Lions Say Frankness Key To PSU's Recruiting Success
By Steve Sampsell

UNIVESITY PARK – As Penn State concludes another recruiting season, honesty remains at the core of the process, those associated with the Nittany Lions said.

"I've tried to be as frank as I can with the kids coming in," Penn State coach Joe Paterno says. "I tell them to look around. Look at the program. Look at what the opportunities are here for them and then to understand that probably – well, I would think more than probably – when I leave the person who succeeds me will be somebody on the staff or somebody who's familiar with the program."

That's the typical, stay-the-course approach for Paterno and Penn State. These days, though, a slight sense of urgency accompanies that approach as coaches extol the program's positives and point to its rich tradition. After all, on the heels of two losing seasons, coaches can also point to potential opportunities for younger players to make an impact sooner rather than later.

"Certainly, opportunities exist," Penn State recruiting coordinator Jay Paterno, Joe's son, said. "Opportunities exist for every player at every program. We try to be realistic when we talk with players. That's certainly a question that every player coming to college considers. They want to know how much they're going to play, and they look at a team's roster and try to see where they fit.

"At the same time, a lot of factors play a role in making a decision about college and playing college football."

Practically speaking, Penn State's on-field struggles have not impacted recruiting efforts at this point. The challenge of the Big Ten Conference, the program's tradition and the elder Paterno remain strong selling points. In addition, Penn State's move from relying so heavily on early oral commitments was a conscious effort on its part as opposed to a result of the team's record the past two seasons.

As a result, recruiting experts such as State College-based Phil Grosz, who publishes The G&W Football Recruiting Report, believe Penn State remains positioned to put together a strong class of incoming players.

Contrary to midseason concerns last season, that might mean a fairly strong talent base for Penn State in the future. Specifically, when Penn State started last season 0-4, fans and the media looked to place the blame and many pointed to the team's talent or supposed lack of talent. When the team rebounded later in the season before stumbling and missing a bowl game with a season-ending loss to Virginia, talent became less of a concern and coaching was fingered as the most popular reason for the team's struggles.

Still, the team has personnel needs it hopes to address through recruiting. Three positions, running back, defensive line and linebacker, probably provide the biggest opportunity for incoming players to contribute early in their careers.

Among those who have committed to Penn State at those positions are Chris Wilson, a running back from Cantonsville, Md., who picked the Nittany Lions over Stanford. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland after rushing for 1,696 yards and recording 16 touchdowns. Along with his skills on the field, Wilson should bring intelligence to the team. Because of advanced classes he took in high school, he plans to enroll in the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State and might even bring along as many as two semester's worth of credits with him when he arrives on campus.

At linebacker, Patrick Hall of Canton, Ga., who picked Penn State over Florida, and Grant Miller from Peabody, Mass., were among the commitments. They bring talent and decent size, at 6-foot-3, 248 pounds and 6-1, 240, respectively. In addition, Hall's athleticism seems to be a big key. He was Cherokee County Offensive Player of the Year as a junior at quarterback and the county's Defensive Player of the Year and a Class 6-A all-state pick last season at linebacker.

Others in the class include: defensive lineman Levi Brown, a 300-pound standout from Norfolk, Va., receiver Jim Kanuch, from Westmont-Hilltop High School in Johnstown and punter Jeremy Kapinos from Springfield, Va. Using a scholarship on a punter might seem unusual, but with Penn State's preference for defense and kicking, it makes some sense. The coaching staff hopes Kapinos, who booted two punts for 70 yards last season, averaged 37 yards per punt and helped hold opposing teams to three yards per return, can help Penn State do some of the same.

Quarterback ranks as another interesting recruiting position for Penn State. With the departure of Matt Senneca, who announced in January that he planned to graduate in August and not return to the team, Penn State's trio of quarterbacks features Zach Mills, a redshirt freshman and last season's impact player, and two freshmen who redshirted last season, Michael Robinson and Chris Ganter. With that much youth at the position, Penn State could add a quarterback to the class and gain some depth and some insurance in case of injury.

Perhaps Hall or someone else already on the roster could provide that insurance, though. After all, Grosz has reported that Penn State's initial plan was not to include a quarterback in this class. Instead, the team made an early offer to Pine-Richland High School standout Kevin McCabe to join the program as a quarterback in the Class of 2007.

Also, some other upperclassmen might follow Senneca's route, which would free up more scholarships and potentially increase the incoming class from a limit in the high teens to something closer to the NCAA maximum of 25 scholarships.

Along with contributions and playing time, Penn State also must address age and stability among its coaching staff. Most notably, Joe Paterno turned 75 in December and opposing coaches and programs no doubt point out his age to recruits.

Paterno counters with honesty.

"At my age, I can't promise kids I'm going to coach for five, 10 or 20 years," he said. "But I also tell those kids that a lot of guys who were recruiting against us three or four years ago said I wouldn't be around, and now they're not around," Paterno said. "I just try to be realistic with kids. I hope I can go another five years. I don't know. I haven't set any limitations on how long I will coach."