Blue White Illustrated

already verbally committed to Michigan; Minkah Fitzpatrick: the Northeast's toprated CB for 2015… rated a top-10 CB nationally; John Reid: Pennsylvania's toprated CB for the Class of 2015 and top 10 nationally at the position; Jordan Whitehead: the WPIAL's top CB in 2015 and a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 selection. RYAN TAKE Ali received a verbal offer before his junior season, but it's on hold for now. We do believe the staff would accept a commitment down the road, but the coaches want to see more from him before accepting a commitment, which he was reportedly very close to doing about a month and a half ago. It may sound surprising that the staff would decline to accept his commitment, but it appears to be because the coaches also feel very good about their situation with Whitehead and Fitzpatrick. I believe Penn State has work to do with Fitzpatrick, but some sources think Butler and safeties coach Anthony Midget have put the Lions in good position. Whitehead is the guy I'm really watching closely. I think he's the best athlete in the WPIAL next season. SAFETY RETURNING PLAYERS Malik Golden (Jr.), Kasey Gaines (So.), Marcus Allen (So.) OUTLOOK This is Penn State's top recruiting priority. It's hard to imagine the Nittany Lions taking any fewer than three safeties in 2015. 2015 OFFERS Minkah Fitzpatrick: top FS/CB in the Northeast for the Class of 2015 and one of the top five FS/CB prospects in the country. RYAN TAKE Even though it looks as if this will be one of the most important positions for Penn State in 2015, the coaches have yet to make an offer to a player who projects strictly as a safety at the next level. Fitzpatrick could play anywhere in the defensive backfield, but the top true safety prospect that we're watching – Jay Stocker of Coatesville, Pa. – has yet to receive an offer from Penn State. The staff has proven over and over again that it would rather take time and do its homework than extend a premature offer, so I don't think Nittany Lion fans should be worried. Butler and Midget will get their man in the end. I Recruiting will impact hiring decisions hen news broke in early December that two members of Penn State's coaching staff wouldn't be returning in 2014, I wasn't completely surprised. For months, there had been speculation among beat reporters that a coaching shakeup of some sort would take place following the game against Wisconsin. The consensus had been that Mac McWhorter was the most likely candidate to leave following the 2013 season. After all, McWhorter, 63, had come out of retirement to help Bill O'Brien launch his head coaching career in 2012, and he had made no secret of his desire to eventually return to his extended family in Georgia. But as of mid-December, there were no indications that he was planning to depart. Knowledgeable people did, however, indicate that Charlie Fisher might depart, and those whispers proved accurate. While Fisher did a solid job for the Lions, it was O'Brien who took the lead in recruiting and developing quarterbacks. The head coach is also playing the role of offensive coordinator, so it's likely that the original hire was made in order to have someone on staff who could help ease the workload on a first-year head coach. After two seasons, O'Brien now knows what he can and cannot handle. While Fisher's exit was not a surprise, the departure of linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden stunned everyone. His success at developing NFL players during the past decade speaks for itself. Vanderlinden was also solid on the recruiting trail, pulling in multiple highly ranked players from southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, the Delmarva Peninsula and Michigan. But when you take a closer look at the areas he recruited, you can make a reasonable case that Penn State should dominate them no matter W who the lead recruiter may be. Because of that, I don't believe the staff will have a drop-off in those areas. "Ron was very important to us," said Dan Reeder, father of incoming middle linebacker Troy Reeder. "He's been excellent with Troy. He was always very honest and open, and we truly appreciate what he's done for Troy over the past two years. "But I also think that Penn State was always going to be the top pick for Troy. The entire package there is what really sold us on Penn State, and that's why he didn't really second-guess anything when the news broke." We don't know yet who will take over that region, but it would make sense for John Butler to get the assignment. Butler grew up outside of Philadelphia and has already been down there a few times to target top defensive prospects like DaQuan Worley. There's another factor to consider as the Lions look to fill out their staff. Following the departure of Butler's predecessor, Ted Roof, the program has been shorthanded in a very important part of the country: the Deep South. In recent months, the staff has been forced to tag-team certain spots, with Larry Johnson, Charles London, Stan Hixon and Butler making their way to Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. They've done the best they can, but none of them have true connections in this vital region. As of this writing, Penn State hadn't filled either of its two staff vacancies, but don't be surprised if at least one of the new coaches has ties to the South. It will always be difficult to steal the top talent away from successful Southeastern Conference programs, but the region has enough talent that a school like Penn State should have more success than it has had over the I years. O'Brien knows this.

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