Blue White Illustrated

RECRUITING Recruits flood Beaver Stadium RYA N   S N Y D E R Penn State's big recruiting weekend didn't disappoint, as the expected crowd of 100 prospects was loaded with top talent. Four-star defensive tackle (as rated by Rivals.com) Thomas Holley of Brooklyn, N.Y., was the top prospect in attendance. O'Brien and his staff had hoped that the Rivals100 prospect would make an unofficial visit, so he could take an official visit in December, but when it became clear that wasn't going to work with his family's schedule, Holley decided to use one of his five officials Saturday. He'll use his second official when he goes to Columbus in two weeks for Ohio State's game against the Nittany Lions. Many believe the Buckeyes are Penn State's top competitor. Holley wasn't the only prospect on an official visit. Three-star tight end Mike Gesicki of Manahawkin, N.J., was also on the list. At 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, Gesicki fits the mold of an athletic tall tight end that O'Brien and his staff covet. It is expected that Gesicki will make his decision in the next few weeks. As with Holley, many believe it will come down to Penn State or Ohio State. However, Florida State, Miami, Rutgers and Wisconsin are also still in the hunt. Four-star prospect Derrick Nnadi was also in attendance. The nation's secondranked defensive tackle from Virginia Beach, Va., is also considering Florida State, Ohio State and Virginia Tech. It is believed that he's currently favoring the Hokies, but the visit to State College this weekend came as a surprise. He'll be a prospect to watch closely, but as of now, it appears Penn State has work to do. Another unexpected visitor was David Njoku from Cedar Groove, N.J. The three-star wide receiver is currently committed to Rutgers, but Penn State has been staying in consistent contact with his high school coaches over the past few months. It was believed that Penn State is done recruiting wide receivers for the Class of 2014, so he, too, will be an interesting prospect to follow. Those four may get most of the atteno c t o b e R | blue white illustRated tion due to their class standing, but this week's visitor list will be predominately remembered for the number of talented players in the classes of 2015 and '16 who were in attendance. So far, it appears that the offensive line will be the top priority next year. So that makes four-star tackle Austin Clark, from Lexington, Va., and his comments all the more exciting for both the coaching staff and fans. "It was crazy," Clark said afterward. "The stadium was rocking. I really like it there. Penn State has always been a school I could see myself going to, and tonight definitely made me like them a lot more. " A few other top 2015 prospects in attendance included running back Andre Robinson of Harrisburg, Pa.; offensive lineman Sterling Jenkins of Pittsburgh; offensive lineman Chance Hall of Roanoke, Va.; and defensive back John Reid of Philadelphia. GAME GALLERY  Photos by Bill Anderson LOOKING AHEAD Bill Belton (above) scored the winning TD. Right, Class of 2014 committed recruits (left to right) Antoine White, De'Andre Thompkins, Troy Stivason and Troy Reeder. 1 2 , 2 0 1 3 5 b l u e w h i t e o n l i n e . c o m

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