Blue White Illustrated

PENN STATE COMMITMENTS* NAME POS HT WT HOME SCHOOL Marcus Allen Mark Allen Troy Apke Noah Beh Chris Godwin Troy Reeder Nick Scott De'Andre Thompkins Jared Wangler Daquan Worley Saf. RB WR OL WR LB Ath. Ath. LB DB 6-1 5-7 6-2 6-5 6-2 6-3 5-11 6-1 6-2 5-10 187 185 175 250 192 232 180 170 215 175 Upper Marlboro, Md. Hyattsville, Md. Mt. Lebanon, Pa. Scranton, Pa. Middletown, Del. Wilmington, Del. Fairfax, Va. Swansboro, N.C. Warren, Mich. Coatesville, Pa. Wise DeMatha Mt. Lebanon Scranton Prep Middletown Salesianum School Fairfax Swansboro De La Salle Coatesville THE HOT LIST* NAME POS HT WT HOME SCHOOL Alex Bookser Andrew Brown Jeremiah Clarke Anthony Davis Al Harris Dravon Henry Thomas Holley Malik Hooker Michael O'Connor Shai McKenzie Peyton Newell Montae Nicholson Troy Vincent Jr. Ricky Walker Darius West OL DL DE DB DB Saf. DT Ath. QB RB DE DB DB DT DB 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-5 6-2 6-5 6-0 6-3 6-2 5-10 6-2 5-11 295 292 270 175 155 185 290 183 223 212 280 200 181 270 197 Mt. Lebanon, Pa. Chesapeake, Va. Alexandria, Va. Monroeville, Pa. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Aliquippa, Pa. Brooklyn, N.Y. New Castle, Pa. Bradenton, Fla. Washington, Pa. Hiawatha, Kan. Monroeville, Pa. Baltimore, Md. Hampton, Va. Lima, Ohio Mt. Lebanon Oscar Smith T.C. Williams Gateway St. Thomas Aquinas Aliquippa Abraham Lincoln New Castle IMG Academy Washington Hiawatha Gateway Gilman Bethel Lima Central Catholic * As of June 2 and has attended a few American prep schools. Now at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., O'Connor has been working with former Heisman Trophy winner and IMG head coach Chris Weinke. In just a few months, his stock has skyrocketed, with solid performances on the combine circuit that have helped him earn a four -star rating from Rivals.com and a spot in the Rivals250. The recruiting service ranks him No. 188 overall and No. 8 nationwide for pro-style quarterbacks. "Right now, I'm thinking [about choosing a school] sometime around June 10," O'Connor said at the end of May. "I don't know if that will be the exact date, but I just think in two weeks, I should be ready to make a decision." At one point, O'Connor was believed to be most interested in Michigan State. But that opportunity vanished when the Spartans received a commitment from another quarterback. As of early June, Penn State's top competition was Mississippi State, Missouri, Rutgers, South Florida and Vanderbilt. While he hasn't named a favorite school, O'Connor has said that Penn State has shown the most interest "by far." In late May, he spoke to O'Brien over the phone. "He was telling me that it's not about [what you do] on the field," O'Connor said. "It takes a lot more than just onthe-field talent to succeed in Coach O'Brien's system. He thinks I have what it takes to succeed here, to grow on and off the field. He was just saying nothing but good things about the program and how I fit in there." Another prospect who appeared in early June to be on the verge of making a commitment was defensive back Troy Vincent Jr. Sources close to the family said the Baltimore resident – who is the son of former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent – began leaning toward the Nittany Lions after his unofficial visit to Penn State on April 25. In the weeks that followed, Vincent took only one additional visit, which was to Maryland. He had been considering trips to Miami and Georgia Tech, but it now looks like those trips won't materialize and that the choice is between Penn State and Maryland. The final prospect to follow closely these next few weeks is defensive tackle Jeremiah Clarke. The 6-5, 270pound three-star prospect from T.C. Williams High in Alexandria, Va., narrowed his list of nearly 20 offers down to Miami, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia and Wake Forest on May 7. It appears that Penn State is in an excellent position with Clarke. Many believe that Virginia is the Nittany Lions' most formidable rival for his services, but it's possible that Miami will be in the mix as well.

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