Blue White Illustrated

Nearly 80 recruits visit for spring game | enn State's visitor list for the BlueWhite Game was impressive to say the least. When you consider that other top programs were hosting spring games on April 20 and that there were numerous combines and camps taking place in the Mid-Atlantic region that day, Penn State's estimated turnout of 80 prospects was quite a coup. Nineteen of those prospects were either "run-on" or scholarship members of Penn State's incoming freshman class, including quarterback Christian Hackenberg, defensive end Garrett Sickels, wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton and offensive lineman Andrew Nelson. Run- HOLLEY ning backs Mark Allen and Nick Scott, both of whom have verbally committed to join Penn State's Class of 2014, also made the trip. The big news, of course, was the verbal commitment of athlete DeAndre Thompkins from Swansboro, N.C., but the staff also made substantial gains with numerous top targets in the classes of 2014 and '15. Case in point: three-star defensive tackle Thomas Holley. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native has nearly 20 verbal offers, but he's only visited a handful of schools. This was his second trip to Penn State. Given Larry Johnson's past successes, there's reason to believe the Nittany Lions are in great position to sign Holley, who could be upgraded to four-star status by Rivals.com in May. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Holley said his visit for the spring scrimmage went well. "I got to see the game and I talked to Coach [Bill] O'Brien and Coach Johnson for a while after the game," he said. "That was pretty cool. I didn't really get a chance to talk to any of the players or recruits; I mostly talked with the coaches. I definitely think I could P fit in. I have a cousin and a friend who go to Penn State. It's definitely a place that I could see myself going." The Nittany Lion staff still has plenty of work to do, as Holley has already received offers from such programs as Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee and Ohio State. "I can't really say how Penn State compares to other schools, because I've only gone on a few visits so far," Holley explained. "Once I go on more visits, I'll be able to determine that. "I'm going to take some more visits to other schools, probably during the summertime. I'm trying to get out to all three Florida schools, Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State and a few other schools." Three-star safety Marcus Allen of Upper Marlboro, Md., was another top target who made his way to campus for the Blue-White Game. The nation's 29th-ranked safety, he has 23 verbal offers. Like Holley, Allen has only visited a handful of schools so far. The fact that he was visiting Penn State for a second time bodes well for O'Brien and his staff. "It was nice," Allen said. "It was really loud and there were a lot of people there. The fans are really nice and it was a really good experience. "I got to speak with the players and hang out with them a little bit. I do think I could fit in with them. I was with Richy Anderson. He's just like me, and I feel like I could fit in with all of them up there." The 6-1, 187-pounder has the oneon-one coverage skills to potentially play cornerback in college, but most schools, including Penn State, believe he's best suited to play safety. "Penn State is still up there," he said. "I really like them a lot, and the coaches really like me. They keep everything real. They were my best visit so far." An additional Class of 2014 prospect who made the trip was offensive lineman Alex Bars, brother of Nittany Lion defensive end Brad Bars. A native of Nashville, Tenn., he is already familiar with the State College area, as he's made the trip north with his parents plenty of times during the past few years to see Brad play. Blue-White Weekend was a bit different, however. With Alex having developed into a prospect in his own right – Rivals gives him four stars – the Penn State coaching staff invited him to take in the experience as a recruit. With so few scholarships to offer this year, O'Brien and his staff have been able to pay closer attention than other schools to prospects in the Class of 2015. One sophomore to bear in mind is linebacker Jake Cooper from Archbishop Wood Catholic in Warminster, Pa. At 6-2, 230 pounds, Cooper is already bigger than many high school seniors who have Division I potential. In fact, his size may actually be a reason why he has yet to receive a scholarship offer. The majority of schools that have shown interest – Penn State, Florida, Michigan, Stanford and Wisconsin, to name a few – are watching closely to see whether he develops into a defensive end. For now, though, he's one of the most intriguing prospects on the entire East Coast. And he appears to have a strong interest in Penn State. "That seems like the ideal place for me to go, at least as of now," he said. "It's only three hours from my home, and my family really wants to be there for me. They want to see me play. "You could also say that I grew up a Penn State fan. I grew up watching Dan Connor, so this is definitely a school that's up there for me." Another sophomore linebacker to keep in mind is Jerome Baker from Cleveland. With Cooper projected as a middle linebacker, Baker would be a perfect fit for Ron Vanderlinden's linebacker rotation. At 6-1, 190 pounds, Baker

• Cover