Blue White Illustrated

ply have decided to sign only one QB in 2017. RUNNING BACK PLAYERS ON 2017 ROSTER 5 PROJECTED SIGNEES 1 or 2 OUTLOOK When Miles Sanders enrolls this summer, Penn State will have =ve running backs on its 2016 roster with ei- ther freshman or sophomore eligibility. Because of the team's depth, this is the Li- ons' least important position in 2017. However, there are two key prospects whom the sta> will pursue no matter what: D'Andre Swi? of Philadelphia and Anthony McFarland of Hyattsville, Md. Both have been on campus multiple times dating back to the 2014 season, but they're also being pursued by many of the nation's best programs. We believe Penn State is in good shape with Swi?, so he's the one we're following most closely, but there's still a long way to go. If Penn State is able to land one of these two running backs, it would give next year's class a big boost. But with Sanders set to join Saquon Barkley and the rest in a few months, it won't be a major loss if the Nittany Lions miss out. WIDE RECEIVER PLAYERS ON 2017 ROSTER 8 PROJECTED SIGNEES 1 or 2 OUTLOOK According to Rivals.com, there are 13 wide receivers claiming a Penn State o>er. As of late March, the Nittany Lions appeared to be in a good position with =ve of those players: Kahlee Ham- ler of Orchard Lake, Mich.; Bo Melton of Egg Harbor, N.J.; Evidence Njoku of Cedar Grove, N.J.; Hunter Risen of Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Mark Webb of Warminster, Pa. The three that we're following most closely are Hamler, Njoku and Webb. Hamler and Webb have taken multiple visits to Penn State, while Njoku was in Happy Valley for the =rst time when the coaches hosted a junior day event on Feb. 27. We don't believe any of the =ve are close to making a commitment, but Webb and Njoku have given us the im- pression that Penn State is the early fa- vorite. Hamler likely has Penn State in his top =ve, maybe even his top three, but it's important to note that he's also very high on his two in-state schools, Michigan and Michigan State. TIGHT END PLAYERS ON 2017 ROSTER 4 PROJECTED SIGNEES 1 or 2 OUTLOOK With Brent Wilkerson out of action and Mike Gesicki having only two years of eligibility le?, we expect Penn State to take a tight end in 2017. As of late March, the sta> had extended o>ers to four tight ends, two of whom – Jake Marwede of Wilmette, Ill., and Trey Pugh of Plain City, Ohio – have the Nit- tany Lions among their early favorites. We wouldn't be surprised to see the Li- ons sign two tight ends. They will de=- nitely sign one, and they'll take another if they can land someone who is high on their recruiting board. OFFENSIVE LINE PLAYERS ON 2017 ROSTER 13 PROJECTED SIGNEES 3 OUTLOOK The o>ensive line has been the top priority for all three of the Nit- tany Lions' recruiting classes under Franklin. They've succeeded in landing a handful of coveted linemen the past few cycles, which means this position group isn't quite as important as it was in years past. But it's still the team's highest pri- ority on o>ense in the 2017 cycle. Heading into April, the staff had ex- tended offers to 20 offensive linemen, but seven of those prospects have al- ready committed elsewhere. Of the un- committed prospects, these nine ap- pear to be the staff's highest priorities: Micah Clark of Holmdel, N.J.; Robert Hainsey of Bradenton, Fla.; Joel Honig- ford of Sugarcreek, Ohio; Riley Locklear of Huntington, W.Va.; Robert Martin of Montvale, N.J.; Jordan McNair of Ow- ings Mills, Md.; Michael Miranda of Stow, Ohio; C.J. Thorpe of Pittsburgh; and Carter Warren of Wayne, N.J. Hainsey, Thorpe and Warren appear to be the most realistic possibilities for Penn State, but all of the players listed here have either visited University Park this spring or are planning to visit be- fore the end of spring practice. Thorpe is the one to keep an eye on in the com- ing weeks. DEFENSIVE END PLAYERS ON 2017 ROSTER 7 PROJECTED SIGNEES 2 or 3 OUTLOOK Penn State received two im- portant commitments in February when defensive ends Damion Barber of Har- risburg, Pa., and Yetur Matos of Freder- icksburg, Va., announced that they in- tend to sign with the Nittany Lions. Be- fore those players committed, it ap- peared likely that the sta> would take two defensive ends this year. But we may have to revise that projection upward. A number of highly regarded prospects are still available – notably four-star player Chase Young of Hyattsville, Md., and =ve-star player Josh Kaindoh of Braden- ton, Fla. – so we wouldn't be surprised to see Penn State add another defensive end later in the cycle. That said, the coaches feel good about where they stand at defensive end a?er landing Shane Simmons, Daniel Joseph, Shaka Toney, Ryan Buchholz and Sha- reef Miller in their past two recruiting classes. So as long as Barber and Matos stay committed, the sta> will put most of its focus on other positions of need. DEFENSIVE TACKLE PLAYERS ON 2017 ROSTER 9 PROJECTED SIGNEES 2 or 3 OUTLOOK This position group has been a real headache for Penn State the past two years. Following a few decommit- ments, the coaches were forced to scramble late in the 2016 cycle, and while they were able to land some solid prospects, they're still searching for one or two who could develop into major di>erence-makers. With the 2017 cycle now well under way, Penn State is set to make another push. There are =ve prospects on its list

• Cover