Blue White Illustrated

er, or on kick returns and punt re- turns, which is great. I'm excited for that." A two-star prospect, Kiley would like- ly have received additional offers from major programs had he been given the opportunity to face more formidable competition. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Hampshire, received the 2011 NEPSAC Class C Player of the Year award, was MVP of the Evergreen League and was named to The Boston Globe's All-Scholastic team. Playing quarterback, Kiley threw for 1,123 yards and 12 touchdowns this past season. He finished his ca- reer with 2,461 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. PHIL'S ANALYSIS Kiley has the size to play the free safety position. He also is a student of the game. He was coached by his father at New Hampton Prep, and former Penn State defensive co- ordinator Tom Bradley liked his foot- ball instincts. It's likely that Kiley will redshirt as a freshman. He might fit into the team's plans at cornerback, but if he were to add about 15 pounds, he could also land at free safety. Wendy LAURENT OL, 6-4, 285 Princeton, N.J. The Hun School Penn State made a push for athlet- ic linemen, and Laurent certainly fits that mold. He is a big prospect, but he runs a 4.9-second 40-yard dash and is eager to play for new offensive line coach Mac McWhorter. "I'm just excited to get a chance to play for a school I followed growing up," Laurent said. "I really enjoyed meeting Coach McWhorter, and I'm just looking forward to being part of this new era at Penn State." Boston College, Connecticut and Rutgers all showed interest in Laurent, but Penn State became the team to beat once it extended an offer. During his official visit Jan. 21, Laurent spoke with O'Brien via Skype. "He seems like a really good guy," Laurent said. "He's just doing really W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L BY TIM OWEN Blue White Contributor caller ID simply read "PA, USA." "You have got to be kidding me," he S said to himself. Having spent all of his 17 years liv- ing in southeastern Georgia, Bench wasn't accustomed to receiving phone calls from Pennsylvania. But on this particular night, the 6-foot- 2, 206-pound quarterback from Bainbridge had an idea who was call- ing. "I answered it, and it was Coach Hixon from Penn State," Bench said, referring to the Nittany Lions' new as- sistant head coach, Stan Hixon. "He asked me if I was interested in com- ing up for a visit." Days prior to Hixon's call, the quarterbacks coach at Cairo High had told Bench he had a connection with Bill O'Brien. If Bench wanted, his highlight film could be on the new Penn State head coach's desk the very next day. O'Brien must have liked what he saw. When Hixon called, Bench took him up on his offer and made an of- ficial visit to University Park the fol- lowing weekend. And in the middle of the visit, Bench was officially offered a scholarship to Penn State. Three days later, he committed. But it wasn't the easiest decision for the Southern signal caller. Bench had given a verbal commitment to Rice be- fore Christmas. He was one of the best quarterback prospects ever to commit to the Owls, and they had al- ready begun "putting the future of the program kind of on me," he said. Photo courtesy of Steven Bench "People think, 'Oh, it's Penn State. It shouldn't be that hard of a decision between Penn State and Rice,' " he said. "But I have to live there for the next four years, and it's my future. A lot more goes into it than just foot- ball." But in the end – whether it was Penn State's academic reputation, the 108,000-seat stadium, or the campus that reminded them of places closer to home, like Florida State and Geor- gia – he and his parents decided Penn State was the right fit. The allure of playing major-college football also played a role in his de- cision. Raised in the heart of SEC country, Bench garnered interest from Alabama, Mississippi State and Georgia, but his only offers from Football Bowl Subdivision schools were the ones from Rice and Penn State. "[Coaches] would always tell me that if they didn't get their No. 1, then I was their guy," Bench said. "But they always ended up getting their No. 1." The recruiting process became in- creasingly frustrating, and even more bothersome than the neglect he re- ceived from major FBS schools was their rationale for overlooking him. The problem was that during his first three seasons, Bench played in a veer option offense at Bainbridge High in which he rarely passed. Sometimes, he said, the team "would go through an entire practice and not throw the ball." As a result, he became a hard- nosed and deceptively speedy runner, but colleges wanted someone who could throw the ball, too. So during the summer before his senior season, Bench's father ac- cepted an assistant coaching posi- tion at Cairo, a perennial power- house in southern Georgia. Bench followed. By season's end, he had thrown for 20 touchdowns, amassed more than 2,000 yards through the air and on the ground and helped lead the Syrupmakers to the Georgia Class AAA semifinals. "The kid came over, and within one month he knew everything we were doing," said Cairo head coach Tom Fallaw, speaking in the same Southern drawl as Bench. "He is a student of the game. He has good leadership skills, and I think he is trying to get ready to come up there and play." M A R C H 2 , 2 0 1 2 15 A whirlwind recruitment ends with Georgia QB Steven Bench headed to Penn State THE BENCH FILE CHANGE OF PLANS teven Bench was sitting at home one evening in January when his cell phone started ringing. The S T A T I S T I C S Passed for 803 yards and six touchdowns as a junior at Bainbridge (Ga.) High. ... Threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior at Cairo High. ... Led Cairo to the Georgia Class AAA semifinals. H O N O R S Was named Georgia Region I AAA Offensive Player of the Year following jun- ior season at Bainbridge. ... Received three stars from Rivals.

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