Penn State Football Recruiting: Updates on 2013 Commits and Targets

Penn State football is not the same, but that doesn't mean the future of the program can't be bright.

Beyond the fallout of the scandal and beyond the NCAA sanctions, there is football to be played—and good football to be played.

Despite a bowl ban and loss of scholarships, Bill O'Brien appears to be the perfect coach to lead Penn State into this new future. He has a long road ahead of him, and recruiting will be a challenge, but that doesn't mean O'Brien and his staff can't be successful.

If you're a fan of Penn State football or even just college football recruiting in general, consider this to be your "one stop shop" for Penn State recruiting.

You'll find all the news, analysis and updates on commitments and targets that you'll ever need, right here.

Note: All 2012 stats via 247Sports unless otherwise noted.

Latest News

Update: Tyler Boyd chooses Pittsburgh over Penn State and others on 1/5/13

Update: Trey Johnson snubs Penn State and commits to Ohio State on 1/4/13

Update: 5-star quarterback Christian Hackenberg has the talent to go to any program in the country and win football games. The situation at Penn State has caused many to wonder if Hackenberg would back off his commitment to the Nittany Lions, but according to Chris Jones of ESPN The Magazine, the 5-star quarterback's commitment is solid.

"

Hackenberg, perhaps to quiet the many doubters and second-guessers, has purposely not left himself any outs. Speaking to him for this column, for this very public letter of intent, I can't help asking him if he's sure -- if he wants to hold off, just in case. "No, we're good," he says. "I'm not going anywhere." (His Twitter bio already reads "Nittany Lion for life.") Someone like Nick Saban could make one last push before signing day on Feb. 6, but in Hackenberg's mind, he has no more decisions to make.

"

This is huge for Penn State football because Hackenberg is undoubtedly an elite recruit. At the very least, he appears to be a leader that can help this program rebuild and focus on the future. The importance of having a quarterback like Hackenberg committed can't be overstated. --End of Update 12/29/12

Quarterbacks

Targets: None

Already Committed:

Tyler Ferguson- (Signed) 4-star JUCO pro-style QB, 6'5", 210 lb. (247Sports)

2012 Stats: 2,614 YD, 22 TD, 

Christian Hackenberg- 5-star pro-style QB, 6'4", 210 lb. (247Sports)

2012 Stats: 2,144 YD, 24 TD, 436 RUYD, 3 RUTD

All-Star Game: Under Armour - 4-16 34 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT

Analysis:

Quarterback is the strength of Penn State's 2013 class. Hackenberg is one of the best quarterback recruits in the nation, and he has superstar potential. He has great measurables and is ranked as the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

One great quarterback recruit is normally good enough, but the Nittany Lions have two, the other being Ferguson. Ferguson isn't the big name Hackenberg is, but he's a talented player. He's ranked as the No. 5 JUCO pro-style quarterback according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He has signed a Letter of Intent.

Running Backs

Targets:

David Williams- 4-star all-purpose back, 6'0.5'', 195 lb. (247Sports)

Biggest Competition for Commitment: South Carolina, Miami

Already Committed:

Richy Anderson- 3-star all-purpose running back, 5'11'', 175 lb. (247Sports)

Analysis:

The main goal here for Penn State is to work on its depth chart at the running back position, and it looks like they've done just that with Anderson. At 5'1'', 175 pounds, he's going to need to bulk up a bit more, but for now he'll be a good backup. He's ranked as the No. 28 all-purpose back in the 2013 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

David Williams would be another good target, but South Carolina is the leader on his interest list (247Sports).

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Targets:

Tyler Boyd- 4-star WR, 6'2.5'', 180 lb. (247Sports)

Update: Tyler Boyd chooses Pittsburgh over Penn State and others on 1/5/13

 

Already Committed:

Adam Breneman- 4-star TE, 6'5", 227 lb. (247Sports)

All-Star Game: Under Armour 1/4 5pm ET

DaeSean Hamilton- 3-star WR, 6'1", 185 lb. (247Sports)

 

Analysis:

Adam Breneman is a huge commitment, and he's going to be a marquee recruit for Penn State. He's the No. 2 tight end recruit in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, only behind 5-star tight end O.J. Howard. In time, he could end up being a big-time target for Hackenberg.

He has good size that will help in the passing game against linebackers and safeties, but he's also big enough to stay home and block. Breneman has superstar potential, and he's going to be a huge recruit for this class.

Offensive Line

Targets: None

Already Committed:

Andrew Nelson- 4-star OT, 6'5", 270 lb. 5.00 40 (247Sports)

Brendan Mahon- 3-star OG, 6'4", 318 lb. (247Sports)

Analysis:

There isn't a huge need for offensive linemen in this class for Penn State, so O'Brien and his staff did a great job by just getting the commitments of these two recruits. Nelson has good size, he's obviously quick and he's a big in-state recruit

Mahon, on the other hand, is the No. 12-ranked guard recruit in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, so his importance to the Nittany Lions cannot be overstated.

Defensive Line

Targets:

Rod Crayton- 3-star DT, 6'1'', 310 (247Sports)

2012 Stats: 157 TCK, 4 SCK, 9 FF, 5 FR

Biggest Competition for Commitment: Washington State, Arkansas, LSU, Tennessee

Already Committed:

Garrett Sickels- 4-star weak-side DE, 6'4", 230 lb. 4.68 40 (247Sports)

All-Star Game: U.S. Army 1/5 1pm ET

Curtis Cothran- 3-star strong-side DE, 6'5", 230 lb. (247Sports)

Parker Cothren - 3-star DE, 6'5", 265 lb. (247Sports)

Tanner Hartman- 3-star strong-side DE, 6'4", 255 lb. (247Sports)

Analysis:

This is a very impressive group of recruits that's highlighted by the commitment of Garrett Sickels. He has great size and speed and should be a big-time player on the edges at the college level. He's the No. 8-ranked weak-side defensive end according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Overall, the defensive line could be the second-best unit of Penn State's class. Even the 3-star recruits have very good measurables.

Linebackers

Targets:

Already Committed:

Zayd Issah- 3-star OLB/ATH, 6'3", 220 lb. 4.50 40 (247Sports)

2012 Stats: 80 TCK, 6 SCK

Brandon Bell- 3-star ILB, 6'2", 215 lb. (247Sports)

Jonathan Walton- 3-star ILB/RB, 6'1", 227 lb. 4.70 40 (247Sports)

 Trey Johnson- 4-star ILB, 6'2'', 218 lbs. (247Sports)

Update: Trey Johnson snubs Penn State and commits to Ohio State on 1/4/13

Analysis:

Landing Trey Johnson would be a monumental recruiting win for Penn State, but to be honest, it looks like Ohio State could end up being the favorite for his commitment. Still, the Nittany Lions are looking good at the linebacker spot.

Bell and Walton look like they can be good depth players right away, but Issah could end up being a star. He's listed as an athlete/linebacker, so he'll be good in open space and especially as a rusher. He has a great combination of size and speed, and he has a ton of potential.

Defensive Backs

Targets:

Deondre Singleton- 3-star CB, 6'0'', 175 lb. (247Sports)

Biggest Competition for Commitment: Duke, Wisconsin

Already Committed:

Jordan Smith- 3-star CB, 5'10", 187 lb. (247Sports)

Neiko Robinson- 3-star CB, 5'11", 175 lb. (247Sports)

Kasey Gaines- 3-star S, 5'10", 160 lb. 4.44 40 (247Sports)

Anthony Smith- N/R CB, 6'0", 185 lb. (247Sports)

Analysis:

Depth in the secondary is always extremely important, and that's what Penn State is getting out of this group of defensive backs. None of these recruits are necessarily stars, but with proper coaching they could end up playing far beyond their star-rankings. 

The big thing here is that O'Brien and his staff were able to bring in a good group of defensive backs as a whole. There are certain positions on the football field at which you want to be deep on the depth chart. Corner and safety are two of those positions.