October 16, 2012 at 11:41 AM

Penn State has welcomed Mark Allen, a running back out of Dematha High School (Md.), to be the first member of its 2014 recruiting class, according to Lions 247,

The website is reporting that the 5-foot-8, 185-pound junior has verbally committed to the Nittany Lions. He has not received any stars from Lions 247 or Rivals.

Lions 247 reported that Allen attended a three-day camp at Penn State in the summer and made an excellent impression on the coaching staff.

Allen also received interest from Maryland and UNC, according to Rivals.

However, according to ESPN.com, Penn State was the first school to offer the prospect.

The speedy back has averaged 98 rushing yards per game so far this season, including a 124-yard performance against Bishop O’Connell (Va.) in Dematha’s first game this season, per the team's MaxPreps.com page.

The Penn State coaches said they planned on using the bye week to focus on recruiting, and they apparently took advantage of this opportunity by getting a jumpstart on the 2014 recruiting class.

Here is Allen's profile on maxpreps.com: http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/Gy9nwYVkj0-n1RMXCiCSow/football-fall-12/profile-mark-allen.htm.

And here is a short clip of 40-yard rushing touchdown Allen scored last September: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCrSBUs1Vys.