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progress with several other prospects they are hoping to sign in 2016. One of those players is o0ensive lineman Connor Mc- Govern of Lehman, Pa. The top-ranked center prospect in the Class of 2016, Mc- Govern has already received nine schol- arship o0ers. Recruiting analysts had been speculating that Penn State was the team to beat, and McGovern con/rmed that appraisal following his uno1cial visit on Jan. 31. "Right now, I think Penn State is ahead of everyone," he said. "I still have to see some schools. I have to check out some other campuses before I rule out other schools and all that, but right now, they're at the top." McGovern plans to visit both North Carolina and Duke later this month. He is also expected to visit Michi- gan State and a few other schools in March and April, but he could potentially commit by the end of spring practice. Another local prospect to keep an eye on is defensive back Damar Hamlin of Pittsburgh Central Catholic. A four-star prospect, Hamlin has been on campus a few times in the past eight months, and he admitted when he picked up an o0er last July that Penn State was one of his top schools. Ohio State and Michigan have since emerged as two of the sta0's top competitors, and he's also planning to visit Notre Dame this spring. It's possible that Hamlin could make a decision as early as March or April. Of course, Penn State's uno1cial junior day wasn't just aimed at bringing Class of 2016 prospects to campus. The coaching sta0 also welcomed a number of Class of 2017 prospects and even one Class of 2018 prospect. Nearly all of those players had already earned a Penn State o0er or are expected to receive one in the near future. Running back D'Andre Swi2 of St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia was one of the most highly regarded prospects in that group. Rankings for the Class of 2017 EARLY DECISION Hill an- nounced for the Nittany Lions during an unofficial junior day in late January. "I just felt con- fident that I wanted to com- mit," he said afterward. Photo courtesy of Rivals.com CLASS OF 2016 COMMITMENTS* RIVALS SCHOOL/ NAME POS HT WT RANKING HOME LAST COLLEGE Lavert Hill DB 5-10 166 ★★★★ Detroit, Mich. Martin Luther King Miles Sanders RB 5-11 192 ★★★★ Pittsburgh, Pa. Woodland Hills Shane Simmons DE 6-3 224 ★★★★ Hyattsville, Md. DeMatha Jake Zembiec QB 6-2 205 ★★★★ Rochester, N.Y. Aquinas Institute * As of Feb. 14

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