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F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 8 State. Mustipher uses his hands excep- tionally well to shed blocks and also has an explosive first step that enables him to get penetration into the backfield and provide a very effective inside pass rush. With Curtis Cothran, Tyrell Chavis and Parker Cothren all graduat- ing, Mustipher has the ability to make the three-deep depth chart as a fresh- man. I project him to begin his college career at the one-technique position. JAYSON OWEHOweh is one of the most athletic weakside defensive end prospects in the country for the Class of 2018. At 6-foot-5, he has the frame to play at 260 pounds without losing any of that athleticism. He has been playing organized football for only two years and is just starting to scratch the sur- face of his ability. At a Penn State Elite football camp last summer, Oweh ran a hand-timed 4.46-second 40-yard dash. He also broad jumped 10 feet, 2 inches, and was reported to have turned in a 36-inch vertical leap. Physically, he is a carbon copy of former Penn State All-America defensive end Courtney Brown. I expect him to redshirt as a freshman this coming fall, then to push for playing time in 2019. MICAH PARSONSParsons might be one of the two best pure athletes in the country for the Class of 2018. He has 4.6-second or better 40-yard speed, superb hand-eye coordination, a 36- inch vertical leap and the athleticism to play as many as six positions at Penn State. He is beginning his college ca- reer at the Mike linebacker spot but could also play weak-side defensive end, outside linebacker, running back or tight end. His high school career mirrored that of former Penn State All- American LaVar Arrington. The Nit- tany Lions are very thin at inside linebacker, and with Parsons having enrolled in January, he'll have a chance to not only compete for but potentially win the starting position as a fresh- man. He gives 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time. JAKE PINEGARWith Tyler Davis grad- uating and Alex Barbir transferring, Penn State's decision to sign Pinegar should not have caught anyone by sur- prise. When he arrives on campus in June, Pinegar will immediately be in mix for both field goals and kickoffs. His field goal range tops 50 yards, and nearly 90 percent of his kickoffs were not re- turned in high school. In addition, he is one of the most athletic kickers I've ever seen on film. In track, he long jumped 21 feet, 7 inches and high jumped 6-2. He's got the potential to win the place kicking job as a freshman. JUICE SCRUGGSScruggs played mostly at the leA tackle position at Cathedral Prep during his senior year, but he's projected to play either guard or potentially center at Penn State. Scruggs is listed at 270 pounds, and he appears capable of adding 25 or 30 pounds without losing any of his lateral quickness. Scruggs has exceptional feet, and his quickness enables him to sus- tain blocks. He pulled exceptionally well from his tackle position in high school, getting to the second level with ease. Scruggs keeps his hips in place and knows how to get leverage at the point of attack. It's clear that he has excellent technique, as he rarely gets too high coming out of his stance. Scruggs does- n't make mental mistakes and rarely misses blocking assignments. He ap- pears to have the mental makeup to play the center spot at Penn State. JUSTIN SHORTERFollowing Nike's The Opening camp in July, Shorter emerged as one of the top wide receiver prospects in the nation for the Class of 2018. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he's physically similar to Juwan Johnson. With the departure of DaeSean Hamil- ton and Saeed Blacknall, there's a real chance that Shorter could make an im- pact at one of the two outside receiver positions his freshman year. He's a pol- ished route runner with 4.5-second or better 40-yard speed, and he consis- tently catches the football at its high point. RICKY SLADEI didn't see a better pure running back on film during the 2017 season than Slade. He is listed at 5- foot-9, 185 pounds and may remind some Penn State fans of a young Ki- Jana Carter. Slade has 4.5-second or better 40-yard speed and also is a su- perb pass-catcher coming out of the backfield. He has surprising power in his hips and thighs and is able to break tackles, but he's also an exceptional cut-back runner. His style fits perfectly into Penn State's RPO offense. With Saquon Barkley entering the 2018 NFL draA, I firmly believe that Slade has the potential to compete with Mark Allen and Journey Brown for the No. 2 run- ning back spot behind Miles Sanders his freshman year. The Nittany Lions have been enjoying a lot of success lately at landing top running back prospects, having signed Barkley, Sanders and now Slade in the past four years. NICK TARBURTONTarburton is one of the most physical members of the Nit- tany Lions' class. Even though he's re- ported to have only 4.9-second 40-yard speed, he will begin his career at the middle linebacker position. What Tar- burton lacks in raw, explosive speed, he makes up for with his football instincts. He knows how to read his keys at the point of attack and explodes to the ball carrier with excellent tackling tech- nique. With his physical style of play, he reminds me of outgoing MLB Jason Cabinda. Tarburton has a nose for the football and attacks the ball carrier with his aggressive style of play. The only question here is whether Tarburton will grow out of the linebacker position and become a defensive end later in his ca- reer. RASHEED WALKER AAer watching Walker perform at the U.S. Army All- American Bowl in January, I understand why Rivals.com ranks him as the sev- enth-best offensive tackle in the Class of 2018. He has exceptional feet and is fully capable of playing the right or leA tackle positions at Penn State. At 6- foot-6, he the frame to carry 320 pounds. He already has an excellent punch with his pass-blocking tech- nique and can physically dominate at the point of attack with his run block- ing. Rated by everyone as the top offen- sive tackle prospect in the Washington D.C./ Maryland area for the Class of 2018, Walker has the potential to be- come a three-year starter on Penn State's offensive line. If he stays healthy and physically develops into the kind of player he appears capable of becoming, he will have a chance to play in the NFL. He reminds me of former Penn State of- fensive tackle Levi Brown coming out of high school.

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