Penn State Fortifies Defense
By Jay Skapinac

Following a regular season which was mired with inconsistency, the Penn State Nittany Lions concluded their season with a victory in the Valero Alamo Bowl against Texas A&M University. It was the third consecutive bowl win for the Nittany Lions. Strong recruiting classes the past few years have been a major factor in Penn State's recent success. This trend will not continue into 2008.

The Nittany Lions incoming class expects to be somewhere around the middle of the pack within the Big Ten when the official signing day on February 6, arrives. An unenviable position indeed, as Ohio State, Michigan and Illinois all look for top 25 recruiting classes nationally.

Penn State does have an abundance of starters returning next year, but a failure to reload every season can only lead to problems down the road.

One position that Penn State recruited particularly well this year was linebacker. This comes as no surprise for a university that has earned the moniker "Linebacker U," and has churned out players such as Paul Posluszny, Dan Connor and Sean Lee in recent years. This year's class boasts Brandon Beachum and Mike Zordich, both from Youngstown, OH, Michael Mauti of Mandeville, LA and Mike Yancich from Washington, PA. Beachum and Zordich, the high school teammates at Cardinal Mooney, are both top 10 recruits nationally at the inside linebacker position.

Recruiting on the defensive side of the ball is the strength of this class for the Nittany Lions. In addition to the linebackers, Penn State will also add defensive ends Jack Crawford and Pete Massaro. Defensive back D'Anton Lynn will be a nice addition - if the Lions can manage to keep him in the fold.

Penn State struggled mightily in recruiting on the offensive side of the ball. At time of press, the team had merely five players who had given their verbal commitment. Penn State was able to attain Michael Shaw, a talented running back from Trotwood, OH. With the exception of Shaw, the Nittany Lions most marked failure comes in recruiting breakout athletes at skill positions.

Penn State does return a stellar receiving corps comprised of Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood. However, the 2008 season is the final year of eligibility for all three players. A player that would help Penn State in this department is Kenny Tate, a talented wide receiver from Maryland, who is still undecided.

Penn State is also still optimistic of their chances in acquiring Terrelle Pryor, who is regarded by every recruiting service as the number one prospect in the country. At this point, however, Penn State seems to be a long shot as Pryor attempts to sift through his list of suitors and decide between Oregon, Ohio State and Michigan. The prospect of which, coupled with their own sub-par recruiting class, can make for some unhappy years to come in Happy Valley.

Immediate Impact: While most players from this draft class are not initially expected to log extensive playing time, D'Anton Lynn from Celina TX is one player who may make an immediate impact. It seemed at first that Lynn would not play much due to the amount of starters the secondary had returning, however, this changed when Justin King became the first Lion player since LaVar Arrington to pursue an NFL career after his junior season. Lynn, a solid overall athlete with good size can help fill the void left by King.

Star in Four Years: Due to the overall depth and quality of the returnees on the Linebacker crew, Mike Zordich will probably not see too much of the field this season. However, with the excellent size and strength he already possesses, along with Penn State's ability to develop linebackers, Zordich is sure to be a nationally renowned player by his senior year.

Sleeper: Jack Crawford, DE from New Jersey, is considered a raw talent, as his first season in organized football did not come until 2006. However, with his 6-6 255-pound frame, Crawford boasts a 40 yard time reportedly in the 4.5 range. He should be able to add speed at the ends for Penn State in the future, and if he continues to mature in the mental aspects of the game, may become a player who exceeds expectations.