Blue White Illustrated

18|UC&P: BRANDON BELL The New Jersey linebacker follows through on his pledge to Penn State. 21|OPINION: RYAN SNYDER BWI���s recruiting reporter assesses the impact of the NCAA���s recent decision to relax some of its recruiting rules. and remain strongly committed to a university and a football program that have been through a nightmarish ordeal. For that in itself, this class will go down in history. ���We���ve kind of talked together about how special this situation is for us, how we can build our own legacy and how we can be remembered for a long time up at Penn State,��� Breneman said. ���We are the Class of 2013. We came to Penn State when the whole world kind of looked down on us. It���s definitely a unique time, but we have a special class that���s really close.��� Without any further ado, let���s get to know the Class of 2013. 22|UC&P: ADAM BRENEMAN The RICHY ANDERSON highly regarded tight end gets an early start on his college career. WR, 5-11, 171 Frederick, Md. Thomas Johnson HS 24|UC&P: CURTIS COTHRAN The defensive end prospect keeps his motor running. 28|OPINION: NATE BAUER The Lions��� newest recuits choose to accept a challenge. 32|QB SPOTLIGHT With the signing of Christian Hackenberg, the nation���s top-ranked drop-back passer, Penn State sends a signal that it has entered a new offensive era. 35|THE NATIONAL SCENE Alabama and Florida vie for top honors. 36|AROUND THE BIG TEN As usual, Ohio State and Michigan lead the way. 38|RUN-ON REPORT The Lions��� bolster their class with a strong group of nonscholarship prospects. WHAT HE DID Anderson totaled 666 yards and six touchdowns on 136 carries during his senior year ��� good for an average of 4.9 yards per carry. He also caught 24 passes for 241 yards and four touchdowns. As a junior, Anderson was a key part of Thomas Johnson���s run to the Maryland 3A state final, totaling nearly 1,400 yards of offense. He enrolled at Penn State in January. WHAT HE WON Anderson was a consensus three-star recruit as rated by Rivals.com, ESPN.com and Scout.com. WHERE HE VISITED Anderson originally gave a verbal commitment to Maryland in June. Then he picked up an offer from Penn State, his father���s alma mater, in late August. He took two months to mull his decision before he switched his commitment to the Nittany Lions after visiting for the Ohio State game Oct. 27. WHO OPENED THE DOOR Larry Johnson was Anderson���s primary recruiting coach, but he also built a relationship with running backs coach Charles London. On the day he committed, he told Johnson first, then talked to London and Bill O���Brien on the same phone call. QUOTABLE Anderson: ���It���s just a different environment up there, anyone who knows Penn State knows that it���s about more than just football ��� it really is and you can tell that.��� PHIL���S TAKE Anderson looks to be one of the best pure athletes that Penn State recruited in this class. He has the ability to play running back, slot receiver or even defensive back. However, in order for him to play running back, he will have to add some weight. I would describe Anderson as weighing a ���slight��� 171 pounds. I believe he���ll begin his Penn State career at the slot receiver spot or as a third back in the backfield. He is the son of former Penn State running back Richie Anderson, who played with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets in the NFL. Richy is not as big and physical as his father was. BRANDON BELL ILB, 6-1, 222 Mays Landing, N.J. Oakcrest HS WHAT HE DID Bell racked up 117 tackles (24 of which were for negative yardage), six sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception as a junior at Oakcrest High. He also blocked a field goal and was a two-time team captain. He was slowed by a nagging shoulder injury during his senior season but still tallied 110 tackles, two fumble recoveries, an interception and a forced fumble. He was fully healthy when he returned to the football field in late November. Playing for the North squad in the Chesapeake Bowl all-star game, the middle linebacker finished with three tackles and a forced fumble. He reportedly runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds, bench presses 315 pounds and squats 395. WHAT HE WON Bell was ranked the No. 21 prospect in New Jersey for the Class of 2013 by NJVarsity.com. In addition, Rivals.com considers him to be a three-star recruit and the No. 42 inside linebacker prospect in the country. He was named to the MaxPreps 2012 New Jersey Preseason AllState team.

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