Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/590325
5. DONOVAN JETER DL, 6-6, 260,
Beaver Falls • I believe Jeter will end up
being the top strongside defensive end
and/or three-technique defensive tackle
to come out of the WPIAL in 2017. His
position at the college level will depend
on how much he continues to grow. Jeter
was a Class AA All-WPIAL and All-
State selection in 2014. He was credited
with 87 tackles and eight sacks last fall.
Rivals.com has been able to identify 13
Football Bowl Subdivision schools that
have tendered scholarship o;ers. That
list includes Michigan State, Ohio State,
Pitt, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
and Wisconsin in addition to Penn State.
Beaver Falls has been a Pitt stronghold
over the years; I can't remember the last
time Penn State recruited a player from
the school. But in order to land Jeter, the
Panthers will have to out-recruit Penn
State and Ohio State. Other schools in-
volved here are Michigan State, Nebras-
ka, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
6. JOSHUA LUGG
OL, 6-6, 295,
Wexford North Allegheny • Lugg is a
four-star prospect and the consensus
choice as the WPIAL's top o;ensive line
prospect in 2017. He verbally committed
to Notre Dame on Aug. 18, choosing the
Irish over Michigan State, Northwest-
ern, Penn State, UCLA and Wisconsin.
7. CARTER LYNCH OL, 6-5, 305,
Philadelphia St. Joseph's Prep • Lynch is
probably the least-well-known member
of my top 10. He was only a part-time
player in 2014, sharing the right tackle
position on the St. Joseph's Prep o;en-
sive line. But in this program, o;ensive
linemen rarely if ever start three years.
Rivals.com ranks Lynch the 18th-best
o;ensive tackle and 177th-best overall
prospect in the country for the Class of
2017. Penn State hasn't extended an of-
fer, but he is receiving heavy interest
from Florida State, Michigan, Boston
College, Pitt, Wisconsin, Virginia and
other schools from the Atlantic Coast
and American Athletic conferences and
the Big Ten.
8. C.J. THORPE
OL, 6-4, 302, Pitts-
burgh Central Catholic • Thorpe rivals
Lugg as the top o;ensive line prospect in
the WPIAL for the Class of 2017. The son
of former Penn State running back Chris
Thorpe, he was a Class AAAA All-WPIAL
and honorable mention All-State selec-
tion following the 2014 season. I expect
him to play guard at the college level.
At this early stage, Thorpe has received
verbal o;ers from 10 schools, including
Auburn, Maryland, Penn State, Pitt,
Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and
Wisconsin. Penn State appears to be the
favorite, but Pitt, Duke, Michigan, Ala-
bama, LSU and Notre Dame are all in
contact.
9. MARK WEBB
WR, 6-3, 192,
Warminster Archbishop Wood • Webb is
rated by most as the top wide receiver
prospect in southeastern Pennsylvania
for the Class of 2017. Rivals.com lists
him as a 5.8 four-star prospect and the
34th-best receiver nationally in the
Class of 2017. Following the 2014 season,
he was named an All-Suburban and All-
Catholic performer by the Philadelphia
Daily News. He was also a Class AAA
All-State selection.
Boston College, North Carolina, Penn
State, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, Wake Forest
and West Virginia have all extended of-
fers. Penn State and Rutgers appear to be
the early leaders here, with Boston Col-
lege and possibly West Virginia also in
the picture.
10. DAMION BARBER DE, 6-4, 225,
Harrisburg • Barber was a (Harrisburg)
Patriot-News Top 33 selection following
the 2014 season. He's rated by many as
the top prospect in central Pennsylvania
for the Class of 2017 and was a PIAA
Class AAAA All-State selection last fall
a

