The Digital Collegian - Published independently by students at Penn State
Sports
[ Thursday, July 1, 1999 ]

Lions get off to quick start in recruiting war

Editor's note: This is the first in a four-part series on the Penn State football team's verbal commitments. This story is an overview of those who have committed thus far.
The second story is on Cumberland Valley's Jesse Neumyer.

By JOHN GIBLINbio
Collegian Staff Writer

With 25 scholarships available for the recruiting class of 2000, Penn State has started early with eleven verbal commitments.

The number and quality of recruits is one of the best in the nation, according to BlueWhite Illustrated's Phil Grosz.

"Other big-name schools like Miami and Florida State only have one to two commitments as of now, which is rare for the state of Florida," said Mike Bakas of the Eastern Football Journal. "Penn State has definitely been lucky in a few aspects."

The Nittany Lions' commitments include ten high school seniors and one transfer thus far. Penn State's previous recruiting class had just 11 members total — coach Joe Paterno's smallest ever.

Four of the players in the class are regarded among the top 100 seniors-to-be in the country — DE Jeremiah Davis of Virginia, DB-RB Gerald Smith of Maryland, QB Zac Wasserman of California, and TE Sean McHugh of Ohio.

"A lot of those guys are real playmakers — they know how to create," Bakas said.

Here is a complete list of Penn State's verbal commitments to date:

  • J.D. Benson, LB — 6'4", 211 lb., 4.5 40-yard dash, Lebanon, Pa.

    Picked PSU over: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Purdue, West Virginia, Rutgers

    First contacted by: n/a

    Lowdown: Recorded 94 tackles sophomore season, and 97 more junior year including four sacks.

  • Jeremiah Davis, DE — 6'5", 250 lb., 4.8, Annandale, Va.

    Picked PSU over: North Carolina, Ohio State, Michigan

    First contacted by: Penn State defensive ends coach Larry Johnson

    Lowdown: Considered one of the top players in Virginia, went to same high school as Lions LB Maurice Daniels.

  • B.J. Evangelista, LB/RB — 6'3", 250 lb., 4.65, Murraysville Franklin Regional, Pa.

    Picked PSU over: Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Syracuse

    First contacted by: Penn State defensive backfield coach Tom Bradley

    Lowdown: One of the top five players in Western Pennsylvania, wanted to stay close to home.

  • Sean McHugh, TE — 6'6", 240, 4.7, Chagrin Falls, Ohio

    Picked PSU over: Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State

    First contacted by: Penn State tight ends coach Jay Paterno

    Lowdown: played FB/LB in high school, but recruited as "athlete." Was recruited since freshman season.

  • Zack Mills, QB — 6'3", 205, 4.7, Ijamsville Urbana, Md.

    Picked PSU over: Maryland, South Carolina, Florida

    First contacted by: Johnson

    Lowdown: Top-rated QB in Maryland. Led team to Class AA state title last year.

  • Ellery Moore, DE/TE — 6'3", 255 lb., 4.8, Massillon, Ohio

    Picked PSU over: North Carolina, Ohio State, Georgia

    First contacted by: Jay Paterno

    Lowdown: Committed during Penn State's win over Ohio State in basketball.

  • Jesse Neumyer, LB — 6-2, 220, 4.55, Mechanicsburg Cumberland Valley, Pa.

    Picked PSU over: Virginia, Ohio State, Boston College, Pittsburgh

    First contacted by: n/a

    Lowdown: Maintains a 4.0 grade-point average, sat out entire junior season due to injury.

  • Rod Perry, WR/CB — 5'11", 190 lb., 4.5, Santa Ana, Calif. (Cal State Fullerton transfer)

    Picked PSU over: Wisconsin, USC, UNLV, Tennessee

    First contacted by: Bradley

    Lowdown: Transfer from Cal State-Fullerton; began career at USC.

  • Scott Sanden, DB 5-11, 190, 4.50, Fairfax Robinson Secondary, Va.

    Picked PSU over: Wisconsin, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Florida

    First contacted by: n/a

    Lowdown: played DB/RB/KR in high school, averaged 22 yards per attempt on punt returns and 35.9 on kick returns.

  • Gerald Smith, DB/RB — 5'11", 175 lb., 4.4, Ellicott City Howard, Md.

    Picked PSU over: Maryland, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame

    First contacted by: Johnson

    Lowdown: A top 100 prospect nationally, Penn State offered him a scholarship after summer of sophomore year.

  • Zac Wasserman, QB — 6'3", 200 lb., 4.8, Westlake Village, Calif.

    Picked PSU over: Tennessee, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Miami

    First contacted by: Bradley

    Lowdown: Rated one of the top five QBs in the country.



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