Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/84628
PSU lands offensive lineman RYAN SNYDER | B L U E WH I T E I L L U S T R A T E d Penn State appears to be done re- cruiting offensive linemen for the Class of 2013 following a commitment from Tanner Hartman of Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg, Va., on Tuesday. Originally committed to Maryland, Hartman made the switch after pick- ing up an offer from the Nittany Lions last week. "Being committed to Maryland, I was plan- ning on taking visits to both Maryland and Penn State, but you know, I just really felt that this was a great opportunity for me," Hartman said. "This is where my heart was telling me to go, so I didn't want to wait around any longer and I decided to just com- mit to Penn State. I didn't rush the deciison, though. I took my time, [and] I know I made the right deci- sion." Tom Hartman, a former Division I HARTMAN football player, elaborated on his son's decision. "I'm from Pennsylvania originally, went to Virginia Tech to play football in the early '80s and then I stayed in Virginia after school," Hartman said. "So one thing we liked about Penn State was that the family was close; they could come see him play. Also, when Tanner came to camp at Penn State, we drove around campus after and he really just liked everything he saw. He said that day that if Penn State offers this would be the school he ultimately picks. "They didn't have room at the time, but once they did, it became a real tough decision for Tanner. I really like [Maryland] Coach Edsall. Randy Edsall is a good guy, but I told Tanner that this is his decision, this is his football career, his education. And when he re- ally thought about it, Penn State was where he wanted to be." Hartman's coach, Frank Rocco, said the young prospect is extremely ath- letic for a lineman and can play on both sides of the ball. He has the po- tential, Rocco said, to be a future con- tributor for the Nittany Lions. "He's about 6-foot-5, 255 pounds right now," said Rocco. "He's put on some solid weight over the past few months. He's a strong 255 pounds. He's been a solid offensive tackle for us since his sophomore year, [and] we didn't really experiment with him as a defensive end until last year, but he's a really athletic kid for such a big body. "Going into this year, we used him both ways right out of the gate, and it really showed us how athletic he really is. He's been a solid two-way starter for us this year. He's been real impres- sive so far." The elder Hartman noted that his son has a stature that is similar to his own when he played high school foot- ball, and he said that should mean Tanner will grow throughout the next four years. "When I came to Tech, I was 6-4, 240 pounds," he said. "When I left there I was pushing 300 pounds. Tanner has the same build, so I know he has a lot of room to grow still. I know he's not done growing." Hartman was actually recruited to be a defensive lineman at Maryland, but Penn State will most likely try him out on offense. "I just love football, offense or de- fense, doesn't matter," Hartman said. "All I know is that Coach [Mac] McWhorter and Coach [Larry] John- son are really good guys. I know I fit into their offensive scheme real well, so that's all that matters to me." Rocco said Hartman's versatility is what stood out to the Nittany Lion coaching staff. "He's got all the right tools to play both sides of the ball and most impor- tantly is that he's the type of guy who wants to learn, listens to his coaches and builds off of his mistakes," Rocco said. "He'll be a real solid player for Penn State." S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 2 9 PENN STATE RADIO NETWORK WAEB.............790-AM....... 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