National Letter of Intent Day is Wednesday, and Penn State’s recruiting class is nationally ranked No. 49 based on average star rating by Rivals.com.

“A bad class like this can set you back at least one year,” said Mike Farrell, a national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com.

Three factors contributed to the subpar recruiting class, according to Farrell.

1.   The Sandusky scandal.

2.   The two-month search for hiring Bill O’Brien and the hiring of a coach who doesn’t have name recognition and can’t recruit because of his NFL duties.

3.   Urban Meyer, Ohio State’s football coach.

Penn State lost six recruits who at one time gave their oral commitment to the Nittany Lions. To make matters worse, four of them are expected to sign with conference rival Ohio State.

If Penn State was able to keep most of those commitments, Farrell projected its class finishing in the national top 25 and third or fourth in the Big Ten — an average haul in State College.

“We got started so late but I think it’s been a solid class and we’ve been really well received by the coaches,” Penn State defensive coordinator Ted Roof said in a video posted Tuesday on GoPSUSports.com. “When you walk in with Penn State on your sweater or coat, they’re happy to have you.”

But Penn State has competition. Meyer is a rock star among college coaches after winning two national championships in three seasons at Florida. Michigan’s Brady Hoke has momentum after winning the Sugar Bowl in his first season. Newcomer Nebraska is a national brand, and Wisconsin and Michigan State have sat at the top of the conference the last two seasons, as well.

Another in-state recruit, Jeannette four-star safety Demetrious Cox, chose Michigan State over Penn State on Monday night.

But Farrell is pointing to another miss by the Nits to summarize Penn State’s 2012 recruiting woes: Harrisburg’s five-star defensive end Noah Spence.

“Noah was all but set on going there before the scandal hit,” Farrell said. “He loved Larry Johnson. He’s a difference maker. He’s an absolute stud. He’s the guy that really could’ve done a lot of damage for Penn State.”

Farrell said Spence wavered on Penn State once the Sandusky scandal broke. Spence’s father, Greg, works in juvenile enforcement.

Spence is committed to Ohio State along with a couple other high-rated defensive linemen. Among them is Tommy Schutt, a one-time Penn State verbal who Farrell called Penn State’s biggest loss in the bunch, outside of Spence.

“And, he’s not in the same caliber of Noah Spence,” Farrell said.

Six who got away

Camren Williams — LB, West Roxbury, Mass., 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, four stars

Where they will sign: Ohio State

Williams, the No. 1 recruit in Massachusetts according to Rivals.com, committed to Penn State last March. Williams committed to Ohio State after Urban Meyer was named head coach at Ohio State and the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal hit State College in November and resulted in the dismissal of football coach Joe Paterno.

Armani Reeves — CB, West Roxbury, Mass., 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, four stars

Where they will sign: Ohio State

Reeves was a teammate with Williams at Catholic Memorial and committed to Penn State last summer. He re-opened his recruitment after November’s scandal hit.

Joey O’Connor — OL, Windsor, Colo., 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, four stars

Where he will sign: Ohio State

O’Connor was the first recruit to decommit from Penn State when the Sandusky scandal hit.

Tommy Schutt — DT, Glen Ellyn, Ill., 6-foot-3, 301 pounds, four stars

Where he will sign: Ohio State 

A former Penn State verbal, Schutt flipped his commitment to the Buckeyes in December.

Skyler Mornhinweg — QB, Philadelphia, Pa., 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, three stars

Where he will sign: Florida

Mornhinweg committed to Penn State last summer after decommitting from Stanford. He passed for 4,859 yards and 52 touchdowns in his career.

Jarron Jones — DT, Rochester, N.Y., 6-foot-7, 308 pounds, four stars

Where he will sign: Notre Dame

Jones committed to Penn State last spring but re-opened his recruitment in July and has been a Notre Dame recruit since August.

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