Recruiting Preview and Projections

Penn State is off to one of its fastest recruiting starts in recent memory. Already in the fold are four consensus top-250 players and an in-state offensive guard who has as much upside as any interior lineman in this class.

1. P.J. Jones (6'3" QB)--Jones is nationally a top-5 quarterback with good size, a strong arm, and good athleticism. He was clearly Penn State's number one recruit, both at the quarterback position and overall. Jones is currently planning on enrolling early to compete with current freshman backup, Kevin Newsome.
   
2. Adrian Coxson (6'1" WR)--It is no surprise that Coxson committed to Penn State, but it was a surprise to many that Coxson ended is recruitment this early in the game. He is the first of at least 2-3 WRs that Penn State will look to add this season. Coxson is a smooth WR with great ball skills who reminds many of Larry Fitzgerald (not in size, but in his ability to high-point the ball in traffic).
   
3. Silas Redd (5'10" RB/DB)--This pure athlete from Connecticut could play either RB or DB at the next level, but he will get a shot at RB first--his position of choice. While the talent he plays against in New England is suspect, Redd's abilities are not. He makes cuts at 100% speed which makes him hard to bring down in the open field.
   
4. Mike Hull (6'1" OLB)--This PSU legacy could start his career at Safety and grow into an OLB depending on whether he hits another growth spurt. His intensity, effort, and athleticism make him a nice addition the a future linebacking corps that keeps churning out talent. LinebackerU is alive an well with Hull in the fold.
   
5. Luke Graham (6'5" OG)--Offensive line is the hardest position to scout from one level to the next. Every year, both in the jump from high school to collegen, and from college to the NFL, so many prospects "go bust" with little explanation as to why. For this reason, I will hold back any official scouting of Graham's physical ability at the college level. If the coaching staff wanted him, and offered him this early in the process, I will assume he can play the position. One thing I can say--the kid has the brains to cut it at the college level reporting a 4.0 GPA and 1750 SAT score.

With a class that will be substantially smaller than last year's 27-man class (likely 15-18 scholarships available), Penn State will have to be more judicious with it's offer sheet. To date, it's unclear who actually has written offers and who has mere verbal offers. However, that will not prevent FTG from predicting who are the Nits' top-targets and what chance they have of landing them.

Quarterback--Jones, plus one more.

• Barry Brunetti--The #1 dual threat QB in this class would make a nice addition to this class.
  
• Robert Bolden--Athletic QB might not be as high on PSU's list now that Jones has reaffirmed his commitment.
  
• Anthony Gonzales--This PA quarterback/athlete makes the most sense if the staff can not grab Brunetti.
  

Running Back--Redd, maybe one more depending on who it is.

• Marcus Lattimore--As the #2 RB in the nation, the staff would make room for another running back if this stud decided to join the family. But getting Lattimore out of South Carolina is going to be one of the harder tasks.
  
• Corey Brown (Slot)--This versitile athlete could play RB, Slot-WR, or DB. But he is too good of a PA athlete to let slip away without a fight.
  

Full Back--One.

• Zach Zwinak (LB)--Zwinak would make a nice inside linebacker, but he has been clear that he wants to play offense. The only way I see that happening--at 6'3" 230--is at fullback. If he is on board with that, there is room on the depth chart for this jumbo athlete.
  

Wide Receiver--Coxson, plus two more--max.

• Kenny Stills--The California stud must make the trip to State College for the Nits to stand any chance... and the trip must occur before USC offers. If that happens, then expect PSU to be in it until the end with Stills who would be a big-body WR to go along with Coxson and a slot-type WR.
  
• Kyle Pratter--Long shot, to say the least, but you never know until you try.
  
• Alex Kenny--This top 250 WR resides in Penn State's back-yard, and is one of their top 4 targets at WR. If there is room, the staff must get Kenny's commitment.
  
• Brandon Felder (Slot/RB)--If any of the above targets drops through their fingers, the staff must jump on Felder who has been a fast-riser in the summer rankings based on several MVP performaces at Nike Camps. A trasplant from the Boston area, this now Gateway stud will not be as easy to grab as past WPIAL studs.
  

Tight End--At least one, maybe two.

• Kevin Haplea--Penn State's best chance at TE this year. Solid, but not spectacular talent.
  
• Blake Barker--Long shot out of New England, who does not have PSU in his top-5 list right now.
  
• Andrew Carswell--Play WR now, but could grow into a TE... does not yet have a Penn State offer. (HS teammate of P.J. Jones).
  

Offensive Tackle--At least two.

• Arie Kouandjio--Another in the line of Maryland linemen recruited by Penn State. He's under-rated at this point by the recruiting services and could shoot up the rankings this summer/fall. Also has a younder brother who plays both offensive and defensive line, who could be an even better prospect next year.
  
• Robby Havenstein--HUGE lineman out of Maryland who could move to guard if tackle does not work out for him due to lack to lateral quickness.
  
• Khamrone Kolb--Not sure where PSU stands with him.
  

Other Offensive Linemen--Graham, maybe one more--max.

• None at this time.
  

Defensive End--Probably two.

• Dakota Royer (OLB)--This undersized end prospect could start his career at OLB before moving to a Tim Shaw/Jerome Hayes stand-up pass rushing end.
  
• J.R. Ferguson (DT)--Could grow into a tackle if he's not a strong-side end. One of State's top priorities on the defensive line this year. Top-100 prosect... don't know yet where PSU stands, but he wants to decide soon.
  
• C.J. Olaniyan--Could be a long shot out of Michigan.
  
• Dominique Easley--Don't know much about Easley. Could be a situation where the staff wants to see where their top targets go first.
  
• Kyle Baublitz (TE)--Could be a TE or DE.... it will depend on what he wants to play and where the staff sees him fitting in.
  
• Ken Wilkins (LB)--Don't know if he has a scholarship yet, but he's another in a recent line of good linebackers/defensive players from Trinity HS (where current LB Mike Yancich played in HS).
  

Defensive Tackle--At least one, maybe two.

• Shariff Floyd--Top-100 talent is PSU's top DT target, out of Philly.
  
• DaQuan Jones--This New York prospect could get a firm offer and the hard-sell from the staff if he qualifies and they lose out on other targets.
  

Linebacker--Hull, plus one more.

• Khairi Fortt--Penn State's top target on the defensive side could make-up for missing out on Jelani Jenkins last year. Penn State is the team to beat for Fortt, who is also great friends with current committ Silas Redd.
  
• Travis Williams--Top-250 talent from Virginia who supposedly has an offer, but I have not heard much about him yet.
  

Cornerback--One or two.

• Braylon Heard (RB)--Has an offer, but I don't know if the staff see him as a RB or DB.
  
• Jeff Knox--Don't know much about this prospect other than the fact that he has an offer, supposedly.
  

Safety--At least one.

• No clear-cut leader, but I like the fact that the staff is not reaching for prospects with this small class like they might have done last year. They can get certain guys later in the game if their top choices don't pan out.
• Sean Parker--Long shot out of California. Needs to visit before he's a serious possibility.
  
• Keenan Allen (Ath.)--Another long shot out of North Carolina, could also play WR. Terrific athlete who must also visit Happy Valley this summer/fall for PSU to be a serious contender.

As you can see, PSU has a long list of targets and a very small number of scholarships to work with. They will need to be judicious if they want to come out of this class with a top-10 class, like they currently have.