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N O V E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 15 Penn State hosted one of its top remain- ing targets in the Class of 2018 this past weekend, as Jayson Oweh of Blairstown, N.J., visited for the Nittany Lions' game against Nebraska. A 6-foot-5, 235-pound defensive end, Oweh has been a regular in University Park dur- ing the past year, visit- ing on four separate occasions going back to a junior day in February. Now, on his fiBh and final trip, which was an official visit, Penn State took care to emphasize its culture and atmos- phere – not only to Oweh, but to his family and coaches, who joined him on the trip. "I think what really stood out to him is how Penn State really is a family," Blair Academy head coach Jim Saylor said. "The family culture there is incredible. They truly do care about their athletes and their futures. We knew going into it that there wouldn't be a whole lot of new stuff to see. He's been there multiples times now, but the visit did give him an excellent feel for their culture and atmosphere. "A lot of people talk about that, but Jayson and everyone that was there could really feel it. I know he really enjoyed this visit and his family really enjoyed it, as well." Throughout all of his visits, Oweh's par- ents have gotten a good feel for what Penn State has to offer. This past weekend, his mother could only stay for the first day due to his younger brother's AAU basketball tournament, but the rest of his family stuck around for the entire visit. Saylor said that the Lions made a favorable impression. "I know [that his mother] got a feel for how genuine they are and what they can do for her son, not just as a football player, but as a person, as well," Saylor said. "I got to talk to his dad on Saturday and I'm going to talk to his dad again tonight or tomorrow, but they know exactly what Penn State can do for their son. They made them feel as if they're part of the family already, through- out the entire recruiting process. So even though she was there for a short period of time, she got the feel for what it's all about. They know that Penn State's coaches will develop him as a football player, but more importantly, they also know that if Jayson chooses Penn State, their coaches are going to take her boy and help him develop as a man. I think that's what may separate Penn State from the other schools." If Oweh does end up at Penn State, it won't just be because of his relationship with the coaching staff. Over the past few months, the four-star pass-rusher has also become close with many of the players who have al- ready committed to the Lions. Those rela- tionships only improved this past weekend. "Jayson talks to a lot of those guys regu- larly. I know his host for the trip was Fred Hansard, who of course played at the Hun School. They're in our conference, so Jayson knows him already," Saylor said. "But in ad- dition to Fred, Jayson got to spend a ton of time with the 2018 recruits. I know he got to spend some time with guys like Zack Kuntz and P.J. Mustipher. I think he's just getting closer and closer with those guys. He talks to them on Twitter all the time. "I think that may also have a real impact on where he makes his decision. He feels as if he's already teammates with those guys. I think this 2018 recruiting class really does a good job at helping their coaching staff. It's a really close-knit group, and those guys aren't even on campus yet. So having Fred as the host and also the time he got to spend with the other recruits, I think that was big for him. It really is similar to our culture here at Blair. In fact, his dad told me that on Saturday. I think that's what really stood out to Jayson and his family on not just this visit, but all the visits he and his family have taken to Penn State." Saylor went on to add, "You can go up there once or twice, but he's now gone up there on five visits, and the people are al- ways the same. He's felt comfortable on every visit now, so I feel like that's going to really help Penn State here. I wasn't on the visit to Ohio State and I won't be on the visit to Michigan, but I think that's what will potentially separate Penn State. They know that Penn State is going to look aBer their boy and help him become a man." Oweh, who's currently ranked No. 179 overall and fiBh in New Jersey, took an offi- cial visit to Ohio State in September for its game against Oklahoma. He's expected to take two more official visits, beginning with Michigan this weekend for its regular- season finale against the Buckeyes. Oweh will also take an official visit to Notre Dame Dec. 8-9. He's expected to announce his decision at the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 4. OWEH R Y A N   S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M R E C R U I T I N G Family atmosphere makes impression on Oweh Linemen could earn top-five recognition Will Penn State have an opportunity to sign top-five offensive and defensive line classes as part of its 2018 recruiting ef- fort? That will depend on how James Franklin and his assistant coaches fare as they work to fill the final openings in the Class of 2018. But I believe it is definitely possible, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. With less than a month to go before the start of the early signing period, Franklin and his coaching staff have verbal com- mitments from three Rivals.com four-star defensive linemen. Those players are: strongside defensive end Judge Culpepper of Tampa, Fla.; three-technique tackle Aeneas Hawkins of Cincinnati; and tackle P.J. Mustipher of Owings Mills, Md. Culpepper is ranked by Rivals.com as the nation's 21st-best strongside defen- sive end. He's listed at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, and I believe he has the frame to grow to 275 to 285 pounds at Penn State, A N A L Y S I S B Y P H I L G R O S Z

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