Penn State Football Recruiting: Top Targets, Positional Needs and Predictions

Penn State's new coaching staff is still working hard in attracting new recruits to the program and looking to place their stamp on their efforts in a short period of time. While Penn State was fresh in the mourning process following the death of Joe Paterno, the recruiting news still continued to trickle in with some positives that could understandably be overlooked.

Here is a recruiting update, with just over a week until National Signing Day.

Positional Need No. 1: Wide Receiver

Penn State's offense could benefit from a decent wide receiver in the Class of 2012. It is a position that has had a fair share of ups and downs over the last few years, with Derek Moye emerging as the top receiver in 2010 and 2011. With no disrespect intended for the former Nittany Lion, that should be a strong indication for what the state of the wide receiver position is for Penn State.

The good news is that Penn State will be adding a 4-star wide receiver in Eugene Lewis (pictured). Penn State also has two more receivers on the verbal commitment list with Trevor Williams and Jonathan Warner, son of former Penn State running back Curt Warner.

Positional Need No. 2: Quarterback

Penn State still has two years of Rob Bolden and three years of Paul Jones to work with, and with new head coach Bill O'Brien having done some positive things with quarterbacks and the offense the future could be bright for either, but it is important that O'Brien have a quarterback he feels comfortable handing his offense to. And who knows if Bolden or Jones will transfer at some point.

It never hurts to have a solid quarterback on your roster, and though he did not start the recruitment for him, O'Brien should make locking down Skyler Mornhinwig a high priority. Mornhinwig is currently verbally committed and is ranked at a 3-star prospect.

Positional Need No. 3: Secondary

Penn State's secondary got young in a hurry after the 2011 season. With the departures of Drew Astorino, Nick Sukay and D'Anton Lynn there will be plenty of starting jobs open in 2012. While Penn State will still have Stephfon Morris and young Adrian Amos, this should be a top priority for Penn State's recruiting efforts over the next week.

The good news is that Penn State has been focusing on this position and they have received verbals from Da'Quan Jones, but the bad news is that Armani Reeves has since re-opened his recruitment and is reported to be down to two schools, including Penn State. After losing a few top prospects to Ohio State, Penn State almost cannot afford to let one more slip away. Reeves is considered the top priority in the current recruiting class.

Prediction No. 1: Armani Reeves Stays Committed to Penn State

Call it a gut instinct, but given the importance of keeping Reeves heading to Penn State you would have to think that those doing the recruiting will stop at no costs to keep him in the mix. Reeves committed to Penn State back in August, and while verbal commitments clearly do not mean much to high school seniors, we'll give Bill O'Brien the benefit of the doubt for now that he can keep Reeves interested in Penn State.

Prediction No. 2: Penn State Signs All 17 Currently Committed

Penn State has already lost a few recruits since the Jerry Sandusky scandal hit, and perhaps the damage has been done. A number of recruits have come out and re-affirmed their intentions to play for Penn State, buying in to Joe Paterno's concept of choosing a school for more than just football. One of those recruits was Jake Kiley (pictured).

There may indeed be a couple recruits who feel they are on the fence, but at this stage the seas look to be calming as far as recruiting is concerned. If Penn State lands Armani Reeves, then the rest of the class should be fine.

Prediction No. 3: Penn State Picks Up at Least One More Recruit

On Sunday Bill O'Brien spoke with a couple of recruits before he guided New England's offense to an AFC Championship. A couple of those recruits were previous commits to West Virginia. Now they are committed to Penn State.

Two-way player Trevor Williams and cornerback Da'Quan Davis had previously committed to West Virginia but changed their minds following an official visit. In a short period of time O'Brien and his staff have seen some recruits shy away from Penn State but this is proof that they are capable of drawing in some interest.

With just over a week to spare, and with O'Brien heading to the Super Bowl, do not be surprised if the staff can lure in another recruit that may not be on the radar, as O'Brien has a bye week before the Super Bowl.

Top Target No. 1: DB Armani Reeves

We have already touched on the importance of Reeves a few times but we should reiterate the point one final time. After losing a pair of top defensive prospects to Ohio State in the past couple of weeks, Penn State needs to ensure they do not lose one of their top defensive backs to another program.

The position is shallow on depth right now and needs players who can cover some of the top receivers in the Big Ten. Reeves may be slightly small but he brings good skills wherever he lands.

Top Target No. 2: DT Jamil Pollard

Defensive tackle Jamil Pollard, out of New Jersey, committed to Penn State not too long ago so he does not appear to be a threat to go somewhere else. As one of the three 4-star recruits on Penn State's board it will be essential to ensure he stays on track for State College.

Pollard is 6'5" and 280 pounds and is the 20th ranked defensive tackle in the country. Give him the teaching of Larry Johnson Sr. and he could easily be following in the footsteps of a number of talented defensive tackles at Penn State.

Top Target No. 3: WR Eugene Lewis

One of the key positions mentioned earlier, the wide receiver position could be landing one of the top wideouts in the country. Eugene Lewis is the 22nd ranked receiver according to Rivals.com, and he is considered a solid verbal to Penn State. He could be the offensive weapon Penn State needs to add to the receiving corps, although the position should still be considered a priority in the Class of 2013 unless Bill O'Brien has some tricks up his sleeves.

Lewis does not have killer speed (4.5 40) but he has decent size at 6'2", 181 pounds, and he is the fourth ranked player overall in Pennsylvania.

National Signing Day: What You Need to Know

National Signing Day is Wednesday, February 1, 2012. On that day high school athletes are eligible to submit their national letters of intent to their school of choice. The large majority of players will submit their letters at some point during their school hours that day.

These letters tend to come in rather quickly and most of Penn State's Class of 2012 should be confirmed by lunch, however a few may hold out until later in the afternoon. Expect Armani Reeves to be one of the last to submit, as his decision has yet to be made it seems.

We will have more on Penn State's recruiting efforts leading up to National Signing Day and evaluate the class once it is announced as well.

Kevin McGuire is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook and add him to your Google+ circle.