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how seriously the four-star defensive line- man was considering the Tigers. In general, when a prospect commits to traveling a long distance, especially at this time of the year, it's a sign that he has serious in- terest in that school. But for now, Dioubate remains committed to Penn State. There's been some good news, too, for PSU, as the coaches made serious progress with a few of their top remaining prospects during visits to their homes and schools. The most notable of those players is Ri- vals250 linebacker Brendan Ferns. A native of St. Clairsville, Ohio, Ferns visited Uni- versity Park in May and had been expected to return sometime over the summer. His father had said at the time that Brendan wanted to bring his mother to campus so that she could check it out, leading many to believe that an approval from his mother was all that stood between Ferns and a commitment to Penn State. But that trip never took place. Instead, he took multiple visits during the season to the Nittany Lions' top competitor, West Virginia, an apparent indication that his interest in them was fading. But several of those trips were to visit his brother, Michael Ferns, who plays for the Mountaineers, and not speci9cally to meet with the coach- ing sta:. Meanwhile, Penn State linebackers coach Brent Pry continued to pursue Ferns. He stopped by St. Clairsville High in early December and followed up with an in- home visit on Dec. 9. Those conversations went well, and Ferns is now slated to make an o;cial visit to Penn State on Jan. 22. "I know a lot of people thought that since we didn't return in the summer, he was no longer interested in Penn State," said his father, Michael Ferns. "But that's really not the case. He had a busy schedule with basketball and football workouts, and his sister was also busy with basketball. "But the main reason is that Brendan has been visiting Penn State since he was a freshman. I remember coming up there when Charlie Fisher was his recruiting coach, so he's been there more than most schools. He's been talking to Coach Pry regularly and they have a great relationship, so PSU has always had his interest." Penn State has also been making a major push to sign another quarterback in its upcoming class. The coaches have reached out to a few prospects who are currently committed elsewhere, including Brandon McIlwain of Newtown, Pa. McIlwain com- mitted to South Carolina in December 2014, but Penn State was always in his top three, and he now appears to be the Lions' top target. He developed a good connection with both Ricky Rahne and Franklin, and that's a major reason why he's seriously considering the Lions. McIl- wain met with Rahne at his home during the 9rst week of December. He then met with new Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp the following week, and that led to an o;cial visit to South Carolina Dec. 11-13. McIlwain was expected to make a 9nal decision shortly a

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