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wideout as a senior in order to help a
Swansboro teammate amass the carries
he needed to attract the attention of college
recruiters. Even a@er switching positions,
Thompkins er from the
Gators shortly a@er Bill O'Brien stepped
down as Penn State's head coach. However,
a@er James Franklin was hired as coach,
he rea?rmed the verbal commitment he
had given Penn State in April. Thompkins
enrolled at Penn State in January and will
be eligible to take part in spring practice.
WHO OPENED THE DOOR Former receivers
coach Stan Hixon took the lead in recruit-
ing Thompkins.
QUOTABLE Thompkins: "I would love to get
a crack at returning the ball next year, but
whatever the coaches decide, I'll be return prospects
in the Atlantic Coast Conference region.
He has 4.41-second 40-yard speed and a
34-inch vertical leap and is an excellent
student with a 3.8 GPA. He's expected to
line up as a slot receiver at PSU. As a returner,
he could give the Lions the kind of li@ they
got years ago from such players as Bruce
Branch and O.J. McDu?e. I think it's unlikely
that Thompkins will redshirt in 2014.
ANTOINE
WHITE
DT, 6-2, 280
Millville, N.J.
Millville HS
WHAT HE DID White established himself as
one of the top defensive linemen in New
Jersey during his stellar high school career
at Millville. As a junior, he posted 80
tackles and made 14 stops behind the line
of scrimmage.
WHAT HE WON White earned second-team
All-State honors, was named the South
Jersey Times Defensive Player of the Year
and received ers and visited a number of those
schools, including Boston College, Rutgers,
UCF and Maryland. But once Penn State
came through with an o>er on June 23,
he needed only a week to think things
over. He ended his recruitment by com-
mitting to the Nittany Lions on July 1.
WHO OPENED THE DOOR Larry Johnson was
White's lead recruiter. When Johnson le@
for Ohio State, White brie=y reconsidered
his commitment. But brie=y is the key
word here; he enrolled early at Penn State
– as planned – on Jan. 13.
QUOTABLE White: "Walking into the sta-
dium by myself was something I'll never
forget. I mean, honestly, a stadium doesn't
have a huge impact on my decision. But
at the same time, every time you go in
there and think about all the great teams,
all the great games that have been played
there, it makes you think about how grate-
ful you are to get an opportunity like
this."
PHIL'S TAKE White has 5.2-second 40-yard
speed, benches 360 pounds and will play
the three-technique defensive tackle po-
sition at Penn State. He is likely to redshirt
this fall and will work to add about 25
pounds. If he's able to do that, he will be
a big asset for Penn State.
DAQUAN
WORLEY
DB, 5-10, 180
Coatesville, Pa.
Coatesville HS
WHAT HE DID Worley enjoyed a ered a torn
right ACL while returning a punt. He un-
derwent surgery in late fall and has been
rehabbing the past few months.
WHAT HE WON Worley received a three-star
rating from Rivals.com. He's ranked 53rd
nationally among cornerbacks and is the
17th-ranked player in Pennsylvania.
WHERE HE VISITED Worley didn't visit any
schools except Penn State.
WHO OPENED THE DOOR Worley committed to
Penn State in May. When Bill O'Brien le@,
Rutgers reportedly got back in touch to
see if he had any interest in becoming a
Scarlet Knight. But he rea?rmed his com-
mitment to Penn State a@er receiving a
visit from James Franklin and defensive
coordinator Bob Shoop in January.
QUOTABLE Worley, prior to his injury: "I've
just been working on everything. I've never
worked so hard in my life. I work out with
my teammates, I have a speed coach and I
also work out on my own time."
PHIL'S TAKE I rated Worley this year's No.
1 prospect in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Although listed as a defensive back, he's
capable of playing o>ense, having rushed
for nearly 1,800 yards as a junior. Because
of the ACL injury he su>ered in late Oc-
tober, Worley will most likely be redshirted
next fall. One of the fastest members of
PSU's class, he's expected to begin his
college career at the er from the Nittany
W
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