Blue White Illustrated

round and is projected to be the top pick among the Nittany Lions��� senior class. ���I think in a 3-4 set, he���s big enough to bulk up and play Sam, and he���s got pretty good instincts, too,��� Coyle said. ���He plays the run well, and I think he���s got some versatility. I think he���s going to appeal to people. I think he���s going to be the kind of kid who could start in the NFL.��� In the right defensive scheme, tackle Jordan Hill could start, too, Coyle said. At 6-1, 303 pounds, Hill is undersized relative to other defensive tackle hopefuls. And as a member of a draft class that is deep at his position, Hill could get somewhat lost in the shuffle. Coyle said he���s expecting Hill to be drafted, but maybe not in the third round, which is where the NFL Draft Advisory Board told him he would most likely go following his junior season. ���I think he���s the type of kid who has got to be in the right spot schematically. He���s got a lot of quickness but he���s got to be next to a bigger defensive tackle,��� Coyle said. ���He gets washed out when he gets doubled up. I don���t see him at all in the 3-4 scheme, but I think he���s an effective guy in the 4-3, if lined up properly. If you get him in the fifth round, that���s a pretty good value.��� Penn State���s final NFL Combine participant, center Matt Stankiewitch, is also projected to make a roster, though maybe not as a draft pick. In a draft that is loaded with offensive line talent, Stankiewitch is likely to go in the late rounds or sign as a free agent, Coyle said. ���There happens to be an exceptional group of offensive tackles this year, so centers are going to get kind of pushed down a little after the top three or four,��� Coyle said. ���I can see this kid making it. It���s just a question of whether somebody wants to use a sixth- or seventh-round pick or prioritize him in the free agent market. ��� NATE BAUER FOOTBALL Two additions made to Penn State staff When Georgia Tech graduate Ted Roof returned to his alma mater after only one season at Penn State, the Nittany Lions didn���t just lose their defensive coordinator. They also lost one of their strongest recruiters of Southern prospects. So when he went looking for a new assistant coach to fill the vacancy on his reshuffled defensive staff, Bill O���Brien made sure to find one with strong ties to the South. On Feb. 14, Penn State hired Anthony Midget, a four-year letterman at Virginia Tech and a fifth-round selection by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2000 NFL Draft, Midget will coach the safeties at Penn State, while new defensive coordinator John Butler will continue to coach the cornerbacks. ���It���s an honor to be a part of the Penn State family and this great university,��� Midget said. ���I am thankful to Coach O���Brien for the opportunity to come to Penn State and am excited to get to know the players and get ready for spring practice.��� A native of Clewistown, Fla., Midget had been a member of the Georgia State coaching staff since 2008, serving as defensive coordinator during the 2012 season. His first collegiate coaching gig was at his alma mater, where he served as a graduate assistant in 2007. Before returning to Virginia Tech, he coached four years at Lake Worth (Fla.) High and will help recruit southern Florida for Penn State. Midget was a three-year starter at cornerback for the Hokies. Playing under head coach Frank Beamer, he helped the team to four consecutive bowl berths, including an appearance in the 1999 national championship game. In 1999 he earned third-team All-America honors from The Sporting News and was a first-team All-Big East honoree. A dean���s list student, Midget was selected to the Big East All-Academic team. ���Anthony will be a great addition to our staff,��� O���Brien said. ���He is an experienced and passionate defensive coach and recruiter. We welcome Anthony to our team and look forward to his contributions to the program.��� O���Brien also added an assistant recruiting coordinator on Feb. 14. John Power, a former offensive coordinator at Fork Union Military Academy PostGrad, will assist with player personnel and recruiting duties at Penn State. Col. John Shuman, head coach at Fork Union, confirmed the hiring to Blue White Illustrated. Power played college football under Jim Donnan at Georgia, where he later was hired as a graduate assistant. He was head coach at Hillside (N.J.) High before becoming an assistant at Fork Union. FOOTBALL Longtime Nittany Lion Fran Ganter to retire He began his Penn State football career as a running back in 1967. He became a coach as soon as he graduated in ���71 and remained on the Penn State sideline until 2004, when he left to serve as an associate athletic director. Then on Feb. 28 ��� after nearly five decades at the university ��� Fran Ganter retired. ���I am very proud and thankful to have been a member of the Penn State football family for the past 46 years,��� Ganter said in a prepared statement. ���I will always owe a debt of gratitude to Coach Bob Phillips for recruiting me to play at Penn State, and to Coach [Joe] Paterno for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime when he hired me onto his staff.��� As a running back, Ganter helped Penn State compile a 29-3 record from 1967 to ���70, including undefeated seasons that were capped by Orange Bowl victories in ���68 and ���69. He became the freshman coach after graduation and was named offensive coordinator in ���84. Ganter was given the title of assistant head coach in

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