Recruits coming in focus for PSU

With fewer scholarships to give than usual this year, Penn State’s recruiting headlines this offseason have been sparse.

Things have picked up in the past month, however, with verbal commitments from defensive linemen Shawn Oakman and Jordan Kerner and Sunday’s pledge from guard Angelo Mangiro, one of the top-rated interior linemen in the country.

As it is, the Nittany Lions are looking to land roughly a dozen more recruits – give or take a few – for the Class of 2011. The following is a glimpse at Penn State’s efforts thus far.

Scholarship offer lists from across the country are compiled by recruiting services Scout.com and Rivals.com.

QUARTERBACK

Rundown: Penn State’s QB recruiting woes a few years back have created something of a logjam now, as all four scholarship signal-callers on the roster have at least three years of eligibility remaining.

From Penn State’s standpoint, however, it would be na�ve to assume that all four will finish their careers in Happy Valley.

The Lions have pegged Cardale Jones as their man, as the 6-foot-5 pocket passer is the only quarterback reported to have an offer from Penn State.

RUNNING BACK

Rundown: Penn State will have to replace Evan Royster, soon to become the school’s all-time leading rusher, in 2011. But there are already plenty of candidates on the roster to take over.

As such, the Lions would only be interested in bringing in a premier talent such as Savon Huggins. One of the top prep backs in the country, Huggins has offers from coast to coast.

WIDE RECEIVER

Top targets: Quinta Funderburk (Chesapeake, Va.), Darius Jennings (Baltimore, Md.), Miles Shuler (Long Branch, N.J.)

Rundown: With the offense shifting more to a three-wide base formation, the Lions are always looking for more talent at receiver, despite the presence of a promising group of underclassmen.

Penn State has offered and been linked to a large selection of blue-chip talent this offseason, but doesn’t appear to be at the top of anyone’s list at the moment.

TIGHT END

Rundown: The staff pursued a number of highly rated recruits at the position, hoping to land a difference-maker like Oil City’s Ben Koyack, arguably the top player in all of Pennsylvania.

But Koyack chose Notre Dame, and Penn State missed out on a number of other tight end targets before Delaware’s Kyle Carter became the Lions’ first verbal commitment in May.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Top targets: Cyrus Kouandjio (Hyattsville, Md.), Donovan Smith (Owings Mills, Md.), Jay Whitmire (Alexandria, Va.)

Rundown: Penn State is scheduled to lose starters Stefen Wisniewski and Lou Eliades for 2011, and it never hurts to keep the linemen coming. And this year, Cyrus Kouandjio is one of the very best.

Rated the nation’s No. 1 tackle by Scout and the No. 2 tackle by Rivals, Kouandjio would be the centerpiece of most schools’ classes. The Lions would love to add him with commit Angelo Mangiro, who also had offers from all over the map.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Verbal commitments: Shawn Oakman (Penn Wood H.S., Lansdowne), Jordan Kerner (Fairview H.S., Fairview)

Top targets: Deion Barnes (Northeast H.S., Philadelphia), Darian Cooper (Hyattsville, Md.), Ishaq Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Rundown: The depth here has been thin recently in part because of injuries and in part because of players leaving early for the NFL. That hasn’t affected the unit’s performance under position coach Larry Johnson, however.

As it is, Penn State is looking to build on last year’s promising haul and has already received commitments from two players, Jordan Kerner from Erie County and 6-foot-8 Philadelphia area end Shawn Oakman.

LINEBACKER

Top targets: Travis Hughes (Virginia Beach, Va.), Michael Caputo (West Allegheny H.S., Imperial), Conner Crowell (Waldorf, Md.)

Rundown: As always, this is arguably the Lions’ deepest position and as always, they’re looking to add a few more names to the program’s storied history.

This past signing day, Penn State brought in a trio of excellent athletes in Mike Hull, Khairi Fortt and Dakota Royer, so even a dropoff on the recruiting front here this season wouldn’t affect the team much.

DEFENSIVE BACK

Top targets: Kyshoen Jarrett (East Stroudsburg South H.S., East Stroudsburg), Demetrious Nicholson (Virginia Beach, Va.), Dominique Noble (Mount Ulla, N.C.)

Rundown: Though the Lions will likely have no seniors on the two-deep headed into this season, the depth here is limited and inexperienced, prompting the coaches to move Chaz Powell to defense in the spring.

Penn State did not make the final three for Pottsgrove athlete Terrell Chestnut, but the Lions remain in the mix with several other top targets.