Nittany Lions roar

Paterno reels in another big class with more on way

Penn State is once again loading up on the commitments. Joe Paterno and his staff have 14 verbals and are gaining momentum by the day. There are some top-notch prospects among this group and Penn State is awaiting some big announcements.

Offensive prospects, particularly linemen, are what first jump out from the Penn State commitment list. Greg Harrison (Shenandoah, Pa.) is one of the nation’s best offensive linemen and a member of TheInsiders.com National Hot 100.

Harrison also has become quite a recruiter for Penn State. Wyatt Bowman (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) is another Keystone State standout who will be staying home. Three more O-line commits are from Michigan, New Jersey and New York. Austin Hinton (Secaucus, N.J.), Trent Varva (Lake Orion, Mich.), and Rich Ohrnberger (East Meadow, N.Y.) make for an outstanding group.

Are the Lions done in the trenches? It looks like they would like to land one more.

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Mike Lucian (Frederick, Md.) is a talented tight end headed to Happy Valley. Lucian, who is also a dominating defensive player, has good hands and is a solid blocker. He should fit right into the Penn State offense, but could also find his way to the defensive line.

Another tight end pledge for Paterno is Jed Hill (Struthers, Ohio). Hill was a summer camp find for Penn State. Last season he played only two games because of a broken leg, but showed up to camp with Penn State and was so impressive the Nittany Lions offered him a scholarship.

Could Matt Hahn (Melville, N.Y.) and Dan Lawlor (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) be the backfield of the future at Penn State? Hahn is a big, powerful tailback who committed back in February, while Lawlor is a bruising fullback who also can run the football.

Mark Rubin (Amherst, N.Y.) is a big, physical wide receiver who doubles at both safety positions in high school. He committed to Penn State shortly after camping with the Nittany Lions.

Defensively, it starts up front with A.Q. Shipley (Coraopolis), one of the top defensive tackles from the Big Ten region. Shipley, also a member of TheInsiders.com National Hot 100, is a dynamite offensive lineman as well.

Though Dontey Brown (McKeesport, Pa.) could very well join Shipley on the defensive line, he currently is penciled in as a future linebacker for Penn State.

Perhaps the top athlete of this committed bunch is Spencer Ridenhour (White Plains N.Y.). Ridenhour, who plays both running back and safety, had an outstanding Nike Camp this spring. He is good enough to be a running back in the Big Ten, but prefers to play defense because he just loves the contact.

Tony Davis (Warren, Ohio) is the lone cornerback committed thus far. Davis has good size, runs in the 4.4 range and can jump through the gym with a 41-inch vertical jump. He is quite a talent that not too many people talk about.

When you break it down, of Penn State’s 14 commitments, only four are from Pennsylvania. They have roughly six to seven scholarships left. The irony is that the state of Pennsylvania is loaded this season. So look for the Nittany Lions to close strong; some home-grown kids are among the nation’s best at their positions.

Leading the way is Dan Connor (Wallingford, Pa.), the nation’s top-rated defensive prospect and No. 3 overall. Connor could play either inside or outside linebacker and also is one of the nation’s best fullbacks. He has things narrowed down to Penn State, Notre Dame and Michigan. Connor would like to make a decision before the season starts.

Pennsylvania is home to two of the nation’s top quarterbacks and, of the two, Chad Henne (West Lawn, Pa.) could be headed to Penn State. Henne, ranked No. 3 in the country, has narrowed it down to Penn State, Michigan, Tennessee, Georgia and Miami.

Linebacker Tyrell Sales (Butler, Pa.), tight end Rory Nicol (Beaver, Pa.), linebacker Kyle Williams (Bolingbrook, Ill.), Brian Toal (Ramsey, N.J.), and cornerback D.J. Davis (Ft. Worth, Texas) are all "national" standouts who are possibilities to varying degrees for the Nittany Lions.

The Nittany Lions are off to a roaring start in the all-important recruiting wars. Will they close strong? Time will tell.

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