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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 9 players multiple calls from Maryland and Michigan reporters questioning their commitment to Penn State during their senior seasons. That got old real quick. Three questions Which player in this class has the most potential? This is a tough one, but I'm leaning to- ward McGovern. Normally, I would never pick a freshman offensive lineman to make an impact right away, but the fact that he's going to be taking part in spring practice is huge. I know he's very committed and hardworking, but most important, I know McGovern simply has more talent than basically all of the lineman who have enrolled these past two years. If he is able to get some experience early in his career, say this season or next, watch out. He has the potential to be Penn State's best lineman since Ste- fen Wisniewski, but that will only come with experience. Who do fans need to be patient with? This is a tie between quarterback Jake Zembiec and Simmons. Both are four- star players, and they deserve their rankings. But I've seen some people pre- dict that Zembiec will be the starter in 2016. I think that's doubtful. For all of his potential, he still needs at least one season with Joe Moorhead, possibly two, before he's ready for this level. As for Simmons, his athleticism is out of this world. That's why he continues to receive so much recognition. But he also needs more coaching. I saw real im- provement this past season, but I also watched many of the nation's top line- men, at multiple camps for two years in a row, push him around when they gave it their best effort. Simmons will be an impact player, but he's still learning how fundamentally important leverage is. I think he needs at least one season with Sean Spencer before he'll be expected to make a major impact. But make no mis- take, Simmons isn't far behind McGov- ern in my "most potential" category. Which player is going to surprise people early? Two names to remember: Blake Gillikin and Danny Dalton. For Gillikin, it's pretty simple. Penn State's punting has been inconsistent, at best, these past two seasons. It'll take him some time to get used to the college atmosphere, but I see no reason why he can't provide con- sistent 40-yard punts with solid hang- time. As for Dalton, he's enrolling early at a position that's still relatively wide open. We know Mike Gesicki will get the first shot at impressing Moorhead, but don't be surprised if Dalton is close be- hind, especially as Penn State gets later into its season. Tight end is wide open right now. Things to remember The good While most fans will remember this cycle for the drama we saw in the final few months, it's important to remember just how good this staff is at recruiting. In the summer, everything was going smoothly. Penn State's class was in the top 10, and at one point, the staff had only a handful of scholarships remain- ing. Things didn't end perfectly, but that wasn't because these guys lost their touch with recruits. Each of the prospects who left had his reasons, but for the most part, it simply came down to those players seeing greener pastures elsewhere. While you never want to see that, all it takes is one good season on the field to change perceptions. With the changes that have been made on the staff, Penn State is now aiming to take that next step. A few more wins, and I think the Lions will be back in the top 10 for re- cruiting instantly. I have no doubt about that. The bad Jim Harbaugh. Period. End of story. He's legitimately Public Enemy No. 1 if you're James Franklin. With Urban Meyer at Ohio State, it's clear which school will be the favorite in the Big Ten for the foreseeable future. When Franklin was hired, all the talk was about him pushing Mark Dantonio down the road, but we're not hearing about that at all anymore. Now, Har- baugh is the hot name in the conference. Off the field, he's already proven that he will do whatever it takes to finish a re- cruiting class strong, so if Penn State doesn't want to be in this position regu- larly, it will have to enjoy some success against Michigan, both on the field and in recruiting. FUTURE TEAMMATES Menet (left) bat- tles fellow Penn State recruit Shaka Toney during a summer camp com- petion. Photo courtesy of Ri- vals.com

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