Blue White Illustrated

FOOTBALL RECRUITING PSU gains two commitments Gesicki, Thomas are latest prospects to join Nittany Lions' Class of 2014 | enn State's White Out against Michigan had a significant impact on recruits, but it didn't lead to immediate postgame commitments. However, Bill O'Brien and his staff landed one of their most coveted prospects a few days later. On Oct. 17, tight end Mike Gesicki chose the Nittany Lions over conference foe Ohio State. And three days later, they added another player to the Class of 2014 when running back Johnathan Thomas announced he was switching his commitment from Maryland to Penn State. Gesicki, a Manahawkin, N.J., resident, originally narrowed his list to Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Rutgers and Florida State two months ago, but it eventually came down to the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes. He took official visits to both schools in the month leading up to his commitment, and as he noted, he had a very difficult decision to make. In the end, he went with his heart. "First, I have to note that I have the utmost respect for Ohio State, said Gesicki, " a Rivals.com three-star prospect. "They're a great group of people over there, and I have a ton of respect for Urban Meyer. He's a terrific man and coach. I have respect for all of their coaches. "But for me, Penn State just felt like home. Penn State just felt like the best place in my heart. I was telling myself, 'You know, I'm a Jersey boy. I always will be, but Pennsylvania is a great place to call my second home these next few years. " ' During his official visit to University Park, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Gesicki was hosted by two freshmen who have already become fan favorites: quarterback Christian Hackenberg and tight end Adam Breneman. He acknowledged the impact that Penn State's P fans had on him that evening, but he said the relationship he built with the current players played an even bigger role. "Those guys are my kind of guys, he " said. "When I really got to know them, that's when I knew that this was probably the best place for me. Those guys are great people, great players and they're real honest about everything. "They made me feel welcome, and I can't say enough about how excited I am to be part of their team. " Another major factor in the decision was his comfort level with University Park and the surrounding area. Said Gesicki, "One thing I really looked into was where I was going to be most comfortable when it was February and March, during the off-season. Penn State has a great setup. I love the campus and the town, so that also was really important in my decision. " Gesicki became the first prospect to commit to the Nittany Lions since July 1, when Antoine White, another New Jersey player, joined Penn State's Class of 2014. After Gesicki's announcement, it didn't take long for the Lions to add to their class, as Thomas came aboard on Oct. 20. A 511, 215-pounder from Danvers, Mass., he is a student at St. John's Prep, the same school that O'Brien once attended. He admitted that his admiration for the Nittany Lions' second-year coach was a key part of his decision to switch commitments. "He's a St. John's alum, which is cool, but I've always really respected the guy, " Thomas said. "Also, I always liked Penn State growing up, so it worked out well. " Thomas received his offer a few weeks ago after multiple coaches scouted his game against Brockton. He said he was happy Penn State was in attendance that day, as he tore his right ACL two weeks later. The injury has had no impact on his standing with the current Nittany Lion staff, and because of their honesty and commitment throughout the past few weeks, he was reassured that he was making the right decision. "I've been talking to Penn State for months now, Thomas said. "I recently got the offer " after week two of my season, when I rushed for 263 yards against Brockton. But we've been talking for a long time now. When I was offered, Coach O'Brien told my coach that he has to have me on his team, so that's something I'll never forget. "I visited there this spring and really liked everything. I've been in touch with them ever since. " Thomas plans to visit Penn State twice in the next two months. He'll be on hand for the Nebraska game Nov. 23 and then will make his official visit in December with the rest of the Class of 2014. If fans are expecting an onslaught of commitments now that the NCAA is allowing Penn State to sign 20 players this coming February, the coaching staff has already made it clear that's not going to happen. As of this writing, the staff had only extended offers to three additional prospects. One of them – outside linebacker Jason Cabinda of Flemington, N.J. – had been expected to receive an offer regardless of the NCAA's announcement. If one thing has become clear, it's that the coaching staff will be scouting linebackers extensively during the final month of the high school football season. In addition to Cabinda, the staff recently made an offer to outside linebacker Melvin Keihn of the Gilman School in Baltimore. The FOLLOW RECRUITING ONLINE Visit bwi.rivals.com for updated news on PSU's scholarship offers and commitments.

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