Lions address run-stopping woes with beefy recruits

The criticism was the same for the Penn State football team after each of its three losses in 1997. The defensive line was too small and, as a result, the opposition was able to run at will.

The Nittany Lion front four averaged 254 pounds and were manhandled by Michigan, Michigan State and Florida.

Apparently, the Penn State coaching staff was listening to the criticism. Penn State went out and nabbed six top prospects to beef up the defensive front line. The average weight of this prospect contingent is nearly 30 pounds heavier than last year's line.

The Lions didn't only recruit defensive linemen, they also landed another highly touted prospect. Linebacker Shamar Finney, regarded by many as the best prospect at his position, decided yesterday to sign with Penn State.

Two other major recruits Penn State landed were Players of the Year from Illinois and West Virginia in tight end R.J. Luke and running back/defensive back Ed Drummond.

With the addition of Finney, Luke and Dummond, the Lions could once again enjoy one of the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation.

This Detroit native chose Penn State over Big Ten schools Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa and Indiana. Adams runs the 40-yard dash in just under five seconds which impressed the Lion coaching staff.

In addition to his football accolades at Martin Luther King High School, Adams also excels in the classroom. He scored 1,200 on his SAT and compiled a 3.36 GPA.

After much discussion with his family, Adams accepted the scholarship Penn State offered him at its football camp last summer.

Perhaps the most athletic recruit of the year for Penn State, Drummond gained 5,729 all-purpose yards during his high school career. He is from Pittsburgh but attended school in West Virginia at a private boarding school, the Linsly School.

He chose Penn State over Notre Dame, Michigan and Florida State.

"He visited three other schools before Penn State and then evaluated them," said Drummond's high school coach, Terry Depew. "He felt the most comfortable at Penn State. He has respect and admiration for their staff."

He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in West Virginia and is rated by most recruiting publications as one of the top five running backs in the nation. He runs a 4.4 in the 40. He played both offense and defense at Linsly, but Depew said Penn State indicated Drummond would begin his career on the offensive side of the ball.

Falls was one of the first players to verbally commit to Penn State. He is from the same high school, Damascus (Md.), that produced Lion quarterback Kevin Thompson.

He started all four years for Damascus and was named All-State as both an offensive and defensive tackle. He runs the 40 in 4.9 seconds and bench presses 375 pounds. Penn State will try to use this strength and speed on the defensive line.

Falls visited Penn State for the Lions' games against Pittsburgh, Ohio State and Wisconsin. He knows one of his biggest adjustments will be playing in front of the Beaver Stadium crowd.

"It will be a big change playing in front of that many people," he said.

He chose Penn State over Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee and North Carolina State.

The first Berwick player Penn State has landed in a while. Felder is a monster, tipping the scales at 300 pounds. He benches 410 pounds runs a 4.9 in the 40.

He is rated as the top prospect in Pennsylvania by some recruiting services and is considered one of the top defensive linemen by most. He was named a Parade All-American and was recruited by many of the top programs in the country.

Tradition and persistence brought this potential Butkus winner from Crest High School in Shelby, N.C., to Penn State.

Finney's linebacker coach at Shelby, Allen Stroud, said the number of quality linebackers who have attended Penn State influenced his decision to choose the Lions over nearly all major programs including Florida State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Notre Dame and UCLA.

Coach Joe Paterno also went a little out of his way to land Finney by speaking at Shelby's football banquet which Stroud said might have been what sold Finney on Penn State.

In Finney's junior season alone, he racked up 172 tackles and enjoyed a similar senior season. He is timed at 4.6 in the 40.

Stroud said dropping a few pounds will be key for Finney to reach his potential, and that he played a bit overweight during his senior season. Nonetheless, Stroud said Finney will make a great impact with the Lions.

"He's the total package," Stroud said. "He's got a great football mentality, anticipates and runs to the ball well. He thinks very well on the field."

After Purcell-Marian High School in Cincinnati produced two prior Penn State standouts, coach Herb Woeste said Gholston was bound to become a Lion.

Fullback Brian O'Neal and defensive end Terry Killens began the tradition of committing to Happy Valley. Now Gholston, one of the top three defensive line prospects in Ohio, is continuing the trend.

Gholston had a superb senior season, with seven sacks along with 42 solo tackles, a fumble recovery and a safety. He also saw some time at tight end where he made 15 receptions and scored one touchdown.

"He has a great combination of strength, speed and agility. He's the quickest kid I've ever coached for his size," Woeste said "He was a great blocker for us but his college position is going to be defensive end."

Gholston was also heavily recruited by Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State and Boston College.

New Jersey's best-kept secret is one of Penn State's biggest gains of this recruiting class. Haynes spent the last two years overseas. He came back before the 1997 season and played on both sides of the ball for North Burlington High School.

As a fullback he was used mostly for his blocking ability, evidenced by his 46 carries. He was a dangerous receiving weapon coming out of the backfield, tallying 217 receiving yards his senior season. He could see time at tight end at Penn State but is expected to be used as a fullback.

Penn State's commitment from the beginning of the recruiting process is the main reason Chardon (Ohio) High School coach Bob Doyle said Jenkins will be coming to Penn State.

"It was because Penn State was interested in him first," Doyle said. "I guess when he went up there he just fell in love with the place."

With the Lions showing so much interest, Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame came up short in the race for Jenkins' services.

Jenkins' combination of strength and quickness vaulted him to the status of No. 2 defensive line prospect. His strength allows him to bench press over 350 pounds. Although that strength is an impressive attribute, Doyle warned that Jenkins will have to become more disciplined at the collegiate level.

"He's going to have to learn he can't rely just on his size and strength to dominate," Doyle said. "He will need to learn you have to run full bore all the time."

Imagine the scenario: You live in a town with a great tradition of major college football. Add to that your father is an assistant coach with that team. It sounds simple for you to attend that school.

This was the dilemma facing this State College High School product whose father Larry is the special teams coach with Penn State.

"It was a lot tougher for Larry than some around here think," State College coach Dave Lintal said. "He had a number of other opportunities."

Nevertheless, Johnson will join his father at Penn State. The other schools trying to pry Johnson away from Happy Valley included North Carolina, Iowa and Maryland.

Johnson brings another quality athlete to the crowded Penn State backfield. As a senior, he reset school records with 2,161 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns. He is reported to run the 40 in just over 4.4 seconds.

"He's a tremendous athlete, the best I've ever coached," Lintal said. "In all honesty, I think he'll do well. He's got good field vision and acceleration. He has the personality that lends himself to doing well."

This top prospect out of Camp Hill follows his father's footsteps to Happy Valley. Tyler's father, Ed, played for the Lions in the mid 1960s.

The younger Lenda is considered one of the top recruits in Pennsylvania on both sides of the ball. Penn State is planning on starting him out at defensive end but he may wind up at tight end before his career is through.

As a senior at Cedar Cliff High School he had 19 receptions for 346 yards and five touchdowns as well as eight sacks and 12 other tackles for a loss on defense.

He chose the Lions over Notre Dame, Stanford and Virginia, but Lenda said his father playing at Penn State did have an influence on his decision.

"Growing up in Central Pennsylvania, I've always been a Penn State fan," Lenda said. "I visited the other schools to make sure I was making the right decision."

One of the recruits who could make an immediate impact for Penn State. Luke is considered the top tight end in the nation and has won every award in the book. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois, a Parade All-American and a USA Today All-American.

His 44 receptions in 1997 were enough to give him the state record for career receptions at 196. He benches 385 and was recruited by most major programs. He was wooed by the tradition of Penn State and the chance of seeing immediate playing time.

"It's an opportunity to play on a team that plays in a bowl game every year and has a shot at competing for the Big Ten championship and national championship," said B.J. Luke, R.J.'s coach and father. "He feels he has an opportunity to contribute early in his career. And he's really excited about playing for coach Paterno."

He is considered one of the top defensive back prospects to come out of the Garden State this year. He started all four years in high school and also excelled in track.

He runs the 40 in 4.45 and was recruited by Michigan State, Wake Forest and Rutgers.

This speedster chose Penn State over Boston College. McCoo was the Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year after rushing for 1,785 yards on 212 carries in his senior season.

He also won the state championship in the long jump with a jump of 23-11. He runs the 40 in 4.4 seconds and was one of the 10 finalists for the High School Heisman. As a senior, McCoo never fumbled the ball.

Pressure to come to Happy Valley could have weighed on the mind of this No. 1 offensive lineman prospect from Sewell, N.J. But Eric's father, Bob, who played tight end for Penn State in the early '70s did not pressure his son.

"He told me wherever I wanted to go would be fine. But I always wanted to go to Penn State," Eric said.

A host of other schools pursued Rickenbach's services, including Notre Dame, Nebraska, Iowa and Syracuse.

Rickenbach primarily played left tackle in high school but said he will be making the transition to center for the Lions.

"The coaches told me that (playing center) would be the best place for me to make an impact as a freshman."

The commitment from the Lion coaching is staff is what sold this Allison Park native on coming to Penn State.

"When he made his visit up to Penn State he was impressed with the stability of the coaching staff," Hampton High School assistant coach Bill Cardone said. "(Penn State offensive line coach) Bill Kinney made a special trip out to talk with him. Matt was real impressed with that."

The reason Kinney would make such a trip is the credentials Schmitt possesses. He runs a 5.0 in the 40 and bench presses 400 pounds. Schmitt was an all-Great Allegheny Conference selection at tackle but will likely be switched to guard at Penn State.

Schmitt is not only tops on the field but also in the classroom. He maintains a 3.9 GPA and scored 1,220 on his SAT.

"He's a great kid with great athletic skills," Cardone said.

This Allentown Central Catholic product is Penn State's lone recruit at quarterback this year. Don't fret, though, he's a good one.

Senneca is considered one of the top 200 players in the country and Penn State was his first choice all along.

"It's been the place I felt the most comfortable at," Senneca said. "I couldn't imagine myself being anywhere else."

His numbers aren't overwhelming from high school. In his senior season he completed 60 passes for 1,150 yards. His high school ran the Delaware Wing-T offense, so his passing opportunities were limited. Senneca feels confident that the lack of a passing offense in high school won't hurt him at the next level.

"I guess it didn't hurt me too much, since I'm going to Penn State," he said. "It would have been nice to pass more but as long as we were winning I didn't care."

Stouffer signed his letter of intent a year ago at this time, but academic requirements prevented him from attending Penn State. One of Stouffer's core classes at United Local High School in Hanoverton, Ohio, did not meet standards set by the NCAA Clearing House. He has now satisfied that requirement and will begin taking classes at Penn State this summer.

Stouffer was the eighth player to commit to the Lions last year and runs the 40 in 5.1 seconds.

This 1997 Philadelphia Inquirer All-Area first team offensive lineman is following in his former teammate's footsteps. Valoczki, who attended Henderson High School in West Chester, will join his fellow Henderson alum Rich Stankewicz at Penn State.

Speed and quickness are what Henderson coach Joe Walsh said are Valoczki's strongest attributes. Valoczki was a four-year letter winner, a feat Walsh said is rare for his program.

Walsh said the complex blocking schemes employed at the Div. I level will be Valoczki's first hurdle to overcome with the Lions. Valoczki is expected to see action at guard on the Penn State offensive line though Walsh has not ruled out a change to defense in Valoczki's future.

With a Penn State and a Michigan flag hanging in Valoczki's bedroom, Walsh said Valoczki's always wanted to play for either school. Once the Wolverines lost interest in Valoczki, the decision became obvious.

"When Penn State offered him a scholarship, that was all he needed," Walsh said. "That settled everything in to place for him."

The most well-rounded athlete of this year's recruiting class. Wood played safety, fullback, wide receiver and linebacker at Glen Mills High School. He caught 23 passes in his senior season and was recruited by Maryland, Mississippi, Miami, Georgia and Rutgers.

"He has a four- or five-year plan of where he wants to be," Glen Mills coach Ken Banks said, "and he feels Penn State could get him there."