Penn State Scandal: How Many 2012 Recruits Will Decommit?

In his press conference Tuesday, Penn State interim head coach Tom Bradley mentioned that he and his staff held a conference call with current members of their 2012 recruiting class and their families to address any concerns they naturally may have in the wake of the horrific sex abuse scandal that's rocked State College.

It was a wise move by Bradley to reach out to the current commits and keep them engaged with the program.

Even though recruiting is one of the last things anyone around Penn State is concerned about right now, the prevailing thought is that many top recruits are likely to decommit following everything that’s occurred over the last two weeks.

Mike McQueary, the team’s recruiting coordinator, has been put on paid administrative leave, and Bradley announced Tuesday that graduate assistant Bill Kavanaugh, one of McQueary’s former assistants, will take over his duties.

Penn State currently has 15 commitments for the 2012 class, and all three major recruiting services—Rivals, Scout and ESPN—rank the class as one of the top 25 in the nation (Scout and ESPN:18, Rivals: 22).

Defensive tackle Tommy Schutt out of Glenbard West High School in Illinois is the most decorated recruit Penn State has reeled in so far.

The 6’3’’, 305-pound Shcutt is considered to be one of the top interior defensive line prospects in the country, and he’s probably the prospect the team has to worry about losing the most, as the talented high school senior can play practically anywhere he wants.

Schutt holds offers from the likes of Auburn, Florida, Nebraska and USC, just to name a few.

Schutt and his parents have made it clear he is still committed to Penn State, but added that they are continuing to monitor the situation.

There are also a few other 4-star caliber recruits such as wide receiver Eugene Lewis out of Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley West High School, cornerback Armani Reeves, and linebacker  Camren Williams, who both play at Catholic Memorial High School in Massachusetts, which the coaching staff will have to keep tabs on.

While it’s unlikely Penn State is going to be able to pull in any more high-profile prospects in the coming months, the main focus has to be on keeping the current commits.

Whether anyone wants to talk about it or not, there will obviously be some negative recruiting tactics used by other schools to try to steer some of the big-name guys like Schutt, Lewis, Reeves and Williams away, but Tom Bradley has done a good job of being proactive with the current commits and handled himself well so far.

A number of sponsors have already decided to cut ties with the school and, in the end, a lot of Penn State’s recruiting success this year will depend on who the team ultimately names as head coach.

While the list of candidates is still a long one, if the school hires a proven coach like Urban Meyer, Greg Schiano or Al Golden, then there shouldn’t be many defections from the 2012 class; but if officials choose to go with an unproven name, the Nittany Lions may witness a mass exodus.