Blue White Illustrated

W ith signing day fast approaching, Penn State head coach James Franklin and his sta: are making a major push to 9nish o: their 2016 re- cruiting class. Heading into the 9nal weeks of the current cycle, the Nittany Lions' wish list included 9ve of the sta:'s most coveted high school seniors and a junior college defensive back. The weekend of Jan. 22-24 was expected to be an important one for Penn State. In addition to hosting the majority of verbally committed prospects in this year's class, Franklin and his assistants were expected to welcome a handful of top uncommitted prospects to campus. Here's a look at six potential additions to the Nittany Lions' Class of 2016: TRE NIXON POS WR HT 6-1 WT 168 HOME Viera, Fla. SCHOOL Viera SCHOOLS Penn State, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M UPDATE Nixon had originally planned to make a commitment in September or October, but he picked up an o:er from Florida early in the season and subse- quently made uno;cial visits to Gainesville in October and November. Now, the Gators are 9rmly in the mix, having joined Penn State, Georgia and Texas A&M. According to Rivals.com reporters covering the Gators and Aggies, Nixon was not the top receiver prospect on either school's recruiting board as of early January. But he recently scheduled a visit to Athens, so even though the Bulldogs have just made a coaching change, with former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart taking over for Mark Richt, they may have improved their chances of picking up a commitment. As of mid-January, Nixon had not made any 9rm plans to take an o;cial visit to Penn State, but he was still discussing visits with his family. He's been to Uni- versity Park several times over the past year and a half. Nixon has always kept his true favorite to himself, but it looks as if several of Penn State's competitors are beginning to focus on other prospects, while the Nittany Lions continue to go all out for Nixon. Bottom line: Penn State still appears to have a solid chance at landing a commitment. BRENDAN FERNS POS LB HT 6-2 WT 222 HOME St. Clairsville, Ohio SCHOOL St. Clairsville SCHOOLS Penn State, West Virginia UPDATE Most reporters had Ferns pegged for West Virginia throughout the season, but in recent weeks, it's become clear that Penn State is still very much in the mix. He was scheduled to take an o;- cial visit to University Park Jan. 22-24, his 9rst trip to PSU since the spring. He will then travel to Morgantown for an o;- cial visit Jan. 29-31. Ferns' absence this summer and during the season was the reason most reporters believed he was headed to West Virginia, but he and his father have made it very clear during the past month that the only reason they didn't visit was because they were already comfortable with Penn State's campus and the surrounding area. Ferns' brother Michael is a linebacker at West Virginia, so that will likely help the Moun- taineers to some degree, but Brendan has also made it clear that he wants to follow his own path. We believe that Ferns was still very much undecided heading into his trip to Penn State, so a solid visit could prove crucial. He's expected to commit on sign- ing day. DAMAR HAMLIN POS CB HT 6-1 WT 179 HOME Pittsburgh, Pa. SCHOOL Central Catholic SCHOOLS Penn State, Ohio State, Pitt UPDATE On Dec. 24, Hamlin narrowed his list to Penn State, Ohio State and Pitt. He has since taken an o;cial visit to Ohio State (Jan. 15-17) and was expected to be at Penn State for an o;cial visit Jan. 22- 24. That leaves him with one more visit, which will be to Pitt Jan. 29-31. Hamlin isn't expected to announce his decision until right around signing day, and because he hasn't given many media interviews since the start of his senior season, it's been di;cult to get a feel for which school is truly standing out. Most reporters believe that Pitt and Ohio State have a slight edge on the Nittany Lions, but nothing would surprise us. Hamlin is close friends with Clairton athlete Aaron Mathews, who recently committed to Penn State, so that could help the Nittany Lions. It's still unclear when he will make his decision, but as long as he follows through with his visit to Pitt, it should come around signing day. KYZIR WHITE POS Saf. HT 6-2 WT 210 HOME Scranton, Pa. SCHOOL Lackawanna CC SCHOOLS West Virginia, Penn State UPDATE White has been committed to West Virginia since June. He's the younger PSU still targeting prospects for 2016 class Several key players mulling Penn State offers heading into final days of recruiting cycle |

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