Blue White Illustrated

April 2013

Penn State Sports Magazine

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and his comfort level with the school. It���s still early, but Boston College, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Penn State appear to be standouts on his list. The February visit was his first to Penn State as a recruit, but he did attend the game against Ohio last September with friends. sition on the offensive line in case of an injury to another player. Grimm is a big guy with room to grow, so it���s hard to envision him playing anywhere but on the edge. ANTHONY DAVIS OFFERS Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Temple and West Virginia QUOTABLE ���When I was at Penn State, the coach there said I should be a pioneer. He said I should be a leader and not a follower and start a new trend, not even just to go to Penn State, but to go somewhere new for me. That was the first time anybody ever said that.��� RYAN���S TAKE Henry, a four-star prospect, was part of the initial Class of 2014 Rivals250 rankings, coming in at 157th overall. He was one of the first 2014 prospects to pick up an offer this year, joining Montae Nicholson and Troy Vincent Jr. as the staff's top defensive back targets. Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Penn State appear to be the three standout programs on his list. He will most likely take his time making a decision. DB | 6-1 | 175 | Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway OFFERS Bowling Green, Illinois, Missouri, Penn State, Temple, Texas Tech, Toledo and West Virginia QUOTABLE ���I just recognized that everything is huge at Penn State. The facilities are great, it���s a big weight room, a big stadium. I remember the coaches taking us to the middle of the field when we were in the stadium. They were telling us to look around. It was impressive. Stadiums don���t really get bigger than that.��� RYAN���S TAKE Having recently emerged as one of the staff���s top defensive back prospects, Davis got an offer from O���Brien on junior day. He isn���t in the coaches��� top three, but they like the fact that he can play cornerback and safety, and they are likely to make a big push for him throughout the spring and summer. Junior day was Davis���s first visit to Penn State. MONTAE NICHOLSON DRAVON HENRY Saf. | 6-0 | 185 | Aliquippa, Pa. | Aliquippa OT | 6-7 | 315 | Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park OFFERS Bowling Green, Illinois, Missouri, Temple, Texas Tech, Toledo and West Virginia QUOTABLE ���It was very informative and helped me learn a lot about Penn State. I didn���t pick up an offer. The coaches said they can only take one offensive lineman this year. At least, that���s the plan at this point.��� RYAN���S TAKE Grimm is one of the top prospects in Pennsylvania this year. He���s a four-star player according to Rivals.com and ranks 118th nationally. I believe the reason Penn State hasn���t extended a verbal offer is because of concerns about his versatility. Due to the scholarship reductions, the Nittany Lions are looking for prospects who could potentially switch to another po- DB | 6-2 | 200 | Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway OFFERS Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Stanford, Toledo and West Virginia QUOTABLE ���The entire day was great. I had a lot of fun with the other recruits and coaches. My favorite part was definitely the stadium tour.��� RYAN���S TAKE Nicholson is a four-star Rivals100 prospect, coming in at 47th overall. Penn State has struggled to recruit Gateway players, but longtime head coach Terry Smith accepted a job as wide receivers coach at Temple this winter, so Penn State has a chance to make a fresh start. Assistant coaches Charles London and John Butler have made clear their interest in Nicholson, as has new Penn State defensive backs coach Anthony Midget. Nicholson is seriously considering Ohio State and Michigan, but he���s also visited Penn State three times since last summer. JOHN REID THOMAS HOLLEY MICHAEL GRIMM relationships will play. He appears to be a good fit for Penn State. The trip to University Park was his first unofficial visit to any school. DT | 6-5 | 290 | Brooklyn, N.Y. | Abraham Lincoln OFFERS Boston College, Connecticut, Florida, Florida State, Massachusetts, Miami, Penn State, Rutgers and Syracuse QUOTABLE ���The first thing you pick up on with Coach [Larry] Johnson is that he���s just a real good guy. He wants me to be a part of his defensive line, but he also really stressed that he wants to build a relationship outside of football.��� RYAN���S TAKE Holley quickly turned into a hot commodity, picking up all of his offers within a three-week span starting in mid-February. Penn State hinted to him before his visit that he would most likely get an offer, and that���s exactly what happened. Holley is looking carefully at his educational opportunities, and he knows the role that coaching CB | 5-10 | 175 | Philadelphia | St. Joseph���s (Class of ���15) OFFERS Boston College, Central Florida, Colorado, Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers QUOTABLE ���I really enjoyed the trip. I like the coaching staff, the facilities and the campus. It���s really early, but Penn State is a solid school.��� RYAN���S TAKE It may have been called junior day, but Penn State already has an eye on the Class of 2015. This Philadelphia native looks like he could be one of the top prospects in the nation next year. With so few scholarships, Butler and Ron Vanderlinden have been working together to make sure Reid knows he���s a priority, while Midget also made a solid first impression during the visit. He will be one of only a handful of sophomores competing with the 2014 prospects at the upcoming invitation-only combines this spring,

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