Many feel the lineman could be playing football in the NFL someday, but for now the battle for his services is down to Big Ten rivals Penn State and Ohio State.

"Hall's arguably the best line talent in the country," recruiting analyst Bill Kurelic said. "He just overwhelms people. He'd like to play on defense in college and he'd be plenty good there. But I think he'd be even better on offense. He's a potential Sunday guy."

A 6-foot-7, 325-pound prospect, Harris is considered the No. 13 recruit in the nation by SuperPrep magazine. A dominating offensive lineman, Harris had 65 pancake blocks last season.

Said Mike Bakas of the Eastern Football Journal, "If Harris isn't the nation's best, this future NFLer is real close."

With NFL Hall of Famer and former Cincinnati Bengal star Anthony Munoz as his father, it is no wonder Munoz is so highly regarded.

The 6-foot-7, 310-pound tackle is considered the top lineman prospect in Ohio and the No. 18 prospect in the nation by SuperPrep magazine.

"I don't really like the tight end to help me," the younger Munoz said. "I like the blindside. I like the challenge. A lot of it is from my dad and the little things he has taught me."

Running for daylight

With a surplus of athletes in the Penn State backfield this season, one would think the running back recruiting crop would be sparse.

Quite the contrary.

Some of the nation's top running back prospects have expressed interest in Penn State, adding to a strong group that has already committed to the Lions: Pete Gilmore of West Lawn, Paul Jefferson of Wilkes-Barre and Jimmy Mitchell of Exeter.

A major defensive back prospect, Dortch was an All-American last season at running back, when he rushed for 1,763 yards and 25 touchdowns. At cornerback, he made 78 tackles and six interceptions.

He is considered one of the top two running back prospects in the state, along with Adam Taliaferro, a Penn State verbal commitment who will play defensive back for the Lions.

"The guy had 30 offers before May even came. That should tell you something," Bakas said. "There won't be a more contested recruiting battle in the East than Dortch -- all the big-time schools want him badly."

A local product, Johnson has many ties to the Penn State football team. His father, Larry Sr., is an assistant coach with the Lions, while his brother, Larry Jr., is a redshirt freshman running back.

On the gridiron, Johnson rushed for 1605 yards as a junior and averaged 8.4 per carry, while scoring 17 touchdowns.

"Take 11 Tony Johnsons and you have a great football team," Bobby Burton of Rivals100.com said after witnessing Johnson's performance first-hand at the Penn State Nike Training Camp this summer. "Sure, he's a great player, but he's more than just that. You're talking about a solid individual on and off the field, someone that's really talented and who always gives 100 percent."

Rated as the top running back prospect in Virginia, Royster enters the season as one of the top running back prospects in the nation.

As a junior last year, Royster rushed for 1,150 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. He is strong but agile, having bench-pressed 320 pounds and squatted 475 pounds, while running the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds.

"I compare myself to (Atlanta Falcons running back) Jamal Anderson," Royster said. "Not only do I have the speed and quickness, but I also have the ability to simply run over people."

This NFL-style running back would fit in well with Penn State coach Joe Paterno's hard-nosed running attack. A player who can catch or run with the ball, many liken him to Lions fullback Mike Cerimele.

Rated as one of the top fullback prospects in the nation, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior rushed for 1,969 yards on 277 carries last season, including a memorable 238-yard, five-touchdown performance in the state championship game.

"I'm looking for a school which doesn't want their fullbacks to just run for a yard. They will need to utilize the fullback position," he said.