Blue White Illustrated

LAST WORD T I M O W E N | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M et's just imagine something for a minute. Let's picture a world in which Christian Hackenberg always has a clean jersey and he's never in a rush, where he can fearlessly step into a crisp passing pocket and deliver a beautifully thrown deep pass to a wide-open target of his choosing. Let's go a step further and imagine that the target in question, the receiver who is streaking down the sideline un- derneath that lofty Hackenberg toss, is a guy by the name of Will Fuller, ready to haul in yet another touchdown pass, of which there have already been 29 in his career. The offensive line forming that perfect semicircle protecting Penn State's most prized asset? What if it were supplemented by a pair of experi- enced, high-rated starters named Dori- an Johnson and J.J. Denman? On defense, envision a scenario with more playmakers than starting spots, with tackles named Thomas Holley, Tommy Schutt and Jarron Jones spelling Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel. Then, add linebackers like Zach Brad- shaw, Cam Williams and Jonathan Wal- ton to reinforce the structure of Line- backer U. Imagine that – 47 more recruiting stars, at least. Touted prospects who have now morphed into contributing up- perclassmen. The Nittany Lions could have really benefitted from their pres- ence, had those prospects only chosen (or stuck by) Penn State in the first place. That's just it. However appealing those scenarios might be – oh, the po- tential – they can only be imagined now. Not too long ago, though, they seemed to be a very tangible reality. Of the former three-, four- and five- star prospects listed above, all had given PSU verbal commitments during their high school careers. But most jumped ship around the time the Sandusky scandal was unfolding. Denman and Jones had already split when the news broke; others went their separate direc- tions later due to various coaching changes, but they all opted to continue their playing careers at other destina- tions due to extenuating circumstances at PSU. If they had stuck by, even just a few, the past season or two could have been very different. Fuller, a Philadelphia native who went on to become only the fourth receiver in Notre Dame history to post back-to- back 1,000-yard seasons, is now con- templating an early exit for the NFL Draft. Johnson and Denman are both multi-year starters on the offensive lines at Pitt and Rutgers, respectively. Holley is a reserve on Florida's defensive line with a bright future; Schutt is a key cog on Ohio State's; and Jones has pro poten- tial at Notre Dame but has been bitten by the injury bug. Then there are the line- backers, a position unit in which PSU coaches were forced to prematurely burn redshirts in the season opener, not once but twice, due to upperclassman injuries. If only Brent Pry had a few other veterans to turn to, guys like Bradshaw (Virginia), Williams (Ohio State) and Walton (South Carolina). Heck, Walton even plays some fullback for the Gamecocks. PSU could have used more options like that a few times this season. And I haven't even mentioned the re- cruits who were close to committing but were steered away at the end, specifi- cally in the classes of 2012, '13 and '14 – a time period of upheaval unlike any Penn State had seen before. If the thought of Hackenberg-to- Fuller gives you a wistful feeling, con- sider who else could have been among his targets – two pass catchers who have gone on to combine for 34 receiving touchdowns in their three-year college careers. Pitt's Tyler Boyd and North Carolina's Ryan Switzer both seriously considered committing to Penn State in '13, which was Hackenberg's class. But in the middle of their recruiting cycle, everything hit the fan at PSU, and they went on to sign with schools in the At- lantic Coast Conference where they be- came all-league performers. Could've been, would've been, should've been – it means so little now. Those who maintained their commit- ment to Penn State helped lift it to con- secutive winning seasons. It's a praise- worthy accomplishment in the face of what were supposed to be demolishing sanctions – sanctions that scared so many others away. Those who signed elsewhere enjoyed varying levels of success on the field, and who's to say how their careers would have played out in a different set- ting, such as State College, Pa.? But it's at least interesting to consider, as it once seemed so plausible. They're also important memories to bear in mind when evaluating the Nittany Lions' per- formance of the past few years. The sanctions were at the forefront, and the way Hackenberg, Johnson, Zettel and their teammates gracefully waded through deserves to be remem- bered forever. That they saw it through to its near completion merits even more honor. Because they could just as easily have gone the way of everyone else. It's crazy to think about the possibili- ties had Fuller, Dorian Johnson, Holley and company, persevered through the tough times. Imagine the rungs of suc- cess that Penn State might have been able to reach. But consider this: What if guys like Hackenberg, Johnson, Zettel and many others had followed suit and departed when the school needed them most? Now, there's something to imagine. ■ The ones who got away L

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