Penn State Football Recruiting

Bill O’Brien’s recruiting efforts continue to be paying off.

Penn State picked up an offensive lineman for the Class of 2013 over the weekend. Brendan Mahon, a four-star offensive tackle from Randolph, New Jersey, called coach O’Brien with his verbal commitment Saturday afternoon.

“I committed to Coach O’Brien earlier today,” Mahon said. “Penn State was always a school I was real interested in, and after spending some time with Angelo Mangiro, he was just telling me that I have to do what’s good for me, and I just think Penn State is the best choice.”  Read more... (187 words, estimated 45 secs reading time)

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With a quarterback already in the fold for the recruiting Class of 2013, Penn State Coach Bill O’Brien and running backs Coach Charles London have turned their focus toward landing David Williams, a high-profile running back that would give the Nittany Lions‘ offense much-needed balance.

Williams, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound running back from West Catholic High School in Philadelphia, picked up an offer from Penn State following Junior Day last month.

Senior wildcat/wide receiver Curtis Drake also is a graduate of the same high school.

“I liked what I heard when I visited,” Williams said. “I had a good talk with Coach London and Coach O’Brien. They’ve told me all along that I would be their only running back for the class.”  Read more... (292 words, estimated 1:10 mins reading time)

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Former Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien made a visit to Penn State this past weekend and all indications are it went well, according to the Penn State football website, FightOnState.com.

O’Brien has been released from is scholarship by Maryland and is eligible to play at his next school right away and would have two years of eligibility left.

A 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback, he threw for 1,648 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. As a redshirt freshman, he threw for 2,438 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Last week, Penn State coach Bill O’Brien said Danny O’Brien (no relation) had contacted Penn State and was interested in transferring to the school.  Read more... (337 words, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)

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Like his former boss of the New England Patriots, Penn State coach obviously believes that you can never have enough defensive backs.

Despite receiving a verbal commitment from Ohio four-star defensive back Ross Douglas last month, Penn State has offered a scholarship to Kirk Garner, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound defensive back from Our Lady Good Counsel in Olney, Md..

“I am loving the process so far,” Garner said. “It’s just a blessing to have these options to further myself academically and physically on the football field after high school.”

In addition to Penn State, Garner also holds scholarship offers from several other major college programs, including Maryland, Boston College, Florida State, Auburn, West Virginia, Purdue, Nebraska and South Carolina.  Read more... (335 words, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)

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Huge win for Bill O’Brien and Penn State football tonight when Adam Breneman, the best high school tight end in the country, committed to Penn State.

At 6’5″ and 220 pounds, Breneman, who is still just 16, has very good size. He also has room to grow. And though he is still growing into his body, he already displays excellent body control, good feet, and a strong desire to play the game and compete.

As a junior, Breneman caught 72 passes for 1,120 yards and 12 touchdowns, improving on a breakout 2010 season with 863 yards on 59 receptions and eight touchdowns.  Read more... (210 words, estimated 50 secs reading time)

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Penn State landed another big-time prospect over the weekend as defensive end Garrett Sickels gave his verbal pledge to the Nittany Lions Sunday night. Sickels is Penn State’s third 4-star commitment in the 2013 class.

Sickels is a 4-star prospect, according to rivals.com. He’s also on ESPN’s Watch List for 2013. He is the No. 8 prospect in New Jersey, and the No. 13 outside linebacker prospect in the country, according to 247sports.com.

Sickels had 76 tackles, including nine for a loss to go along with 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries for Red Bank Regional High School this past season, signaling he has the potential to be a disruptive force on the edge for Penn State.  Read more... (212 words, estimated 51 secs reading time)

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Tight end Adam Breneman, the number one ranked tight end in the country has announced that he has scheduled a press conference for Friday, Mar. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Cedar Cliff High School gymnasium to reveal where he will play his college football and continue his academic career. The announcement is open to the public.

“I sat down with my parents for a couple nights and we talked,” Breneman told The Patriot-News. “I’ve visited all the schools I’ve built relationships with. I don’t see a need to go through the process any longer.”  Read more... (405 words, estimated 1:37 mins reading time)

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Another big signing for the Bill O’Brien football program as the Nittany Lions locked down 4-star cornerback Ross Douglas on Wednesday.

Douglas is Penn State‘s second commitment in as many days with 4-star quarterback Christian Hackenberg verbally committing to Penn State as well.

The Nittany Lions have made a major mark on the 2013 recruiting trail in a short time. Hackenberg was major news because of the position he plays, but Douglas is a great snag as well.

Douglas played both ways in high school and is an excellent athlete. He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash and is projected as an above average two-way corner. He stands 5’10”, but he has a tough reputation on the line of scrimmage as a run stopper.  Read more... (294 words, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)

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