Update: Ok, it’s my fault. I posted too positive of an update last time and now we are paying for it. I’ll start with the bad news. Sanders is visiting MSU on the 29th after visiting PSU with the rest of the class on the 22nd. Now, Manny Bowen had the same plan last year and ended up canceling the MSU trip so hopefully that happens again. As you know Dioubate decomitted, or more accurately opened his recruitment back up. At first it looked like and Auburn led bag men type issue, but the more I am watching it, the more it feels like he was uncomfortable with his decision to move too far from home. Pitt, Temple, and PSU will all be visiting him and he will visit MSU on the 22nd. He has an all star game on the 29th so this should be his last visit unless PSU can get a mid week thing going. He’s been to Penn State a number of times so he knows what it’s about, I think in the end he’ll end up at Temple to remain close to his family, but we’re not completely out of it. Dwumfour is visiting Michigan this weekend and we really can’t afford to lose him at this point. Certainly there is probably some Gary influence here as the two were childhood friends. We just have to hope he has a better time at Penn State next weekend. I’m not even going to talk about Jimmy’s sleepover non-sense, but Nordin is in Michigan this week too.
Schedules for our top guys are as follows: This weekend Ferns is in WVU, Nixon is in Georgia, Hansford is in UCLA, Hamlin and Fuller are in OSU, and Hudson is in Michigan. The 22nd most of our class will be in Happy Valley along with Hudson and Hamlin and Fuller will be in Michigan. The 29th Ferns will be our main target and in Happy Valley, I expect the staff to close the deal. Hamlin and Hudson will be in Pitt. Fuller has no plans the weekend of the 29th and 2 OVs left out of his allotted 5, Nixon has no plans after this week and has 4 OVs left, Hansford has 1 OV left to take and no plans after this week, and lastly, why not mention it (maybe hell will freeze over), Gary has no plans after this week and has 1 OV left if he wants it.
My analysis of their schedule is that we need to make a big impression on Hudson and Hamlin, although they’ve both been to Pitt so often that I’m not worried about getting last crack at them. Losing Shoop did NOT help with them. Having Ferns on the last weekend should be good and he’s getting a lot of Crystal Balls to PSU. I always thought Nixon would take an OV to Penn State, I wish it were already planned but I think he will. Gattis and JoeMo were down to see him yesterday in Florida. I have no clue if we’ll actually get Hansford on campus but Hansford had mentioned to another site that he had been to PSU 4 or 5 times already and really liked the campus and felt he didn’t need to OV there because he knows what it’s like. We’ll see what that means. Fuller was going to come on the 29th but now it might be a mid-week visit before that weekend. To me he seems destined to go to OSU.
Amir Watts was offered who is a DT out of Chicago. Rhane visited him yesterday. Currently his schedule is full. Only way I could see us getting him would be if he cancelled an OV somewhere else and visited PSU. On the positive flip side, we are hosting Kyzir White, the WVU JUCO S commit, on the 22nd and Nate Johnson, Michigan WR commit, on the 29th. I think White seems like a kind of likely flip at this point and I think it shows that it is unlikely that Golden will start next year.
Scholarship wise we are basically wide open. Currently we could take 23 if no one else left (counting Kiley as staying yet bc I have seen nothing official saying he won’t be back and Walker seems likely to keep his scholarship), but I expect a few more departures before signing day.
I would really like us to fill the last coaching vacancy at LB or S with a name that will generate a lot of recruiting buzz. Mike Zordich would be a huge steal from Michigan. I know a lot of people don’t like the idea of Lavar, but it would be huge with HS kids, which is something you need to think about.
Commit Watch:
4* CB Hamlin, 4* LB Ferns, 3* S Hudson
Very Good Chance:
4* WR Nixon
In The Battle:
3* DT Watts
Work Left To Do:
4/3* OLB Hansford, 4* DT Dioubate, 4* ATH Fuller
Have To Get Really Lucky:
5* DT Gary, 4* OT Williams, 4* CB Hill
Former Interest:
JC DT Chavis, 3* OT Niang
My opinion on where we stand with recruits based on rumors, where the coaching staff has made serious effort, offers, tweets (sometimes) and gut feeling. My categories(and their meanings) are Commit Watch (changed from Locks as to not offend recruiting gods), Very good chance(we sit very well with the recruit and are either the leader or perceived leader), In the Battle(We have a good shot and are equal to others or just slightly behind), Work left to do(there is another perceived leader or little information known on recruits intentions), Have to get really lucky(small chance to little to none), and Former Interest(players that Penn State was previously interested in that most likely no longer have committable offers).
Schedules for our top guys are as follows: This weekend Ferns is in WVU, Nixon is in Georgia, Hansford is in UCLA, Hamlin and Fuller are in OSU, and Hudson is in Michigan. The 22nd most of our class will be in Happy Valley along with Hudson and Hamlin and Fuller will be in Michigan. The 29th Ferns will be our main target and in Happy Valley, I expect the staff to close the deal. Hamlin and Hudson will be in Pitt. Fuller has no plans the weekend of the 29th and 2 OVs left out of his allotted 5, Nixon has no plans after this week and has 4 OVs left, Hansford has 1 OV left to take and no plans after this week, and lastly, why not mention it (maybe hell will freeze over), Gary has no plans after this week and has 1 OV left if he wants it.
My analysis of their schedule is that we need to make a big impression on Hudson and Hamlin, although they’ve both been to Pitt so often that I’m not worried about getting last crack at them. Losing Shoop did NOT help with them. Having Ferns on the last weekend should be good and he’s getting a lot of Crystal Balls to PSU. I always thought Nixon would take an OV to Penn State, I wish it were already planned but I think he will. Gattis and JoeMo were down to see him yesterday in Florida. I have no clue if we’ll actually get Hansford on campus but Hansford had mentioned to another site that he had been to PSU 4 or 5 times already and really liked the campus and felt he didn’t need to OV there because he knows what it’s like. We’ll see what that means. Fuller was going to come on the 29th but now it might be a mid-week visit before that weekend. To me he seems destined to go to OSU.
Amir Watts was offered who is a DT out of Chicago. Rhane visited him yesterday. Currently his schedule is full. Only way I could see us getting him would be if he cancelled an OV somewhere else and visited PSU. On the positive flip side, we are hosting Kyzir White, the WVU JUCO S commit, on the 22nd and Nate Johnson, Michigan WR commit, on the 29th. I think White seems like a kind of likely flip at this point and I think it shows that it is unlikely that Golden will start next year.
Scholarship wise we are basically wide open. Currently we could take 23 if no one else left (counting Kiley as staying yet bc I have seen nothing official saying he won’t be back and Walker seems likely to keep his scholarship), but I expect a few more departures before signing day.
I would really like us to fill the last coaching vacancy at LB or S with a name that will generate a lot of recruiting buzz. Mike Zordich would be a huge steal from Michigan. I know a lot of people don’t like the idea of Lavar, but it would be huge with HS kids, which is something you need to think about.
Commit Watch:
4* CB Hamlin, 4* LB Ferns, 3* S Hudson
Very Good Chance:
4* WR Nixon
In The Battle:
3* DT Watts
Work Left To Do:
4/3* OLB Hansford, 4* DT Dioubate, 4* ATH Fuller
Have To Get Really Lucky:
5* DT Gary, 4* OT Williams, 4* CB Hill
Former Interest:
JC DT Chavis, 3* OT Niang
My opinion on where we stand with recruits based on rumors, where the coaching staff has made serious effort, offers, tweets (sometimes) and gut feeling. My categories(and their meanings) are Commit Watch (changed from Locks as to not offend recruiting gods), Very good chance(we sit very well with the recruit and are either the leader or perceived leader), In the Battle(We have a good shot and are equal to others or just slightly behind), Work left to do(there is another perceived leader or little information known on recruits intentions), Have to get really lucky(small chance to little to none), and Former Interest(players that Penn State was previously interested in that most likely no longer have committable offers).
