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F E B R U A R Y 2 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 6 him to redshirt as a freshman. YETUR GROSS-MATOSOne of the most athletic strongside defensive end prospects in the Class of 2017, Matos is reported to have 4.57-second 40-yard speed, a 30-inch vertical leap and a 4.32 shuttle time. He has the frame to play at 260 or even 270 pounds at the college level. Physically, he reminds me of for- mer Nittany Lion All-American Court- ney Brown. Matos uses his hands well to shed blocks and gives 100 percent on every play. He has the potential to be a four-year contributor at Penn State. K.J. HAMLERIf he hadn't suffered an ACL injury last summer, it's likely that Hamler would have been one of the top five slot wide receiver prospects in the country. He enrolled in January but will probably not participate in spring practice as he works his way back from his injury. He's an explosive player with sub-4.5-second 40-yard speed, superb hands and a talent for running precise pass routes and accelerating out of his cuts. And although he's listed at 165 pounds, he plays a surpris- ingly physical brand of football. Ham- ler is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the football, including on punt returns. There's a good chance he will redshirt. FRED HANSARDWith both Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran graduating aBer the 2017 season, Hansard should fit in perfectly at the one-technique defensive tackle position in Penn State's basic 4-3 scheme. He has an ex- plosive first step coming off the foot- ball, and it allows him to get excellent penetration. In addition, he uses his hands well to shed blocks, has excellent feet, and knows how to use leverage at the point of attack. Hansard plays the game with attitude. It wouldn't sur- prise me if he were to end up as a three- year starter. MAC HIPPENHAMMERNext to Journey Brown and K.J. Hamler, Hippenhammer might be the most explosive performer in Penn State's class. He has sub-4.5- second 40-yard speed, a 38-inch verti- cal leap and the ability to change directions on a dime. Hippenhammer can play either in the slot or at an out- side wide receiver position in Joe Moor- head's offensive scheme. He could also help out as early as this fall on punt and kickoff returns. As a senior at Snider High, he averaged 40 yards on kickoff returns and 24 yards on punt returns. With Saeed Blacknall and DaeSean Hamilton graduating following the 2017 season, Hippenhammer could end up as a three-year contributor at wideout. DES HOLMESOf all the prospects in Penn State's Class of 2017, Holmes might have made the biggest improve- ment between his junior and senior sea- sons. He worked with a personal trainer to drop 25 pounds and went on to be- come a Class AAAA All-State per- former as a senior at Cardinal O'Hara. Blessed with great athletic ability and exceptional feet for a player of his size, Holmes plays the game with an atti- tude. He will most likely fit into Penn State's plans at the right tackle position. One of four offensive linemen in this year's class, he is all but certain to red- shirt as a freshman. DONOVAN JOHNSONThe Nittany Lions have landed three high-quality cornerback prospects, with D.J. Brown and Lamont Wade joining Johnson in the Class of 2017. It looks to be the sec- ond-best group of cornerbacks in the Big Ten behind Ohio State's contin- gent. Johnson just might be the most underrated member of the Lions' group. He has 4.35-second 40-yard speed and a 37-inch vertical leap. In addition, he displays excellent hand- eye coordination, an affinity for press one-on-one coverage and an ability to close on the football. I expect him to play the field cornerback position at Penn State. ROBERT MARTINMartin played at about 260 pounds at the high school level, but he has the frame to carry close to 300 in college. He's projected to play a guard position on Penn State's offensive line. He has solid feet and the ability to get to the second level with his blocks. It's all but certain that Mar- tin will redshirt this coming fall as he works with the strength and condition- ing staff to add the weight he will need to hold his own against Big Ten compe- tition. MICHAEL MIRANDAMiranda is a very physical player who knows how to use leverage and is extremely disciplined at the point of attack. He was a January enrollee and will most likely see action at center in spring practice. With Brian Gaia having graduated, there's a chance that Miranda could push for playing time as the backup center this fall. But a redshirt year seems more likely. He has the frame to play at 310 pounds at the college level. CAMERON SULLIVAN-BROWNBrown was a three-year starter on both offense and defense at St. Vincent Pallotti. He has excellent size and is reported to have 4.55-second 40-yard speed with a 35-inch vertical leap. In addition, he is very good at using his body to shield off defenders. He's a very reliable receiver who catches the ball at its apex and is a disciplined route runner. I expect him to play at one of the two outside wide re- ceiver positions at Penn State. Given the team's depth at wideout, he will proba- bly redshirt as a freshman. JONATHAN SUTHERLANDProjected to play the strong safety position at Penn State, Sutherland has 4.5-second 40- yard speed and is a very physical player who provides excellent run support. He is reminiscent of Bob Sanders, who starred for Iowa in the early 2000s and went on to play in the NFL. It's likely that he will redshirt as a freshman. C.J. THORPEThorpe, whose father, Chris, played at Penn State in the 1980s, plays football with an attitude and is surprisingly athletic. Expected to play guard at Penn State, he has excel- lent feet for a player of his size. He also has an extremely strong lower body. Thorpe reportedly benches over 400 pounds, and his strength was reflected in his total of more than 40 pancake blocks as a senior at Pittsburgh Central Catholic. LAMONT WADEWade enrolled at Penn State in January and is expected to see action this spring at nickel back and/or safety. He has sub-4.5-second 40-yard speed, excellent press one-on-one cov- erage ability and is a good tackler who provided superb run support from his cornerback position in high school. He also was an outstanding running back, so I wouldn't be surprised if Penn State used him on offense at some point in his career. I do not expect Wade to be red- shirted as a freshman.

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