Blue White Illustrated

CLASS OF 2015 HOT LIST NAME POS HT WT HOME SCHOOL Josh Adams Kareem Ali Jerome Baker Ryan Bates Michael Bowman Matthew Burrell Jr. Austin Clark Jashon Cornell Shaun Crawford Jordan Cronkite James Daniels Rick DeBerry Clelin Ferrell Minkah Fitzpatrick Darius Fullwood Kaleel Gaines Justin Hilliard Tristen Hoge Jeffrey Holland Van Jefferson Sterling Jenkins Harry Lewis Tarvarus McFadden Grant Newsome Kendrick Norton Jacques Patrick Richie Petitbon Isaiah Prince John Reid Tim Settle Garrett Taylor Tyrone Wheatley Jordan Whitehead Christian Wilkins RB DB Ath. OL WR OL OL DE DB Ath. OL LB DE DB DE Ath. LB OL LB WR OL DT DB OL DT RB OL OL DB DT DB DE DB DE 6-2 5-11 6-1 6-5 6-0 6-4 6-6 6-3 5-9 5-11 6-4 6-2 6-5 6-0 6-4 6-0 6-2 6-4 6-2 6-1 6-8 6-0 6-3 6-7 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-6 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-6 5-10 6-4 200 170 202 285 190 286 285 238 165 192 275 237 220 183 240 170 225 285 226 166 296 250 190 280 292 225 290 270 175 190 185 245 165 295 Warrington, Pa. Sicklerville, N.J. Cleveland, Ohio Warminster, Pa. Havelock, N.C. Woodbrdige, Va. Lexington, Va. Saint Paul, Minn. Lakewood, Ohio Village of Palmetto Bay, Fla. Warren, Ohio Richmond, Va. Richmond, Va. Jersey City, N.J. Olney, Md. Frostproof, Fla. Cincinnati, Ohio Pocatello, Idaho Jacksonville, Fla. Brentwood, Tenn. Pittsburgh, Pa. Hampton, Va. Plantation, Fla. Lawrenceville, N.J. Jacksonville, Fla. Orlando, Fla. Washington D.C. Greenbelt, Md. Philadelphia, Pa. Manassas, Va. Richmond, Va. Buffalo, N.Y. Monaca, Pa. Suffield, Conn. Central Bucks South Timber Creek Benedictine Archbishop Wood Havelock C. D. Hylton Rockbridge Cretin-Derham Hall St. Edward Westminster Christian Harding St. Christopher's Benedictine School St. Peter's Prep Good Counsel Frostproof St. Xavier Highland Trinity Christian Ravenwood Baldwin Phoebus American Heritage Lawrenceville Trinity Christian Timber Creek Gonzaga Eleanor Roosevelt St. Joseph's Stonewall Jackson St. Christopher's Canisius Central Valley Suffield Academy Being on the field before the game, all the fans going crazy – there's so much there. The place was sold-out and rocking. " O'Brien had Oct. 12 highlighted on the calendar since the spring and wanted it to be the most influential recruiting weekend of the year. It was to be like a daylong college party, and O'Brien wanted everybody to show up – recruits who were already committed to Penn State, recruits who were uncommitted, recruits who were committed to other programs, top underclassman targets and potential run-ons. The top remaining prospect on O'Brien's board – Brooklyn's Thomas Holley, a fourstar defensive tackle, as rated by Rivals.com – made an official visit, and three-star tight end Mike Gesicki of Manahawkin, N.J., officially visited, too. It was Gesicki's last trip before choosing between Penn State and Ohio State. One senior prospect, David Njoku, came to University Park despite having already made a verbal commitment to Rutgers. After returning home to Cedar Grove, N.J., the following day, Njoku backed off the Scarlet Knights and reopened his recruitment. At 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds, Njoku is rated as a three-star wide receiver, but some scouts expect him to play linebacker in college. The Nittany Lions are still evaluating him. He didn't receive an offer dur- ing his visit, but he said he "really enjoyed getting to know their coaches. They seem very interested. I know they want to stay in touch. I do think I can get an offer from them, and I definitely hope one comes, but we'll see." While the White Out crowd helped fortify relationships in the current class, it also helped Penn State build a foundation for the future. Sterling Jenkins is a 6-8, 296-pound four-star offensive tackle from Pittsburgh, and he could be the top-rated prospect in Pennsylvania during next year's cycle. He already holds more than a dozen scholarship offers, including an offer from Penn State and others from Southeastern Conference schools. This was his first visit to Happy Valley, and he said he'll be coming back. "It was definitely the loudest crowd I've ever heard, Jenkins said. "Man, their fans " are so passionate, but also, they're respectful to everyone, too. They know how to really get behind their team." Fellow junior David Dowell of Lakewood, Ohio, told Rivals national recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt that "it was one of those games that you never forget." Dowell is a multi-position athlete whose twin brother, Andrew, is a four-star running back. Both play for St. Edward, an Ohio powerhouse, and both were at the Michigan game. If Penn State is looking to rebuild its road into the Buckeye State, that road might go through the Dowell household. "Right now I am thinking about [the Nittany Lions] a lot just because they got some of their scholarships back," David Dowell said, "and then because of the game [vs. Michigan]. The atmosphere there, it was just a great experience." Minkah Fitzpatrick was supposed to be the only five-star prospect in attendance, but he was forced to cancel due to a lastminute Saturday practice at St. Peter's Prep. A defensive back from Jersey City, N.J., he watched on TV from home and expressed some remorse for not being able to make the trip. "Wish I was at this game," he tweeted 25 minutes before Penn State completed its comeback in the fourth overtime. The dramatic showdown further impressed recruits who had seen plenty of games at Penn State. Said Troy Reeder, a

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