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psu football

By Derek Levarse dlevarse@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
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Much of Penn State’s success in 2008 can be traced back to the signing class of 2006, which was rated top 10 in the country and best in the Big Ten by several recruiting services.

Eleven players from that class saw significant time last season, helping the Nittany Lions win the Big Ten and head to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 1994 season.

With the 2009 season still two months from kicking off, Penn State looks to have the makings of a similar recruiting class in 2010. The following is an overview of the Lions’ current situation.

QUARTERBACK

Commits: Paul Jones

Top targets: Robert Bolden, Anthony Gonzalez

The Lions avoided a total disaster by landing Kevin Newsome in the past signing class. Still, with Daryll Clark leaving after this season, that leaves Newsome as the lone scholarship quarterback on the roster for 2010.

Jones will alleviate much of that pressure, however. Rated as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, Jones could be similar in style to Clark. The Sto-Rox High School product verbally committed early this year, wavered on the decision for about a month and reaffirmed his pledge to Penn State.

Initially, coaches told Jones he would be the Lions’ only QB target for this class, but when Jones said he might look at other schools, PSU said it might look at additional signal callers.

That’s where Bolden, another highly rated QB, comes in. The Michigan native is seriously considering Penn State and is talented enough to throw his hat into the ring with Newsome and Jones for a shot at the starting job next summer.

Bethlehem Liberty’s Gonzalez was the PIAA Class 4A Player of the Year for 2008, leading the Hurricanes to a state title. A great athlete, Gonzalez may not end up under center in college.

RUNNING BACK

Commits: Silas Redd

Top targets: Marcus Lattimore, Corey Brown, Zack Zwinak (FB)

Penn State has turned this from a question mark to a strength in short order.

But the Lions don’t appear to be satisfied there. Besides landing a verbal from Redd, a talented every-down type of back from Connecticut, PSU has its sights set on one of the country’s top overall recruits in Lattimore, from South Carolina, who is rated as the nation’s No. 1 tailback by Scout.com and checks in at No. 2 with Rivals.com.

Some recruiting services have Brown as Pennsylvania’s top prospect at any position and comes from a program in Cardinal O’Hara that has produced excellent backs like former Virginia Tech star Kevin Jones.

RECEIVER

Commits: Adrian Coxson, Levi Norwood

Top targets: Kyle Prater, Kenny Stills, Alex Kenney, Kevin Haplea (TE)

Penn State brought in a sizable group of receivers in the Class of ’09, but it didn’t include a player with as much hype as Coxson.

In a recent rankings update by Scout, the Baltimore native skyrocketed up to the No. 2 WR in the country and the top overall recruit in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Norwood is the younger brother of just-departed four-year starter Jordan Norwood. At 6-foot-2, Levi is bigger than his brother and looks to share his reliable hands.

The Lions have offers out to two more of the nation’s best WRs in Prater and Stills, but they figure to be in better shape with Kenney, a speedster out of State College.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Commits: Miles Dieffenbach, Luke Graham, Thomas Ricketts

Top targets: Arie Kouandjio, Robby Havenstein, Khamrone Kolb

Longtime assistant coach Tom Bradley has already pulled three OL recruits out of WPIAL country, including a pair of Pitt legacies in Dieffenbach and Ricketts, who verbally committed to PSU just days apart from one another.

Dieffenbach is one of the nation’s highest-rated centers, and Ricketts, son of former NFLer Tom Ricketts, is a standout tackle. Graham will likely slot in at guard, though he has plenty of room to grow.

Penn State might elect to sign one more lineman.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Commits: Evan Hailes, DaQuan Jones, Kyle Baublitz

Top targets: Sharrif Floyd, Dakota Royer, Dominique Easley, C.J. Olaniyan

Defensive tackles Hailes and Jones both pledged to Penn State at a recent senior camp in Happy Valley and look to be worthy successors to the current group of space-eaters led by Jared Odrick.

Baublitz is an impressive athlete from Central York who figures to start off at end.

The Lions could have one of the country’s best DL hauls if they can also land Philadelphia’s Floyd, who has offers from all over the country.

LINEBACKER

Commits: Mike Hull

Top targets: Khairi Fortt

Hull was the first player to come aboard PSU’s Class of 2010 in the winter. Out of Canon-McMillan High School, Hull is a legacy recruit who is rated as high as the country’s No. 2 inside linebacker, though he could play outside as well.

Adding Fortt, another consensus top pick, would help keep the Lions stacked at linebacker, despite losing Sean Lee and possibly Navorro Bowman to the NFL after this season.

SECONDARY

Commits: None

Top targets: Travis Williams, Sean Parker

Penn State loaded up on defensive backs in this past signing class, and it’s unlikely the Lions would bring in more than one or two players here.

Several players on the Lions’ radar project at multiple positions, including tailback commit Silas Redd, who could possibly move to corner if PSU lands another high-profile back.