Blue White Illustrated

State, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pitt, Ohio State, Oregon and Wisconsin. Carlberg said he's been hearing most frequently from the Ducks, Spartans, Gophers, Tar Heels and Panthers, but I believe Penn State has an opportunity to make a good impression as the coaches begin to build a relationship with him. That said, he's made it clear he wants to make a decision before the end of the summer. As of early July, it looked as though Oregon, Minnesota and Michi- gan State had the edge, so Franklin and his assistants will have to make up some ground quickly if they're going to land one of the nation's fastest-rising defen- sive tackle prospects. IRVIN CHARLES WR // 6-4 // 207 Haddonfield, N.J. Paul VI High Charles has been one of Penn State's top wide receiver prospects since Franklin and his sta6 took over. With Juwan Johnson and Brandon Polk both 5rmly committed, it looked as though Charles was going to have to look else- where, but recent indications suggest that he could still make a commitment to Penn State as long as the sta6 still has a few scholarships available for positions that aren't an absolute necessity. Charles lists Penn State, Louisville, Michigan State, South Carolina, Miami and Maryland as his top six schools, but it's clear that the Gators, Nittany Lions and Gamecocks are the three standouts. He took trips to Maryland and Florida in June and is expected to visit Penn State on July 26. A8er that visit, it should be clear just how long the sta6 is prepared to wait on Charles before potentially moving on to other targets. NEVILLE GALLIMORE DT // 6-3 // 303 St. Catharines, Ontario Canada Prep Football Academy Gallimore became one of the fastest- rising Division I prospects at any posi- tion this past spring, and he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Of his 25 o6ers, 16 have been tendered in the past three months, including o6ers from such elite programs as Florida State, Florida, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Miami, Nebraska and Wisconsin. As of early July, Gallimore was open to o6ers from any school. If he visits Uni- versity Park this season – and it looks to be a real possibility – the Nittany Lions could become real contenders. But until he gets on campus, the sta6 has some work to do. JOHN REID CB // 5-11 // 175 Philadelphia St. Joseph's Prep Reid was one of Penn State's top tar- gets at cornerback even before Franklin and his sta6 took over. On June 21, he at- tended the "Lasch Bash," which is a summer barbecue in which PSU invites its top 10 or so prospects to campus to spend a day with sta6 members and ver- bally committed prospects. Otherwise, there isn't much to report regarding Reid. His only other recent vis- it was to Notre Dame in March. The Irish are expected to be Penn State's top com- petitors, along with Alabama and possi- bly Michigan. Miami could join that list, as Reid is trying to visit with Al Golden and his sta6 before his season starts in mid-August. However, he plans to take a few o7cial visits during the season or af- ter, and he will likely choose one of those schools. It looks as though Penn State will be in the mix until the very end. TIM SETTLE DT // 6-2 // 307 Manassas, Va. Stonewall Jackson High Settle is the sta6's top remaining tar- get along the defensive line, but Penn State has a lot of work to do if it's going to land a commitment from the region's top defensive tackle. Settle announced his top 15 in May, and Penn State was eighth on that list. Tennessee was his fa- vorite school, followed by Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Texas, Virginia and Virginia Tech. On June 20, Settle visited Penn State with close friend Adam McLean, so there's reason to believe that the Lions could move up on his list. But will they be able to pass all seven of the schools that he has ranked ahead of them? The fact that Penn State has extended o6ers to both Gallimore and Carlberg indicates that the sta6 believes it faces an uphill battle here. RUSSELL UDE DE // 6-3 // 251 Atlanta Westminster High Penn State has targeted a number of Southern prospects this year, but Ude and Abernathy appear to be the only players from outside of the Mid-Atlantic region who are still seriously consider- ing the Nittany Lions. Although defen- sive end is no longer one of the Lions' major needs now that both Jonathan Holland and Ryan Buchholz have com- mitted, Franklin and defensive line coach Sean Spencer are still heavily recruiting Ude. When the sta6 attended Georgia State's camp in Atlanta on June 10, Ude stopped by for about 30 minutes to in- troduce his mother to Franklin. That was a positive sign for the Nittany Lions, but if they're going to be considered serious contenders, the coaching sta6 will have to get him on campus this fall or winter for an o7cial visit. When BWI caught up with him a few days a8er his visit with Franklin, Ude said that "if they still have spots, I'm de5nitely interested in taking an o7cial visit." It's unlikely that Penn State will receive a commitment from another defensive linemen before midseason, so the chances of getting Ude on campus look good. JORDAN WHITEHEAD CB // 5-10 // 165 Monaca, Pa. Central Valley High When it comes to cornerbacks, White- head and Reid remain Nos. 1 and 1A as far as Penn State is concerned. During the spring, Ohio State, West Virginia and Pitt emerged as the Nittany Lions' top competitors for Whitehead. Nothing has

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