Blue White Illustrated

but the one thing I'm really working on is maintaining my quickness. I added some weight this spring. I'm around 225 pounds – 225 to 230. I really want to make sure I don't lose a step after adding that weight this off-season. Conditioning is my biggest focus these next few months. Is there anything you'd like to tell Penn State fans about yourself? You're getting someone who works hard and does everything he can to be a leader. I like to think I'm a fun guy. I'll just be myself, but when I get on that field or in the film room – whatever it is involving football – that's when things get serious. I'm really excited to be part of this program. I think Coach O'Brien and everyone there are the right people for me. Now it's just my job to prove them right, prove that I'm worthy of I the scholarship. Scholarship reductions give Nittany Lions an unlikely edge I f I had told you 12 months ago that the NCAA's decision to cap Penn State at 15 scholarships per year through 2017 would in some ways enhance the program's recruiting efforts, what would your reaction have been? A raised eyebrow? An incredulous stare? But here we are, one year after the sanctions were announced, and the coaching staff has nearly filled its scholarship quota for 2014 with players who are in, or are very close to, the top 50 of Penn State's recruiting board. Where am I going with this? Well, it's pretty simple. In today's recruiting environment, nothing is more important than the family-coach relationship. Coaches often have to win over the entire family, not just the player, to gain a verbal commitment. It's why Larry Johnson has been one of the best recruiters in college football during the past decade. Johnson is adept at creating relationships with families early on, and he also stays in contact throughout the process – a process that typically lasts two years. This year, with fewer scholarships to give, the coaching staff has been able to devote its attention to a smaller group of prospects. Each assistant coach has been able to focus on players who are at the top of the list in their specific region. The numbers tell the story. Ac- cording to the Rivals.com database, the Nittany Lions have extended 71 offers to prospects in the Class of 2014, dating back to last fall. That might seem like a big number, especially with Penn State only able to offer 15 scholarships. But in comparison to other schools, the Lions are being very judicious. Ohio State has extended 171 verbal offers, Rutgers 148, Maryland 126 and Pittsburgh 125. That's an average of about 142 prospects – exactly twice as many as have received offers from Penn State. What's more, those programs are also in contact with at least another 100 prospects, some of whom may eventually receive offers or be invited to walk on. I think it's obvious that reaching out to half as many potential recruits has actually helped the staff land some of its top prospects the past two years. Keep in mind that Penn State has the same number of assistants on the road recruiting as every other school. In my opinion, if NCAA officials really wanted to hurt a team's ability to recruit, they would force it to use only five or six coaches. That would be a real punishment. Penn State's success in focusing its efforts is a crucial but largely unnoticed facet of its response to the sanctions. The staff doesn't have to stay in steady contact with second-tier players who wouldn't get an offer until after their senior seasons, if ever. Instead of reaching out to "Plan C" or "Plan D" players, Penn State can put its top 50 prospects on a pedestal that no coaching staff in the Mid-Atlantic region can replicate. That was definitely the case with receiver Chris Godwin, perhaps the most sought-after player in the 2014 class. "From day one, Penn State was always the school that kept in touch with me the most," he said. "They weren't annoying or anything, but they were always keeping in constant contact on Facebook, through the mail, on the phone, whatever. "They stayed in touch with me more than anyone, and that helped me become comfortable with the entire staff up there." Expect to hear more stories like that during the next few seasons. Next year's class could be even better than the 2013 class, and when you take into consideration the fact that Penn State is getting a head start on its Class of 2015, it's likely the Nittany Lions will have an excellent supply of talent on hand when they regain bowl eligibility in 2016. If the staff can continue this pace in the next two recruiting cycles, it's possible that the '16 team, despite having only 65 scholarship athletes on its roster, will be one of the more talented squads the school has seen in more than 20 years. I Penn State fans can only hope.

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