Blue White Illustrated

PENN STATE COMMITMENTS* NAME POS HT WT HOME SCHOOL Mark Allen Troy Apke Chris Godwin Troy Reeder Nick Scott DeAndre Thompkins DaQuan Worley RB WR WR LB Ath. Ath. Ath. 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-3 5-11 6-1 5-10 185 175 192 232 180 170 175 Hyattsville, Md. Mt. Lebanon, Pa. Middletown, Del. Wilmington, Del. Fairfax, Va. Swansboro, N.C. Coatesville, Pa. DeMatha Mt. Lebanon Middletown Salesianum School Fairfax Swansboro Coatesville THE HOT LIST* NAME POS HT WT HOME SCHOOL Marcus Allen Alex Bars Noah Beh Andrew Brown Jeremiah Clarke Anthony Davis Jermaine Eluemunor** Da'Shawn Hand Al Harris Dravon Henry Thomas Holley Shai McKenzie Quenton Nelson Peyton Newell Montae Nicholson Jabrill Peppers Troy Vincent Jr. Ricky Walker Darius West Saf. OT OL DL DE DB OL DE DB Saf. DT RB OL DE DB DB DB DT DB 6-3 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-1 6-6 6-4 5-10 6-0 6-5 6-0 6-5 6-3 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-11 190 290 245 292 270 175 300 245 155 185 290 212 282 280 200 210 181 270 197 Upper Marlboro, Md. Nashville, Tenn. Scranton, Pa. Chesapeake, Va. Alexandria, Va. Monroeville, Pa. Scranton, Pa. Woodbridge, Va. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Aliquippa, Pa. Brooklyn, N.Y. Washington, Pa. Red Bank, N.J. Hiawatha, Kan. Monroeville, Pa. Paramus, N.J. Baltimore, Md. Hampton, Va. Lima, Ohio Wise Montgomery Bell Scranton Prep Oscar Smith T.C. Williams Gateway Lackawanna College Woodbridge Senior St. Thomas Aquinas Aliquippa Abraham Lincoln Washington Red Bank Catholic Hiawatha Gateway Paramus Catholic Gilman Bethel Lima Central Catholic * As of May 6 **Junior college prospect Nick Scott. All of these guys are just like De'Andre – academics first, family first, then football. That's exactly how De'Andre approaches things. All of those kids treated De'Andre like family, so that really helped. "[De'Andre] is a great leader, a great guy to have in your locker room. He's a student first, then an athlete. He'll represent PSU the right way, the way Coach O'Brien and Coach Paterno always stressed. Character first – that's always been the way at Penn State. I know that had a lot to do with him making this decision at this point. It was always the best fit." As surprising as Thompkins' commitment may have been, it was nothing compared to the surprise that followed three days later on April 23. With fans and media under the assumption that Penn State was done recruiting wide receivers, the staff accepted a commitment from its No. 1 wide receiver target since the beginning – four-star prospect Chris Godwin of Middletown, Del. "It kinda hit me, when I was reflecting on everything, that PSU was the place for me," Godwin said. "I felt comfortable there, and they have some good QBs who can throw the football, which is always a plus. When I visited recently, they showed me everything on campus and I've seen everything already. They told me they only had one more wide receiver spot left and whoever committed first was going to get it. I didn't commit then, but everything happens for a reason." Godwin was one of the first 2014 prospects at any position to earn a verbal scholarship offer from the staff last fall, making him a priority recruit. Despite needs at other positions, Godwin's physical presence and talent were just too much to pass up. "I think when I first get up there, they are expecting me to compete," Godwin said. "There is a possibility for me to play early. It all depends on how I come along and how quickly I learn the playbook. There is definitely an opening for a wide receiver to come in and play. I'm going to try to get up there during the summertime, maybe during their camp." In Thompkins, Apke and Godwin, Penn State now has three solid wide receiver prospects who each bring something different to the table. Thompkins fits the mold of a speedy slot receiver, with Godwin taking the role of a physical, No. 1 receiver, similar to Allen Robinson. Apke is solid at everything, making him a perfect possession receiver that quarterbacks often look toward when a clutch catch is needed. The Lions also picked up a commitment May 3 from athlete DaQuan Worley of Coatesville, Pa. A three-star prospect, Worley could play a variety of positions in college, making him attractive to Penn State as it seeks ways to address its sanction-related depth problems over the next few seasons. "He's an incredible athlete, can do a bunch of different things on the field," Coatesville coach Matt Ortega said. "He has the speed, which is nice, but he's also a very smart player and that should allow him to play wherever Penn State needs him. He's very coachable." Worley helped lead Coatesville to the PIAA Class AAAA title last season. He rushed for 1,779 yards and 20 touchdowns, while making 45 tackles and three interceptions on defense. He delayed his commitment for a few days, prompting both Rutgers and Penn State to send coaches to Coatesville to meet with Ortega. After those conversations, Worley chose Penn State, the school he had favored from the start. "I think he just wanted to really think everything through, take a few extra days to think about it first," Ortega said. "He had a lot of strong feelings for Rutgers and their coaches, but I think when he really thought about everything, his gut feeling, which was Penn State, was the right choice."

• Cover