Blue White Illustrated

School. That conversation ended up being more like a conference call. "I called Coach O'Brien around 3 p.m., and he was in an all-coaches meeting at the time. So when I told him, they all kind of went crazy, they were all really fired up. All of the coaches were definitely really excited." While Breneman had long been thought to be leaning toward Penn State, the Nittany Lions received a bit of a surprise when they got a ver- bal commitment from offensive line- man Brendan Mahon of Randolph, N.J. Mahon committed while visiting Happy Valley March 17. The 6-foot-5, 302-pound interior lineman had made it clear that Penn State was on his radar, but he con- tinuously told reporters leading up to the visit that he wouldn't commit while on campus. He said he planned to wait at least a few days, most likely a few weeks. "Honestly, I would say that Rutgers was probably ahead of Penn State up until about this weekend," Mahon said after his visit. "Just when I got on campus, met with coaches and checked everything out, that's when I really realized that this was the place to be." Like all of Penn State's commit- ments, Mahon is part of the Rivals250, coming in at No. 190 overall with a four-star rating. Looking forward, the Penn State Coaches Clinic, which will take place March 30-31, appears to be the next big visit weekend. Three important prospects have confirmed their trips to State College: Philadelphia run- ning back David Williams, Philadel- phia offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey and Charleston, W.Va., wide receiver Ryan Switzer. Williams is without a doubt the top-rated running back in the Mid- Atlantic recruiting area. With 18 offers, he won't be an easy grab for the Nittany Lion staff, but running backs coach Charles London has gotten off to a good start with Williams. The prospect has called their relationship a "10 out of 10." Both McGlinchey and Switzer will be on commitment watch when they arrive on campus, as both are believed to be leaning toward Penn State. In fact, Switzer was planning to make a decision soon after Brene- man made his, but after consulting with coaches and family, he decided to visit other schools. Meanwhile, McGlinchey, who meas- ures in at 6-9, 280 pounds, has col- lected 14 offers so far, including offers from such programs as Florida, Michigan, Virginia and Wisconsin. He hasn't publicly stated a favorite, but he's made it clear that the Nit- tany Lions have a great shot. The coaching staff has also heard from multiple blue-chip prospects who would like to attend the Blue- White Game. While lists are still pre- mature, look for Pennsylvania's top athlete, wide receiver Robert Foster of Central Valley, to be in attendance. With more than 25 offers, Foster is the top wide receiver in the Mid- Atlantic region and arguably the entire East Coast. He'll most likely be joined by three-star defensive back Devin Butler of Washington, D.C., as well as most of the committed recruits in Penn State's Class of 2013. considering Penn State Penn State is in contention to Former Maryland QB land another quarterback, this one a transfer from Maryland who would be eligible to compete in 2012. Former Terrapins quarterback Danny O'Brien, who has been granted a release from Maryland and has two years of football eligi- bility remaining, has already visit- ed Penn State and Mississippi, and as of this writing was expect- ed to visit Wisconsin. Those three schools were viewed as his most likely destinations. He reportedly is also considering Connecticut and Vanderbilt. According to the NCAA's post- graduate transfer rules, O'Brien, who is slated to earn his degree from Maryland this semester, must enroll into a school that offers a graduate program not available at Maryland. 12 A P R I L 1 1 , 2 0 1 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

• Cover