Penn State 2013 Football Recruit Preview
Head football coach Bill O’Brien and company have put together an impressive 2013 recruiting class in the wake of the Sandusky, ahem- excuse me- the, “he who must not be named,” scandal. Here is brief profile of several of the key 2013 players.
Christian Hackenberg
Christian Hackenberg, quarterback out of Fork Union, Virginia, was Bill O’Brien’s first recruit offering a verbal commitment to Penn State on February 29th. Hackenberg is desperately what Penn State fans want; wait, he is desperately what they NEED.
One of the top high school QBs in the country, a top player overall, Hackenberg has an impressive career-total of 3,400 passing yards and 32 passing touchdowns. At 6-foot-4 and 215lbs, he led Fork Union Military High School to the state championship as a sophomore and was a 2012 Elite 11 Finalist. Sports enthusiasts everywhere insist that Hackenberg will put Penn State back on the map as a top football school, some evening going as far as to say he will be the next Kerry Collins.
When National Signing Day arrives in 2013, Nittany Lion fans everywhere will breathe a HUGE sigh of relief as Hackenberg signs his letter of intent and officially becomes a Nittany Lion. Welcome to the Penn State family Christian!
Ross Douglas
Ross Douglas, running/defensive back from Avon, Ohio, verbally committed to Penn State February 29th. Douglas, O’Brien’s second-career recruit, made his decision early so that he could place the bulk of his focus on his senior football season. Mind you, Douglas’s commitment will not be set in stone until national signing day next February.
Douglas rushed for 15 touchdowns and 1,119 yards his junior season. Adding to his impressive high school football career, he had 40 tackles and was third-team All-Ohio in Division II ball. The 5-foot-10, 180lb football player is known for his impressive speed running a 4.42 second 40-yard dash and for his hard work ethic. Douglas will certainly be welcomed with open arms to the Penn State football family. Welcome home Ross!
Garret Sickels
Garrett Sickels, 6-foot-4, 225lbs from Redbank Regional High School in Little Silver, New Jersey, was Bill O’Brien’s third verbal commitment and recruit for the 2013 year. The four-star rated defensive end is number 50 on rivals.com and passed up scholarship offers from schools including Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Miami, and Florida. We are proud to call you a Nittany Lion Garrett!
Adam Breneman
Adam Breneman was the most exciting player to happen to Penn State football in who knows how long. Verbally committing to Penn State on March 9th, the 6-foot-5 tight end/wide receiver out of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, has been a standout in the football community for some time. As a sophomore, Breneman
caught 60 passes for 863 yards and eight touchdowns. As a junior, he caught 72 passes for 1,120 yards, 12 touchdowns, and earned 1st team All-League honors.Breneman quickly developed a relationship with verbal commitment Christian Hackenberg, both using their influence to help persuade other top high school players to consider Penn State. “Restore the roar,” became the motto of the two well-known athletes.
Several weeks ago the 5-star Penn State recruit tore his ACL and will be having surgery later this summer. Breneman will sit out his senior high school year on the football team to focus on recovering from his right knee injury. He hopes to be on campus in January and insists he will be back 110%. We WILL restore the roar Adam!
Brendan Mahon
Penn State picked up verbal commitment Brendan Mahon on March 17th. Mahon, a 6-foot-5, 302lb offensive tackle from Randolph High School in New Jersey is a four-star rated prospect by rivals.com and is ranked 190th in the country. When asked about his commitment to Penn State Mahon replied, “I am very excited to be here”. It is great to have you Brendan!
Greg Webb
Greg Webb became O’Brien’s 6th four-star recruit when he verbally committed to Penn State April 5th. The 6-foot-2, 290lb defensive tackle out of Timber Creek High School in New Jersey is rated the 6th best defensive tackle in the country, 78th best player overall by rivals.com. Webb had several offers from other top schools including Alabama, Rutgers, Ohio State, and Iowa. He will officially become a Nittany Lion when he signs a letter of commitment in February of next year. Welcome to the Penn State family Greg!
Dorian Johnson
Dorian Johnson is Bill O’Brien’s 12th and newest verbal commitment. The 6-foot-6, 285-pounds of solid muscle announced June 24th that he plans on attending Penn S
tate University in 2013.The Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania tackle is fast and strong running the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds. The rivals.com 4-star recruit was one of, if not the, most sought after player in Western Pennsylvania choosing Penn State over the football powerhouse Alabama. Other schools on Johnson’s list included Pitt and Ohio State.
Adam Breneman and Christian Hackenberg helped convince Johnson that Penn State will be a top program in the upcoming years. Now Johnson said he is anxious to help recruit other guys in the class. We are...EXTREMELY happy to have you Dorian!
When Bill O’Brien was hired in January as Joe Paterno’s successor, all odds were against him. Since January, O’Brien has certainly proved himself worthy of the title, “head coach,” of one of the nation’s most historic college football programs. Currently Penn State is ranked 13th in the nation in recruiting for the 2013 season. With a strong new staff and fresh ideas, it will certainly be exciting to watch O’Brien and the Nittany Lions take the field this fall. Make no doubts about it, the roar will be restored.
