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the coaching staff slowly dwindled in the ensuing months. But then assis- tant coach Bill Kenney invited Dowrey to Penn State's senior camp, explain- ing that a limited number of openings remained on the defensive line and that a strong performance at camp could earn him an offer from his No. 1 school. The rest is history. "I'm really excited. I haven't calmed down yet," Dowrey said just after re- ceiving his Penn State offer on June 25. "It's been a few hours and I haven't stopped thinking about it." Dowrey's only other major Football Bowl Subdivision offer was from West Virginia. This past December, Dowrey be- came the first player to be voted The Northern Virginia Daily's Defensive Football Player of the Year three years in a row. He was also a two-time pick as All-Northwestern District Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-time All-District selection on offense and de- fense. The two-star lineman finished his senior season with 13.5 sacks and 107 tackles. He also saw action at full- back. PHIL'S ANALYSIS Recruited by Larry John- son as a defensive tackle, Dowrey made a big impression at Penn State's Sen- ior-Only summer football camp in June. His reported 40-yard speed – 5.2 seconds – isn't great, but he explodes off the ball, stays low and uses good leverage. Dowrey has the ability to play on ei- ther offense or defense. It will be inter- esting to see where he starts his career at Penn State. Brian GAIA OL, 6-5, 285 Baltimore, Md. Gilman School Gaia fielded offers from Boston Col- lege, Iowa, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Rut- gers, Virginia and West Virginia and said Alabama would likely have offered had he attended its summer camp. But none of that mattered, because the three-star two-way lineman accept- ed his Penn State scholarship early in the process, handing Larry Johnson his verbal commitment on May 9. The early decision made perfect sense. Penn State was Gaia's dream school. "It's kind of surreal knowing that I'm going to play for the team I grew up idolizing, grew up following," he said. "I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait." The day after his commitment, Gaia said he would stick to it "from here on out. No [other] offers will affect my de- cision." He stayed true to his word over the next nine months, even through the scandal that engulfed the school in No- vember. Meanwhile, he helped the Greyhounds to the MIAA A Conference championship with a 34-32 double- overtime victory over Calvert Hall, a team that featured two of his future Penn State teammates. Gaia was selected to play in the third annual International Bowl on Feb. 1 and was a three-time consensus All- State selection. PHIL'S ANALYSIS Like Dowrey, Gaia is ca- pable of playing on either side of the line of scrimmage. He seems very disci- plined, has quick feet and the ability to stay on his blocks. That's why I believe he will begin his career at Penn State on the offensive line. He appears to have the perfect size to fit in at guard. Malik GOLDEN Ath., 6-1, 185 Cheshire, Conn. Cheshire Academy Golden almost wasn't a Nittany Lion. A month before signing day, it was widely believed that the two-way athlete was leaning toward Iowa. He had given Penn State a verbal commitment before the beginning of his senior season, but when most of the coaches were let go, he began hav- ing second thoughts. Suddenly, it looked as though the Hawkeyes were about to re-enter the picture. Golden made an official visit to Iowa City in December and then went to University Park in January. After meeting O'Brien, the new coaching staff and his prospective future team- mates, he realized his original choice still suited him best. W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Evan Schwan DE Anthony Stanko OL Jonathan Warner WR Nyeem Wartman LB Brent Wilkerson TE Trevor Williams WR 6-6 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-2 235 302 200 225 245 190 4.6 5.1 4.5 4.5 4.9 4.4 Central Dauphin Howland Camas Valley View DeMatha Calvert Hall Harrisburg, Pa. Warren, Ohio Camas, Wash. Archbald, Pa. Hyattsville, Md. Towson, Md. M A R C H 2 , 2 0 1 2 13 NAME Steven Bench T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 2 POS QB HT 6-3 Da'Quan Davis Derek Dowrey Brian Gaia Malik Golden Jesse James CB 5-11 OL/DT 6-3 DL Ath. TE Austin Johnson DT Jake Kiley Ath. Wendy Laurent OL Eugene Lewis Jordan Lucas Akeel Lynch Jamil Pollard WR DB RB DT 6-5 6-1 6-7 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-5 WT 206 172 279 285 185 248 276 173 285 181 195 205 280 40 4.7 4.5 5.2 5.0 4.5 4.7 5.0 4.6 4.9 4.5 4.4 4.4 5.1 HIGH SCHOOL Cairo Calvert Hall John Handley Gilman Cheshire Academy South Allegheny St. Augustine New Hampton Prep The Hun School Wyoming Valley West Worcester Academy St. Francis West Deptford HOME Cairo, Ga. Towson, Md. Winchester, Va. Baltimore, Md. Cheshire, Conn. McKeesport, Pa. Richland, N.J. New Hampton, N.H. Princeton, N.J. Plymouth, Pa. Worcester, Mass. Athol Springs, N.Y. West Deptford, N.J.

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