Blue White Illustrated

Oh that's easy. It involves Shane and my brother. If I could jam my brother at the line, then somehow pick off Shane and then stiff arm him [as I'm] taking it back for a touchdown (laughs). Yeah, that'd be a dream play. Since your dad went through the process himself, was there anything about PSU that he really liked? Being coached by Coach Vanderlinden and Coach O'Brien, that's the big thing that really sealed the deal for both of us. Also, the way they preach academics. That played a big part. I have to go somewhere where I'll get a great degree. Penn State definitely offers that. They offer great academics. My dad also always told me that he wants me to go where I feel comfortable. Wherever I go, he wants me to enjoy myself and also get a fair chance to reach my full potential. We see all of that in Penn State. What do you like about State College? You've been to a few college towns and campuses. What's exciting about State College? How supportive everyone is there – that's something I'll never forget. The first time I was there, just walking down College Ave., every building has a sign saying 'We support Penn State football.' That just shows how close the community feels about this team, especially after what they accomplished last year, with so much going on. That really enticed me – how everyone is so close-knit. I love that. Is there anything you'd like to say to the Penn State fans? I'd just like to tell the Penn State fans that I'm a very hard worker. You won't find too many guys who work harder than me. This is a year-round sport. You have to treat it like a job at that level. I'll be willing to do that. I also don't like to lose. I'm a winner. I want to win championships. We may not be eligible for a championship during my first few years, but that doesn't mean we can't accomplish something. We can go out there and be undefeated so everyone knows who the real champ is. That's what I want to help do here. Penn State takes new approach with summer camps in 2013 P enn State is fresh off its first Advanced Skills Camp of the summer, which took place on June 1. By the time the staff wraps up its final camp, which runs from June 27-29, the Nittany Lion coaches will have gotten a firsthand look at more than 500 prospects. In years past, these camps played a major part in finding some of the team's top scholarship prospects. Last year running back Mark Allen drove to State College from Hyattsville, Md., just to work with running backs coach Charles London for a few hours. In time, Allen proved to be one of the top running backs in the Mid-Atlantic region and on Penn State's recruiting board, so he probably would have earned an offer regardless. However, his decision to attend camp that day, without a doubt, made Penn State's decision to extend a scholarship offer that much easier. Fast forward to this summer and things are shaping up a bit differently than they were in 2013. With the current class already two-thirds com- pleted, the staff will be putting more emphasis on potential "run-on" targets. Only time will tell, but these next few weeks could play a major part in the staff's ability to find the next Josh Hull. This year's camp series will also feature a weekend that's specifically geared toward underclassmen, which is a first at Penn State. This camp actually could end up being the most important of them all, since the staff will most likely hand out more offers at the underclassman camp on June 8 than either of the two additional camps that will focus on the upperclassmen in the Class of 2014. Again, though, it's the potential run-ons who will capture the majority of the staff's attention this year, and for the next few years to come. In a way, it's a good thing, since it affords the staff a chance to get a solid preview of these guys before their senior season. That was the case in years past, but then, Penn State had at least 20 scholarships to give, so most of the staff's focus was on the prospects who could potentially walk away with an offer. I will emphasize that Penn State is still inviting more than a handful of prospects who already hold Division I scholarship offers, but with the Nittany Lions sitting in a great position with the majority of their top targets who have yet to commit, I find it hard to believe that the coaches would pass up a Dravon Henry or a Thomas Holley in order to take someone who had a good showing at a noncontact camp. This is the dilemma Penn State will face during the next four years. When it had a full compliment of scholarships, the team could afford to roll the dice on a few under-theradar prospects who performed well at camp. But that won't be the case again for a while. So if any potential run-on prospects are reading this, this is your time to shine. You won't go to another camp in the entire Northeast where the coaching staff will be paying the kind of attention that Penn State's staff will be paying during these next few weeks.

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