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P enn State has focused on defense in assembling its Class of 2016, but there are also seven o7ensive prospects in next year's group of signees. And for those players, the recent dismissal of o7ensive coordinator John Donovan came as a sur- prise. Of those players, no one was closer to Donovan than tight end Danny Dalton of Marsh6eld, Mass., as the two had been building a relationship for well over a year. But Dalton based his commitment on much more than just his connection to a single coach. On Nov. 29, the day Dono- van's departure was announced, Dalton spoke with head coach James Franklin and defensive line coach Sean Spencer and came away reassured that the change "re- ally doesn't impact me that much." "Coach Donovan is a great guy. I got to know him very well throughout the process and I wish him nothing but the best moving forward," Dalton said. "But I also under- stand that college football is a business. Stu7 like this is going to happen. Also, I didn't commit to Penn State for one or two speci6c reasons. There are a lot of things that I like there. I fell in love with the school. Throughout the process, I was always told to not fall in love with speci6c coaches and instead fall in love with the actual school, so that's why this doesn't really impact me much." Dalton added that, aside from its lopsided loss to Michigan State in the regular- season 6nale, Penn State could have en- joyed a much better season if only a few plays had gone its way. "There were so many plays in each game that they lost that really could have swayed things in PSU's favor," he said. "There were multiple plays like that in the Ohio State, Michigan and North- western games. If PSU could have con- verted on just a few plays here and there, they could have won one or two of those games and we may not even be talking about [the coaching change]. "This is a young team, and young teams have to go through these kinds of things. I have no doubts that it'll make them better in the long run. Plus, when you add in our class, I think that will really help provide some depth at some important positions. That's a major reason why I committed to this team. The recruiting classes have been great. We all just need some time to adjust to everything." Dalton will start getting acclimated to college life in January. Having graduated early from Marsh6eld High, he is one of four prospects in the Lions' upcoming class who are planning to enroll for the spring semester. Dalton, who stands 6- foot-5, 230 pounds, said he's eager to show both the coaching sta7 and the trainers that he's ready to do whatever it takes for the team to progress next sea- son. "I've been counting down the days until I enroll for weeks now," he said. "I know that I'm going to come in and work hard. If the coaches decide to redshirt me, that's 6ne, but either way, I know how important these next few months are for my long- term future. Not just the training, but also academically. Getting in early and getting o7 to a good start academically – especially since it's not during the season – will set a foundation for me. I look at it as nothing but a positive. It's a win-win situation." As a junior, Dalton helped lead Marsh6eld to the MIAA Division 2 state championship. The Rams weren't able to repeat this fall, losing to Reading Memorial, 28-14, in the semi6nals. Statistically, it was the best year of Dalton's high school career, as he caught 49 passes for 702 yards and 11 touchdowns. He 6nished his career with 2,002 receiving yards and 23 TDs, but those numbers matter less to Dalton than the other facets of his game. "I feel like my blocking this season was much better than last year," he said. "Coach Franklin told me a while back that he doesn't care how many catches I have or how many touchdowns I score this year. All he cared about was my blocking, so that's what I really focused on, and I think you could tell that when you watch my 6lm. I was de6nitely more aggressive. I was always trying to make a statement when I blocked someone." ■ Dalton eager to get PSU career under way | CLICK HERE to see video of Dalton in action. THE DALTON FILE STATS Caught 49 passes for 702 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior... Helped lead Marshfield (Mass.) High to the Division 2 state championship as a junior... Finished career with 2,002 receiving yards and 23 TDs HONORS Named a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 1 player in Massa- chusetts and the No. 33 tight end in the nation... Invited to play in the Semper Fidelis All-America Game in Los Angeles on Jan. 3. U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L Rivals.com

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