At Wednesday’s open practice, I caught up with Ryan Snyder, a recruiting analyst for Blue White Illustrated, who was nice enough to pass along a list of some of the recruits expected to be in attendance at Saturday’s Blue-White Game.
Expect a lot more than the 15 names on the list below. Snyder said as many as 50 recruits could venture up to Beaver Stadium for an unofficial visit. The NCAA does not limit the number of unofficial visits a recruit makes to a school, he said.
Of course, schedules fluctuate and change at the last minute, so there are no guarantees those listed below all show up.
Snyder singled out a couple names that Penn State is heavily targeting. Tyler Boyd, a 6-foot-1, 168-pound wide receiver from Clairton, Pa., is being looked at by the staff as a potential replacement for senior Justin Brown, Snyder said. Boyd is drawing interest from Ohio State, Penn State and West Virginia, among other schools.
Another prospect Snyder mentioned is Bishop McDevitt wide receiver Brian Lemelle, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound target drawing interest from Pitt and Penn State.
In recent years, Snyder estimated between 30-40 recruits would show up on Blue-White Weekend.
A name Snyder does not expect to see on Saturday: Robert Foster, one of the nation’s best wide receiver prospects, who is from Monaca, Pa.
‘It’s like Junior Day,’ Snyder said of the Blue-White Game. ‘[The coaches] want to get as many guys as possible. It doesn’t matter if they’re top guys or not.’
Here’s a list of the recruits expected on Saturday, courtesy of Blue White Illustrated.
WR Tyler Boyd [6-1, 168] Clairton, Pa.
TE Adam Breneman * [6-5. 220] Camp Hill, Pa. Cedar Cliff
DB Ross Douglas * [5-10, 180], Avon Avon, Ohio
OL Derwin Gray [6-5, 285] Washington D.C. Friendship Collegiate Academy
QB Christian Hackenberg * [6-4, 215], Fork Union Military Academy, Va.
WR Ishmael Hyman [6-2, 170] Holmdel (N.J.) St John Vianney
DE Eric Joraskie [6-4, 260] Mount Carmel, Pa.
WR Brian Lemelle [5-11, 175] Harrisburg (Pa.) Bishop McDevitt
OL Brendan Mahon * [6-5, 310], Randolph, N.J.
LB Jake Plonski [6-3, 230] Erie, Pa. Cathedral Prep
QB Caleb Scepaniak [6-5, 225] Binghamton (N.Y) Seton Catholic Central
DE Garrett Sickels * [6-4 225] Red Bank Little Silver, N.J.
DE Shakir Soto [6-4, 235] Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) G.A.R. Memorial
DT Greg Webb * [6-2, 290] Sicklerville, N.J. Timber Creek
DL Donta Wilkins [6-3, 315] Dumfries, Va. Potomac
* indicates a PSU verbal commitment, which is not binding until a letter of intent is signed in February.
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