Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/233832
GOING GREEN Ohio linebacker Chris Green could be one of the first players to join the Class of 2015. Photo by Ryan Snyder LOOKING AHEAD BWI examines the Lions' defensive needs as they pursue the Class of 2015 | W hen the NCAA announced this past September that it was reducing the sanctions it had levied against Penn State the previous year, it quickly became clear that the decision would have a much bigger impact on the Class of 2015 than on the class that the coaching staff was working to assemble in advance of the 2014 signing day. There are two reasons for that discrepancy: First, the NCAA's announcement came late in the 2014 recruiting cycle, leaving Bill O'Brien and his assistants little time to build relationships with additional prospects. Second, the Lions will have a full complement of 25 scholarships in 2015 – five more than they will have when the next signing day arrives in about a month. In the Dec. 27 edition of BWI, we took a position-by-position look at the offensive players whom O'Brien and his staff were pursuing as potential members of the Class of 2015. In this issue, we'll switch our focus to the defense and take a close look at some of the high-profile members of the Class of 2015 who are already showing a strong interest in Penn State. It appears that the staff has been very methodical in identifying the team's biggest needs on defense and is pursuing some of the top players available across the country to fill those needs. Six perfect examples are defensive end/linebacker Ricky DeBerry of Richmond, Va.; defensive tackles Tim Settle of Manassas, Va., and Christian Wilkins of Suffield, Conn.; linebacker Justin Hilliard of Cincinnati; and defensive backs Minkah Fitzpatrick of Jersey City, N.J., and John Reid of Philadelphia. All have received four stars from Rivals.com and are likely to be rated among the top 10 players at their respective positions nationally. DEFENSIVE END RETURNING PLAYERS Deion Barnes (Sr.), Anthony Zettel (Sr.), Evan Schwan (Jr.), Curtis Cothran (So.), Garrett Sickels (So.) OUTLOOK With Penn State expected to sign only one defensive end at most in 2014, and with Barnes and Zettel being seniors