Blue White Illustrated

They offered me a while back, were always very interested in me and like I said, they have a plan for me. ���The coaches [at Penn State] have been great the whole time. Everyone at Minnesota was real great. Minnesota was always right up there with them. I really enjoyed my time up there, too, but Penn State was always interested from the start. I knew this was the place for me.��� Walton, a native of Daphne, Ala., picked up an offer in the spring, making him one of the staff's top linebacker prospects all year. He was originally recruited by Ted Roof while Roof was still at Auburn. Issah, however, was arguably the biggest grab of the weekend. The 6-3, 205-pounder from Harrisburg, Pa., recommitted to the Nittany Lions after backing out in August following the NCAA���s announced sanctions. He reminds many analysts of Gerald Hodges when he was coming out of high school ��� a linebacker with an athletic frame who has the potential to transform himself physically in a Division I weight program. The threestar prospect, as rated by Rivals.com, was the staff���s No. 1 target at outside linebacker, but he was also interested in Oregon. ���One thing they���ve always stressed to me was just how Coach [Ron] Vanderlinden is the guy who could really unleash my potential,��� Issah said. ���I always knew that was the case here, but with Oregon, I saw a team that should consistently be in the hunt for a national title while I���d be there. ���When I really thought about it ��� the bond with all of these guys who are committed ��� I mean, that was big. Jon, Adam [Breneman], Brandon [Bell] ��� I really like those guys. I���m excited to play with them. Nyeem [Wartman] is another guy I want to play with. So just the guys that I���m going to be playing with ��� those are my brothers. That was big.��� Smith, a 6-0, 186-pound cornerback, will join Breneman, defensive back Jordan Smith and athlete Richy Anderson as recruits who will enroll in January. Originally from Pope John XXIII High School in Randolph, N.J., Smith decided to play a year of postgraduate football at Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pa., after PENN STATE COMMITMENTS* NAME POS HT Richy Anderson RB Brandon Bell WT 40 HOME SCHOOL 5-11 180 - Frederick, Md. Thomas Johnson LB 6-1 224 4.6 Mays Landing, N.J. Oakcrest Adam Breneman TE 6-5 220 ��� Camp Hill, Pa. Cedar Cliff Curtis Cothran DE 6-5 225 ��� Newtown, Pa. Council Rock North Parker Cothren DT 6-5 265 4.95 Hazel Green, Ala. Hazel Green Kasey Gaines DB 5-10 160 4.44 Loganville, Ga. Grayson Christian Hackenberg QB 6-4 215 4.84 Fork Union, Va. Fork Union Military Academy DaeSean Hamilton Ath. 6-0 182 4.57 Stafford, Va. Mountain View Tanner Hartman OL 6-4 247 4.9 Liberty Christian Academy Zayd Issah LB 6-3 205 4.57 Harrisburg, Pa. Central Dauphin Brendan Mahon OL 6-5 302 ��� Randolph, N.J. Randolph Andrew Nelson OL 6-5 265 ��� Hershey, Pa. Hershey Neiko Robinson DB 5-11 170 4.51 Bratt, Fla. Northview Garrett Sickels DE 6-4 225 4.7 Little Silver, N.J. Red Bank Regional Anthony Smith DB 6-1 186 - Randolph, N.J. Valley Forge Military Jordan Smith DB 6-0 180 4.5 Washington, D.C. H.D. Woodson Jonathan Walton LB 6-2 228 - Daphne, Ala. Bayside Academy Lynchburg, Va. * As of Dec. 12 earning scholarship offers only from smaller schools out of high school. ���Just after meeting these guys ��� the current players and the recruits ��� this is a great fit for me,��� Smith said. ���I���m just very thankful to be part of this. Last season, [Penn State] really started building something here, and I���m excited to be part of this family now.��� Just when it looked like Sunday���s big recruiting news was complete, wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton from Mountain View High in Stafford, Va., put the icing on the cake, verbally committing to the staff late that night. A Rivals.com three-star prospect, Hamilton was thought to be leaning toward either Virginia or Virginia Tech, but one solid visit from O���Brien with the Hamilton family helped seal the deal. ���I think the big thing with Penn State was just that he and his folks really liked Coach O���Brien,��� said Mountain View head coach Lou Sorrentino. ���They all seemed to really hit it off well this weekend. He���s done all of his D E C E M B E R ��� 1 2 , ��� 2 0 1 2 ��� 2 homework; he knew Penn State was a great school.��� The Virginia native played varsity football beginning as a freshman at Mountain View and finished his career with 190 receptions for more than 2,800 yards. He also has a 4.1 GPA. Penn State���s staff now turns its attention to junior college quarterback Jake Waters, who will choose between Penn State and Kansas State on Dec. 13. The Iowa Western standout hosted O���Brien at his house on Monday. ���It was a great visit, [and] my parents really like him,��� Waters said. ���They feel comfortable with what he has to offer, what Penn State has to offer as a school. He talked about some academic stuff, how I���m going to have a chance to compete right away ��� all good stuff.��� Waters led Iowa Western Community College to an undefeated season and an NJCAA national championship. He completed 244 of 333 passes for 3,501 yards and 39 touchdowns this season. B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

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