Blue White Illustrated

W hen news broke during the first week of October that four-star prospects Adam McLean and Brandon Wimbush were wavering on their commitments to Penn State, many of the participants on Blue White Illustrated's Internet message boards couldn't help but think the worst. That was understandable. More than any other team in the country, the Nittany Lions have seen in recent years the impact that de-commit- ments can have on a program. Follow- ing the Sandusky scandal and the chaos that ensued, nearly a dozen players backed out of their original commitments. The situation didn't improve much in the days that followed, as Wimbush an- nounced Oct. 9 that he would be switching his commitment to Notre Dame. His change of heart came just two days after he visited South Bend for the first time. However, come January, when defen- sive tackle Adam McLean is done checking out whichever school receives his final official visit, I believe that many fans are going to look back on these past few weeks as just another example of how things are truly chang- ing for the better inside the Lasch Building, no matter what one or two players may decide. Let's assume for a second that McLean does eventually back out of his commitment. If that were to hap- pen – and as of this writing, it seemed unlikely to me – the Nittany Lions would still have 10 four-star prospects verbally committed in this class, mak- ing it one of the top three recruiting classes at Penn State in the past 15 years. It's also important to point out that the staff is still in the running for an- other six players in the Class of 2015 who have earned a four-star ranking. Landing commitments from one or two of those players would all but guarantee a top-20 class in the nation, possibly top 15. Another reason for Nittany Lion fans to not push the panic button is the staff's knack for identifying under- the-radar prospects. Despite the fact that they haven't even completed a full recruiting cycle yet, James Franklin and his assistants have already brought in two hidden gems in freshman defensive backs Christian Campbell and Grant Haley. While these players have yet to make a major impact on defense, both have already contributed well beyond what was expected on signing day. Yet, out of high school, Campbell chose Penn State over such schools as Southern Miss, Indiana and Minneso- ta, while Haley, who originally com- mitted to Vanderbilt but decided to follow the staff to Penn State, had only nine scholarship offers and wasn't even recognized as one of the top 50 players in Georgia his senior year. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt's roster is lit- tered with underrated high school prospects who are now punching above their weight. The Commodores' start- ing running back, redshirt freshman Ralph Webb, earned only four offers from schools in the power five confer- ences. Now he's being recognized by multiple media outlets in Nashville as the lone bright spot in a Vanderbilt of- fense that was ranked 120th in the na- tion as of mid-October. He's one of five players with redshirt freshman or sophomore eligibility who received three stars or fewer out of high school yet are now starting for the Com- modores. So, come February, when Penn State finishes off its Class of 2015 with mul- tiple prospects who didn't receive as many accolades as Wimbush, remem- ber some of the names I listed above. I can all but guarantee that players such as Haley and Campbell will be only two of the many underrated prospects who surprise Nittany Lion fans for years to come. ■ Prospect's change of heart doesn't dim Lions' outlook

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