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offensive linemen. That will be the case once again in 2019, and it shouldn't be hard for the staff to have success at this position, as they already are in great shape with several players, including four-star guard Caedan Wallace and four-star tackle Xavier Truss. Wallace visited for junior day and plans to make a decision this summer. We would be very surprised if he doesn't announce for Penn State. As for Truss, he's be- come one of the hottest prospects in the Northeast, earning 30 scholarships of- fers, almost all of which have come in the past two months. Truss is going to take his time with his decision, but PSU's proximity to home, plus its com- mitment to academics, will keep it near the top of his list throughout the process. He also visited Penn State on Feb. 26, so there's reason for fans to feel good about the staff's chances with both Truss and Wallace. Penn State is also in the mix with four- star guard Will Putnam of Tampa, three- star guard Jakai Moore of Nokesville, Va., four-star tackles John Olmstead of Metuchen, N.J., and Trevor Keegan of Crystal Lake, Ill., and three-star tackle Darrian Dalcourt of Baltimore. All of New England connections could boost Lions' outlook in 2019 I t's been widely acknowledged that Pennsylvania's upcoming senior class doesn't include as many top- flight prospects as the state's graduat- ing classes normally do. While there are five four-star prospects and a host of three-stars who have collected some major offers, the class is not as deep as many of its predecessors. When Rivals.com updated its rankings in late February, only one Pennsylva- nia player – Wisconsin-bound tight end Hayden Rucci – was listed in the Rivals250. If that's still the case at the end of the recruiting cycle, it will be the state's worst showing since the site began issuing its rankings. In the first year of the Rival250, Pennsylva- nia had an all-time high 16 prospects on the list. It has never had fewer than four. Penn State's recent recruiting efforts offer further evidence of the state's downturn. Of the approximately 140 scholarship offers the Nittany Lions have extended, only three have been directed at in-state prospects. Cor- nerback Keaton Ellis of State College jumped on his offer quickly, becoming the first player to join the Class of 2019 when he announced in Septem- ber. The other two players are line- backer Andre White of Harrisburg and defensive back JaQuan Brisker, a Monroeville native who attends junior college at Lackawanna. But even with a relative dearth of homegrown talent, Penn State's Class of 2019 will have a chance to achieve a high rating. That's partly because the surrounding areas are well-stocked. New Jersey is promising once again, and Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are loaded. There are even two or three prospects in Ohio who are considering PSU. But if there is one region in particular that could help offset Pennsylvania's down year, it's New England. The Nit- tany Lions have already extended five offers to prospects who played their junior football seasons in that region. Among those players are three Con- necticut prospects: quarterback Taisun Phommachanh and corner- backs Tyler Rudolph and Marquis Wil- son. All three consider Penn State to be one of their top options. In addition, Rhode Island offensive tackle Xavier Truss has received an offer. The high- est-rated prospect ever to come out of the state according to Rivals, Truss re- ceived his offer in January and visited campus last month. Penn State also offered and is an early leader for safety Lewis Cine, who recently moved from Massachusetts to Cedar Hill, Texas. Cine made that move on his own, as his family has de- cided to stay in the Boston area. Play- ing in the South could open up oppor- tunities for Cine in that region – Texas and Texas A&M both extended offers in late February – but the move could also help the Lions if he starts to feel homesick. Only time will tell. There's been speculation that new running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider may be able to help Penn State recruit his native Florida and other Southern states. That might indeed be the case, but this coming year, the Lions might not have to go quite so far. James Franklin has signed the best player out of Massachusetts in two of the past three seasons (Pat Freiermuth and Danny Dalton). Although Cine is now in Texas, the Lions have already gotten off to a head start with the Ri- vals100 prospect. Since his introductory press confer- ence in 2014, Franklin has talked about prioritizing Pennsylvania in each re- cruiting class. His first full class re- flected that emphasis, with 11 in-state prospects signing with the Nittany Lions in February 2015. But in the three classes that have followed, the Lions have averaged only about five Pennsylvania recruits. The state has proven to be the founda- tion. If Penn State were to sign just two or three Pennsylvania natives in this class, it would only require a few more additions from New England prospects to construct a similar base. ■ A N A L Y S I S B Y T I M O W E N

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