Although I'm not opposed to an outside hire (especially if it gets rid of Jay), the thought of losing Penn State's two best recruiters is not a pleasant one.

Penn State lands a quarterback…maybe

The Nittany Lions have added a quarterback to their 2009 class… or maybe it's another wide receiver.

Curtis Drake, a 6-foot, 175-pound quarterback from West Catholic High, gave Penn State an oral commitment during a visit yesterday.

The senior has led the Burrs to two straight Catholic League Blue Division championships. And though he said Penn State coaches assured him he'd have a shot at playing quarterback, his future is likely at wide receiver.

"I'd rather be a quarterback," Drake said. "But if I have the opportunity to get on the field faster as a wide receiver, I'm fine with that."

Whatever position it might be, welcome to the Nittany Lions, Curtis.

Blog Chips plays catch-up

Ok, so I'm finally up and running once again now that my computer had a complete enema (and I've felt like I've had one as well). Let's take a look back over the last week and see what I've missed while I was incapacitated.

-Penn State landed their ninth, tenth, and eleventh verbals in cornerback Stephon Morris, defensive end Sean Stanley and wideout Brandon Felder. I've said in the past that Paterno's lack of recruiting visits would hurt the Nittany Lions but apparently I'm wrong (yeah I'm as shocked as you) because the assistant coaches have done a good job of filling needs on the offensive line, secondary and are now starting to bring in wide receivers – all positions of need. Whatever they're telling these kids it's working.

-Fight Club update: linebacker Navorro Bowman and defensive tackle Phillip Taylor plead guilty to disorderly conduct, thus ending the unpleasantness of the HUB incident of October of last year. Along with guilty pleas to misdemeanors for defensive tackle Chris Baker and safety Anthony Scirrotto, all the legal concerns for Penn State football players are now officially closed. After nearly a dozen felony charges levied against various players, it's amazing there was not one felony conviction. Amazing and eyebrow raising at the same time.

- Finally, if you've never visited Black Heart Gold Pants you should be ashamed of yourself. Every now and then a blogger (or bloggers) come up with a great idea and run with it (sometimes into the ground) and the guys at BHGP have managed to do just that (the great idea thing not the run it into the ground thing). I give you the real adventures of Joe Pa. All linked (in some sort of meaningful order) for your reading pleasure. I've read most of these more than once just because they are so damn funny. Read them, keeping in mind that, in the world of the intertubes, typing in ALL CAPS is considered yelling.

-Joe Meets Fergie
-Joe can't get Fergie out of his head.
-Joe meets Bill Cowher
-Joe meets Terrelle Pryor.
-Joe,Greg Schiano, and public masturbation.
-Joe's new son the Cryptkeeper.
-Paterno and the legend of Cornshoe Hammaker.
-The real explanation of Sean Lee's Injury
-Paterno's hospital visit.
-Kirk Ferentz's visit to Penn State.
-Joe Paterno's contract negotiations (on Fanhouse).

Pryor saga comes to an end

Sorry about the lack of posting lately but I've come down with some vicious strain of alien flu that had me down for the count the past couple days. Personally I think some angry Pitt fan sent me an Anthrax-laced letter, I have been getting a lot of unmarked letters lately.

Now for the news at hand, we can finally put the Terrelle Pryor saga to an end because the kid chose Ohio State. I'm sure message boards are lighting up with comments ranging from "he wasn't Penn State material anyway" to "our coaching staff has lost it" to "the old man must go." Let's just step back from the ledge and take a couple deep breaths. First, I've been saying from day one that this kid wasn't coming to Penn State even when he delayed his decision on LOI day so it doesn't come as a shock in any shape or form. Penn State has quarterbacks with eligibility remaining for the next three years. Given Paterno's track record with underclassmen, why would any recruit come into Penn State thinking they could usurp the starting quarterback role from someone that already has two years of experience under their belt? Secondly, both Michigan and Ohio State will have openings at quarterback either this year or next so it was a tough sell for Penn State. Lastly, until Paterno decides to finally hang it up or the administration names his successor, look for recruiting to get worse at Penn State. Now more than ever there is a big cloud of uncertainty looming over the PSU program. Everyone knows Paterno only has a couple years left (his choice or otherwise) and until kids know what to expect in the future they'll chose other schools.

That brings us back to Pryor, sure he's from PA and sure he picked a different school but let's not wish ill on the guy, it's his choice to make. Remember the Chad Henne chronicle? How'd that turn out? Everyone thought Penn State let the next Heisman winning quarterback slip through their fingers to a rival Big Ten school. Sure Chad had a decent career at Michigan starting for four years but he'll be forever remembered as the quarterback that lost to Appalachian State. Before angry Michigan fans chime in I'm fully aware that Henne beat PSU three times but a poo-slinging monkey wearing a jelly bean encrusted codpiece could have beat Penn State when they played Michigan so save your breath we all know Henne's career didn't meet the lofty expectations placed on him. In the end Pryor may turn out to be the next best thing since sliced bread or he may end up a big bust, either way Penn State has its own problems to worry about and Pryor is only a concern one week a year.

Groundhog Emerges, Doesn't See Shadow

That means there won't be six more weeks of recruiting. In other news, linebackers begin prepping to bury said groundhog.

Damnit Sales! You'd better shape up if you want to start this fall.

Gentleman's Agreement

Fallout from Signing Day has created a little debate on whether or not such an agreement exists. There is only one solution, choose your destiny.

Mortal Kombat!!!!!!!!!!

Hypothetically Speaking (Or The Obligatory Terrelle Pryor Post)

We’ve seen quite a jump in traffic recently and send out a welcome to all those who may be visiting for the first time. The Nittany Line is your guaranteed one-stop shop for asinine incompetence regarding Penn State, but in a gesture of kindness to our new visitors, we will experiment with a little thoughtful, measured analysis. Under contractual obligation, we are required to offer at least on Terrelle Pryor centered post per week.

As is generally the case in one way or another, Signing Day became it’s own little circus. A fevered dream amidst irrational speculation that suggests the fate of the entire world hinges on the decisions of high school seniors. A day where logic and reason apply as if we were living in an M.C. Escher work.

Yay! It’s Signing Day

For his part, Terrelle Pryor delayed his decision to announce, causing the world to cease spinning on its axis. There was a collective reaction of “what the hell is happening?” from analysts, because it had been fait accompli that a decision was to be made between Ohio State and Michigan, there were no other potential suitors. Penn State? Oregon? Yeah, JoePa visited him, but the old man has lost it, no chance he was going there and the Ducks, are we sure they even have football team? Terrelle explained that he went from football season to basketball season and never really had an opportunity to fully weigh his options. I felt bad for the kid, he clearly looked uncomfortable in interviews. Watching analysts proclaim him as perhaps the most important recruit of all time, it was title he did not want. He seemed like he was set to choose Ohio State, but his dad was most impressed with Penn State. In the course of their discussion, he seemed wonder if he was making the right decision and all along he had wanted to visit Oregon, but didn’t have an opportunity yet, thus the delay. I would say unless he’s a terrific actor, Michigan really did seem out of the running though.

So, let rampant speculation reign! Hypothetically speaking, say Pryor chooses Penn State, what does it mean? Ideally, he should take a redshirt, but there’s little chance of that happening. Currently, Darryl Clark has 2 remaining years and Pat Devlin has 3 at the quarterback position, taking a redshirt would allow him to get acclimated and give him at least 2 years as the starter. In a perfect world, I would like to see Devlin under center and have a Darryl Clark line up in some sort of slash role (lined up at receiver/running back/sometimes under center), allow them to utilize both players and slide Pryor into that position and eventually strictly under center. Michael Robinson had said that his time at the other positions made him a better quarterback, because he intimately knew what each would be doing on any given play. Not taking a redshirt creates a potentially sticky situation resulting in a probable position change (Clark) or transfer (Devlin) of one of the current roster occupants. Whatever the case, patience would be the best policy with Pryor, the hype is so over the top and needs to be tempered to a realistic level of expectations.

From a recruiting aspect, Pryor could be a huge draw. Regardless of JoePa’s contract situation, Pryor alone could be the selling point to a lot of skill position players next year and the opportunity to potentially jump right in, particularly at receiver can be even more enticing.

Signing Day Post Mortem

OMG, Woot!!! Signing Day Is The Shiz!!! In
Jack Crawford (6’6”/250/4.55) – DE – ****
D’Anton Lynn (6’1”/177/4.5) – S – ****
Pete Massaro (6’4”/245/NA) – DT – ***
DeOn’tae Pannell (6’5”/305/NA) – OT – ****
A.J. Price (6’4”/175/4.5) – WR – ***
Matt Stankiewitch (6’4”/290) – OG – ****
James Terry (6’2.5”/294/NA) – DT – **
Brandon Ware (6’4”/340/NA) – DT – **
Mark Wedderburn (6’5”/235/4.6) – TE – ****
Michael Yancich (6’2”/219/4.5) – OLB – ****
Michael Zordich (6’2”/220/NA) – MLB – ****
Brandon Beachum (5’11”/220/4.65) – RB – **** Already enrolled
Michael Mauti (6’2”/220/4.6) – MLB – **** Already enrolled

????
Mike Farrell (6’6”/272/5.45) – OT – **
Scout lists him as official, GoPSF does not. Minor detail, no indication that he’s not in.
Terrelle Pryor (6’6”/225/4.4) – QB – *****
Did not commit anywhere, will take official visits to Oregon and Penn State. Early indications appear sunny for the Nittany Lions.

OMG, Panic, The World Is Ending!!! Signing Day Is The Suxxorz!!! Out
Michael Shaw (6’4”/187/4.45) – RB – ****
Best of luck to you in your career. For the maniacal, unbalanced readers, please choose your absurd, hackneyed, spurned insult from the following choices. He is:
a.) too dumb to play at Penn State.
b.) unable to read defenses.
c.) a traitor and deserves to play for a coach like Rich Rodriguez. Also, he hates America and openly roots for the terrorists to win.
d.) All of the above.

Fight on State’s general recap is here.

Pre-Signing Day Safety Instructions

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard Nittany Airlines flight 2008 with service to University Park. It’s a pleasure to have you onboard and flying with us.

Welcome aboard. Before we depart, please remove the safety card from the seat pocket in front of you and follow along as we demonstrate the safety features of this Boeing 707 airplane. We appreciated your complete attention to this important safety information.

If you’re a recruiting expert you may be required to assist the crew in an emergency. If you are unable to perform the functions described on the safety card please advise the flight attendant for reseating.

To fasten your seatbelt low and tight across your lap, insert the metal fitting into the buckle. Tighten the belt by pulling on the loose end of the strap. To release your seatbelt lift the buckle flap. When the seatbelt sign is illuminated, immediately be seated and buckle up. To ensure your safety, your seatbelt should be fastened at all times when you are seated.

There are exit doors and panic buttons anywhere you look. Each is equipped with an evacuation slide that automatically inflates. Each exit is marked with a sign overhead. The main doors open by moving the large handle in the direction of the arrow. Open the over-the-wing exits by removing the cover and pulling down on the marked handle. Be sure to jump into the slide with your legs in front of you. When you are on the ground, move away from the airplane. In the event of a water landing main door slides can be detached from the airplane and used for supplemental flotation. Over-wing exits should not be used in a water landing unless directed by a crewmember.

Look around to locate the two exits nearest your seat. In some cases, your nearest useable exit may be behind you. In an evacuation, exit pass lights will illuminate to guide you to an exit. Your seat bottom cushion can be used for flotation in a water landing. To use, pull the cushion from the seat, slip your arms through the straps and hug the cushion to your chest as shown on the safety cards. In the event of a Michael Shaw decommitment or Terrelle Pryor commitment to another school, oxygen masks will drop from above your seat. To start the flow of oxygen, firmly pull the mask toward you to extend the plastic tubing. Place the mask over your nose and mouth, slip the elastic band over your head and tighten the straps if necessary. Although the bag does not inflate, oxygen will flow to the mask. Secure your mask before helping others and continue using until you realize you’re overreacting about the decisions of high school seniors.

Nittany Airlines is a non-marijuana smoking airline and really we don’t recommend any smoking for incoming players, U.S. law prohibits tampering with, disabling or destroying a lavatory smoke detectors and firing of arrows through walls. NCAA rules require customers to comply with all lighted signs, placards and institutional instructions.

Please ensure your carry-on items and tray tables are stowed, your seat back is in its full, upright and locked position, head rest stowed and your seatbelt is securely fastened. Be sure that laptop computers, cell phones, all personal electronics, loose money and Corvettes are turned off and properly stowed. If an emergency evacuation becomes necessary, leave all carry-on items behind.

If you have any questions regarding safety, please ask the flight attendant. On behalf of your flight crew, thank you for your attention to safety. It is our pleasure to have you aboard and we hope you enjoy your flight on Nittany Airlines.

Blog Chips

-BSD has his rundown of THE ohio state buckeyes and while Mike always does a fantastic job of previewing the Big Ten I'm linking this one because he's talking some serious smack. Mike is now the recipient of the TNL Balls of Steel award previously held by Mr. Paul H. Zeigler (who appeared drunk at his DUI court hearing) for having the "guts" to suggest that James Laurinaitis is "the most overrated player in the Big Ten if not the country." Big words man, big words. I'm sure the Ohio State faithful are planning your demise as we speak.

-I'm officially announcing that Terrelle Pryor will be a Nittany Lion. It's a lock. How do I know? Inside info? Family ties? No. In a Pittsburgh Post Gazette interview he said this:

PPG: Do you eat breakfast much?
TP: Cereal. Fruity Pebbles.

Fruity Pebbles: breakfast of champions

Sorry, but anyone that eats Fruity Pebbles and admits it has the demeanor to be a Lion. USC lives off of tofu and crystal meth, Florida skips breakfast in lieu of brunch and cocktails, Michigan eats gruel and the Buckeyes eat a combination of Styrofoam, cedar chips, and orphan babies. It's a lock – mark it down.

-Sean Lee is a crazed lunatic. At least on the field, according to fellow teammate Dan Connor:

"He's quick-tempered; just a wild man as soon as he gets the pads on," Connor said of Lee. "Off the field, he's a soft-spoken guy -- pretty quiet. But he's one of the most competitive guys I've ever met.

"If you're a lineman trying to block him and do your job, you're offending him and ticking him off and he's going to do whatever he can to try to put you back."

Do not attempt to block Sean Lee you are only making him angry and you wouldn't like him when he's angry. What about that missed tackle in the bowl game last year that turned a sure loss into a 42 yard touchdown run for LaMarcus Coker?

"I love hearing about that because that's something that fuels me," Lee said. "I'm never going to let that happen again."

Good to hear – now go have a bowl of Fruity Pebbles and hit the practice field. (HT: TINNOMJ)

-Lunchtime Update: Laschout.com a blog dedicated to “lasch out at the Penn State football world, one comment at a time” is reporting that all charges against Anthony Scirrotto will be dropped in the next couple weeks. Are they right? We report, you decide. Actually we report with an obvious bias and then chide anyone that disagrees with us, but that slogan isn’t as catchy.

The Nittany Lions land three more

Penn State's recruiting class is getting bigger. The Nittany Lions added Ohio running back Michael Shaw, Michigan offensive lineman Deon'tae Pannell and Delaware defensive tackle James Terry. Shaw is listed as a 4 star recruit by Scout, Pannell is listed at 3 stars while Terry is a 2 star recruit. I've never been a big fan of star ranking I look at whom else was after the recruit and Michigan was after both Shaw and Pannell, so you know they're not chopped liver. Both Shaw and Pennell fill a big void for Penn State at running back and offensive tackle. Unlike Brandon Beachum who dishes out blunt force trauma, Shaw has more breakaway speed and cutback ability. Welcome to the Nittany family gentlemen.

Michael Shaw

Deon'tae Pannell

James Terry

Finally

Over the weekend Penn State landed their first runningback when Cardinal Mooney (Youngstown, OH) athlete Brandon Beachum verbaled to the Lions. Beachum is ranked as the top player in the Buckeye State by OhioVarsity.com, and he is rated as the No. 4 player in the state by Rivals.com. He is the nation's fifth-best running back and the No. 50 player in the country, according to Rivals. At 6'0" and 220 lbs. he's a bruising prototypical Big Ten runningback. While he lacks speed he more than makes up for it in toughness. Beachum was recruited at both RB and linebacker but chose Penn State over Wisconsin, Nebraska and Florida State. His father was also a Div-I football player. He rushed for 1,500 yards as a junior, scoring 16 touchdowns in helping Cardinal Mooney to a Division IV state championship. Beachum was recruited by Jay Paterno.

Beachum (left) with teammates Taylor Hill and fellow Penn State commit Michael Zordich

Recruit Swap

A day after Trinity High School star linebacker Andrew Sweat stood at midfield of his High School stadium and made his verbal announcement by scrolling the words "Andrew Sweat ... Is A Buckeye!" on the scoreboard, Penn State returned the favor by landing one of Ohio's best linebackers. Mike Zordich, a 6-1, 220-pounder linebacker from Cardinal Mooney of Youngstown, issued a verbal commitment to PSU Friday. (HT:BSD)

Of course Zordich is a legacy recruit who initially said his father playing for PSU had no bearing on his decision but it seems that he's been around the program for a while and I'm sure his father's school of choice had to have some effect on his choice. His final decision came down between Ohio State and Penn State. At least Penn State can still keep it in the family. Welcome Mike.