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he has to move out of the pocket, he can do that, too. He forced some throws while competing on the camp circuit, but that's the nature of seven-on-seven tournaments. At Penn State, he should receive the kind of coaching that will allow him to reach his potential. DAESEAN HAMILTON WR | 6-1, 182 | Fredericksburg, Va. | Mountain View HS RYAN'S TAKE Another great young man overall, who was close to being named a four-star player when the final rankings were finished. He has all the physical tools, as well as a load of experience. Also, he has a 4.1 GPA. Early indications suggest he should fit in well at Penn State. He and Eugene Lewis could be a scary combination down the road. TANNER HARTMAN OL | 6-5, 262 | Lynchburg, Va. | Lynchburg Christian Academy RYAN'S TAKE He's much more athletic than people realize. Hartman added about 15 pounds after the season and is now around 6-5, 262 pounds. He's a bit more quiet than others in this class, so he will be someone who leads by example. He just needs to continue to get bigger and stronger. That shouldn't be a problem. One look at his brother and father makes it pretty clear that he still has room to grow. ZAYD ISSAH LB | 6-3, 215 | Harrisburg, Pa. | Central Dauphin HS RYAN'S TAKE It's all about athleticism with Issah. After playing basketball and running track the past few years, he still has so much room to grow, meaning he could really develop during his first 18 months with Fitzgerald. He's also matured a lot in the past year and truly understands that if he pushes himself, he could become a great outside linebacker under Ron Vanderlinden. BRENDAN MAHON OG | 6-4, 315 | Randolph, N.J. | Randolph HS RYAN'S TAKE Mahon was one of the best interior linemen in the nation for a reason. He's great at setting up a wide base and has steadily been improving his footwork during the past two years. Mahon showed up at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in the best shape of his life, and he is still working so he can come into camp this summer in even better shape. Mahon will fit in well at Penn State. ANDREW NELSON OT | 6-5, 295 | Hershey, Pa. | Hershey HS RYAN'S TAKE Like Cothran, Nelson is an F E B R U A R Y PHIL GROSZ SIGNING DAY CHAT EXCERPTS Howie'81: I believe this class proves O'Brien can go out there and compete for the best players available. Your thoughts on this? Grosz: Before the sanctions, it appeared to me that PSU was on the verge of landing a top-10 recruiting class, along with Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten. If the sanctions hadn't come down, I think PSU would have also probably landed running back David Williams, wide receiver Tyler Boyd and possibly a few other four-star recruits. With the national publicity that O'Brien has received with being named the coach of the year, I believe, even with the sanctions in place, Penn State will surprise most of the national analysts with their ability to recruit in the near future. NittanyLogan'11: What is your gut feeling on Breneman and Hackenberg for the 2013 season with regards to playing time? Grosz: Despite his ACL injury, Breneman is convinced that he'll play this fall. Breneman is convinced that he'll play at the F tight end position. Hackenberg's situation will be determined by what [Tyler] Ferguson is able to accomplish during winter workouts and spring practice. If Ferguson wins the job, I think there's an excellent chance that Hackenberg could be redshirted. jeffkoz: For the 2014 class with limited size, do you expect the PSU coaches to push for early commitments or do you think the class will be filled slowly over a longer period of time? Grosz: That all depends on what type of response they get from the players that the staff has at the top of their recruiting boards at specific positions. If the top running back prospect that's offered wants to commit, I'm sure PSU would take him as early as possible. I think the same situation would 7 , 2 0 1 3 4 exist with the No. 1 defensive tackle on their recruiting board. And if a top quarterback wants to commit, O'Brien has said that he wants to take one QB in each class. I realize it's going to be an extremely tough call. If no current players decide to transfer and if a few players decide to take their fifth year of eligibility in 2014, PSU could have as few as 8-12 scholarships to give for the Class of 2014. Ctel12592: Never too early to start to look ahead to next year. Who are some of the more notable recruits that you think PSU has a chance to reel in for the Class of 2014? Grosz: Some players who are presently indicating that Penn State is near the top of their list are athlete DeAndre Thompkins from Swansboro, N.C.; wide receiver Thaddeus Snodgrass from Springfield, Ohio; wide receiver Chris Godwin from Middletown, Del.; and linebacker Troy Reeder from Wilmington, Del. All four of those players have Penn State toward the top of their list, and I think the two players that PSU might have the best chance with are Reeder and Thompkins. Ctel12592: What are some of the biggest needs for the Class of 2014 in your opinion? I think we could use a defensive tackle or two, a cornerback and a good wide receiver. Grosz: O'Brien says he would like to recruit a quarterback in each class. With Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton being seniors in 2014 and redshirt freshman Akeel Lynch as the only other real running back on the roster, I think signing another running back, besides Mark Allen of DeMatha High in Maryland, is a definite need. I think they take two defensive tackles, probably two or three linebackers, and they definitely need some added depth in the secondary. If any other scholarships are made available, what they might have to do is give them to the best player available. B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

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