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F E B R U A R Y 4 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 6 tional at using his hands to shed blocks, and he also boasts great reflexes, superb lateral quickness and a lightning-quick first step. During his high school career, he was able to dominate at the point of attack and get penetration into the op- ponent's backfield. His sack totals were remarkable for a three-technique de- fensive tackle. Jordan was also very ef- fective at the Under Armour All-America Game, holding his own against a big offensive line. The Lions have immediate needs at defensive tackle, but I expect Jordan to redshirt this fall. He will need to add 20 to 25 pounds to become an every-down player. DANIEL JOSEPH I believe Joseph is one of the more underrated prospects in Penn State's class. At 6-foot-3, he has the potential to grow into a 260- or 270-pound strongside defensive end, but he also has the athletic ability to play tight end should the need arise. Joseph has a superb first step and he's an excellent outside pass rusher. Some recruiting analysts have speculated that he will end up as a three-technique de- fensive tackle, but I'm not so sure. A physical player with great athletic skills, he reminds me of former Penn State de- fensive end Maurice Evans. Joseph will probably be redshirted as a freshman. CONNOR McGOVERN I believe there is an excellent chance that McGovern will enter spring practice as one of the top three candidates for the center po- sition, the others being senior Wendy Laurent and redshirt freshman Ryan Bates. McGovern is physically mature and has excellent technique, and he performed superbly in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. While most offen- sive linemen are redshirted as true freshmen, McGovern could be an ex- ception. He's that good, and the Lions are not deep at center. ZECHARIAH McPHEARSON McP- hearson is one of the best pure athletes in this class. With sub-4.5-second 40- yard speed and a remarkable 40-inch vertical leap, he could play either free safety or cornerback. When he commit- ted in March 2015, he had offers from Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Given his versatility, both as a defensive back and as a potential im- pact player on special teams, I don't ex- pect him to be redshirted this coming season. It also bears mentioning that he was a top baseball prospect with out- standing hand-eye coordination. He could end up playing baseball at Penn State. MICHAL MENET Menet was the con- sensus choice as the top offensive line prospect in Pennsylvania's Class of 2016. If he can add 10 pounds before he enrolls at Penn State in June, I believe he will have a solid chance to make the same type of impact that Stefen Wis- niewski made during his freshman year. Menet has superb technique, great bal- ance and uses his hands and feet well. He can play either guard or tackle. Al- though it's customary for offensive linemen to redshirt as true freshmen, I think Menet and Connor McGovern will have an opportunity to see action in 2016. MILES SANDERS Sanders will be a great complement to Saquon Barkley and Andre Robinson in Penn State's backfield. On film, he appears to be the perfect all-purpose running back for Joe Moorhead's spread offensive sys- tem. He has sub-4.5-second 40-yard speed, and he's also an excellent re- ceiver coming out of the backfield. Al- though the Lions are deep at running back, I do not envision Sanders red- shirting as a freshman. He is an excel- lent cutback runner and can provide the offense with home run potential every time he touches the football. He could also be an excellent punt and kickoff re- turner. ANTONIO SHELTON Recruited by the Nittany Lions to play the three-tech- nique defensive tackle position, Shelton has the frame to carry 295 pounds at the college level. Indeed, he's almost there already. But I still expect him to redshirt in 2016. SHANE SIMMONS Some analysts have contended that Simmons had a mediocre senior season. Don't believe it. Despite playing both defensive end positions, as well as the three-tech- nique tackle spot, he had 23 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. He was also one of the most impressive defensive players at the Under Armour All-America Game in January. Simmons has the quickness and athletic skills to be a standup de- fensive end in a 4-3 alignment or a strongside outside linebacker in a 3-4. To be an every-down weakside defen- sive end at Penn State, he will need to add 20 to 25 pounds. It will be interest- ing to see whether he redshirts his freshman year. BRENON THRIFT ThriB has grown substantially since coming out of high school as a 220-pound linebacker. He's listed at 285 pounds so he's already got the size he needs to play the three- technique tackle spot. He reportedly has 4.8-second 40-yard speed, which should help him in his bid for playing time. But he's going to have no shortage of competition. With the addition of ThriB, Penn State could have as many as nine defensive tackles on its 2016 roster. SHAKA TONEY In my opinion, Toney is one of the most underrated members of Penn State's Class of 2016. He played defensive end his junior and senior seasons at Imhotep Charter, and while analysts have projected him as an outside linebacker at the college level, Terry Smith said he's likely to begin his career at end. As a senior, Toney was one of the most proficient tacklers in Class AAA, and he also had 15 sacks. He is physical at the point of attack, sheds blocks effectively and plays well in traffic. It will take a while for him to develop the size needed to play defen- sive end in the Big Ten, which all but assures that he will redshirt. But if the coaches decide to go in a different di- rection, I could easily see him excelling as a 225- or 230-pound Sam outside linebacker. JAKE ZEMBIEC With so little experi- ence returning at quarterback, Zembiec will have an opportunity this spring to show whether he's a viable candidate for playing time in 2016. Physically, he is ready to compete as a freshman. He's a pocket passer but is athletic enough to run Joe Moorhead's offense. Trace Mc- Sorley will enter spring practice as the projected leader for the starting quar- terback job, but Zembiec and Tommy Stevens will supply excellent competi- tion. McSorley, Stevens and Zembiec are all good enough athletically to excel in a spread offense.

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