Penn State Football Recruiting: Meet the Nittany Lions' 2014 Class

James Franklin's first recruiting class as the head coach of Penn State is in the books, and it's an impressive cast of characters.

The 2014 class, a full 25-player limit, is comprised of recruits from 15 different states, including Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and California.

According to 247Sports' composite ratings, the Nittany Lions landed the top two prospects from Delaware, the No. 2 recruit from Massachusetts and two of the top six New Jersey recruits in addition to top 10 players from Pennsylvania, Maryland and North Carolina.

Here is a detailed look at your newest Penn State Nittany Lions!

All star ratings courtesy of 247Sports composite ratings unless otherwise noted.

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Marcus Allen

Height/Weight: 6'2", 190 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star Safety, No. 26 Safety recruit

High School: Dr. Henry Wise High School (Upper Marlboro, Md.)

Senior Year Stats: 15 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries (Three games)

Other Offers: Pitt, Clemson, Michigan State, Stanford

Commit Day: May 10, 2013

Allen tore ligaments in his ankle early in his senior season but expects to be ready to practice once he arrives on campus this summer.

Like many of the defensive backs in this class, Allen will have a shot at seeing snaps as a freshman, at least on special teams. 

"

Coach Fanklin and Coach Shoop came to visit 🏈✊💯 #WeAre http://t.co/MjpMRTNsOp

— Marcus Allen (@Chico_Ehhh) January 27, 2014"

Mark Allen

Height/Weight: 5'7", 185 pounds

Ranking/Position: 3-star RB, No. 70 RB recruit

High School: DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Md.)

Other Offers: Wake Forest, Temple, Cincinnati 

Commit Day: Oct. 16, 2012

Mark Allen was the first member of the 2014 class, committing in the fall of his junior year.

A torn ACL cost him half of his junior and senior seasons at DeMatha. With three proven running backs already on campus and two more enrolling in this class, it's hard to see Allen making a big impact as a freshman.  

"

We are ...... PENN STATE ! #NittanyNation #PennState pic.twitter.com/3uPbey4mOZ

— MARK ALLEN (@theALLENshow) January 25, 2014"

Troy Apke

Height/Weight: 6'1", 187 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star WR, No. 48 WR recruit

High School: Mount Vernon High School (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Senior Year Stats: 40 receptions, 728 yards, 7 touchdowns

Other Offers: Pitt, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Kentucky

Commit Day: April 13, 2013

Apke is a versatile wideout, but with the receiving class he's enrolling with, he'll have an uphill battle to see the field early in his career.

Troy's dad played linebacker at Pitt.

Tarow Barney

Height/Weight: 6'1", 285 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star DT, No. 8 JUCO DT recruit

High School: Northwest Mississippi C.C. (Senatobia, Miss.)

2013 Stats: 36 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, forced fumble

Other Offers: Illinois, Arizona State, Kansas State

Commit Day: Nov. 24, 2013 (Early Enrollee)

With DaQuan Jones off to the NFL and Kyle Baublitz moving on from his football career, there is room for a player like Barney to make an immediate impact on the defensive line.

Expect to see him in the rotation when Penn State lands in Ireland this August.

Noah Beh

Height/Weight: 6'6", 260 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star OT, No. 44 OT recruit

High School: Scranton Prep (Scranton, Pa.)

Other Offers: Pitt, Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia

Commit Day: June 1, 2013

Beh will likely redshirt as a freshman while he adds weight. It's worth noting that other schools recruited him as a defensive end, so a position change isn't out of the question. 

"

Had a long conversation with Noah Beh and his dad today about school and football, great kid! Great addition to the family.

— Garry Gilliam™ (@Gi77iam) June 1, 2013"

Saeed Blacknall

Height/Weight: 6'3", 210 pounds

Position/Ranking: 4-star WR, No. 21 WR recruit

High School: Manalapan High School (Englishtown, N.J.)

Senior Year Stats: 52 receptions, 707 yards, 15 touchdowns

Other Offers: Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State

Commit Day: Jan. 26, 2014

As the top-rated recruit in Penn State's 2014 class, Blacknall could be the perfect replacement for Allen Robinson. He'll likely play early and often as a freshman after flipping his commitment from Rutgers.

Penn State wide receivers coach Josh Gattis has had recent success with bigger wideouts.

Brendan Brosnan

Brendan Brosnan, courtesy of 247Sports

Height/Weight: 6'6", 275 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star OT, No. 81 OT recruit

High School: Maine South High School (Park Ridge, Ill.)

Other Offers: NC State, Illinois, Maryland, Va Tech

Commit Day: Jan. 14, 2014

Originally committed to Vanderbilt, Brosnan flipped to Penn State shortly after the hiring of James Franklin.

With the size to compete immediately, Brosnan has a shot at playing as a freshman, but that's uncommon for offensive linemen.

Torrence Brown

Height/Weight: 6'4", 228 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star Athlete, No. 129 Athlete recruit

High School: Tuscaloosa Academy (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Other Offers: Arizona State, NC State, West Virginia, UConn

Commit Day: Feb. 5, 2014

Brown has been referred to as a "jumbo athlete" by ESPN's Josh Moyer. He'll likely grow into a pass-rushing end but could slide out to play linebacker in a 3-4 look. In high school, he played linebacker, end, running back, receiver and tight end.

Jason Cabinda

Height/Weight: 6'1", 220 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star Athlete, No. 109 Athlete recruit

High School: Hunterdon Central High School (Flemington, N.J.)

Senior Year Stats: 1,258 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns

Other Offers: Rutgers, Maryland, Boston College

Commit Day: Oct. 23, 2013

Despite rushing for over 2,500 yards the last two seasons, Cabinda's most likely position in college is linebacker. He'll probably spend a year refining his technique before seeing the field.

Christian Campbell

Height/Weight: 6'0", 181 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star Safety, No. 95 Safety recruit

High School: Central High School (Phenix City, Ala.)

Senior Year Stats: 56 tackles, 8 pass breakups, interception

Other Offers: Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Boise State

Commit Day: Feb. 3 2014

A fast-rising prospect, Campbell dominated the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game, recording nine tackles. He'll be in the mix with the other defensive backs for early action on both special teams and defense. 

Koa Farmer

Height/Weight: 6'1", 200 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star Safety, No. 31 safety recruit

High School: Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)

Senior Year Stats: 62 tackles, 4 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles and 2 sacks

Other Offers: Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Washington, Arizona State

Commit Day: Jan. 25, 2014

After committing to Cal, Farmer visited UCLA, USC and Washington before visiting Penn State in late January and committing to the Nittany Lions.

In addition to his defensive stats, Koa also played just about everywhere on the offensive side of the ball, compiling 10 rushing touchdowns and eight receiving touchdowns.

A redshirt season could let Farmer grow into a linebacker, a la Gerald Hodges, but there's room on the depth chart at safety. His athleticism could be needed on special teams units that look to be vastly improved in 2014. 

"

I just got my NATIONAL LETER OF INTENT #WEARE #UNRIVALED

— KOA#⃣6⃣ (@KOAFARMER) February 1, 2014"

Mike Gesicki

Height/Weight: 6'5", 236 pounds

Position/Ranking: 4-star TE, No. 6 TE recruit

High School: Southern Regional High School (Manahawkin, N.J.)

Senior Year Stats: 33 receptions, 530 yards, 4 touchdowns

Other Offers: Ohio State, Florida State, Rutgers, Miami (FL), Wisconsin 

Commit Day: Oct. 17, 2013

Gesicki will find himself entrenched in a tight end depth chart full of talent. However, the incoming freshman may be a wild card once he steps on campus. Blessed with elite size and athleticism, Gesicki won a state championship as a volleyball player and averaged 20 points per game for his basketball team.

Gesicki was the only tight end recruited by Penn State in this cycle, as the position wasn't a priority.

"

New Head Coach at Penn State James Frankin and the staff out at my house for a great time. #WEARE #PENNSTATE 🏈 pic.twitter.com/IrEZ49KQAq

— Ⓜ️G (@mikegesicki) January 18, 2014"

Chris Godwin

Height/Weight: 6'1", 193 pounds

Position/Ranking: 4-star WR, No. 34 WR recruit

High School: Middletown High School (Middletown, Del.)

Junior Year (2012) Stats: 42 receptions, 834 yards, 12 touchdowns

Other Offers: Ohio State, Stanford, South Carolina, Va Tech

Commit Day: April 23, 2013

Godwin may be the most polished receiver in a deep Penn State class, and he'll have a good shot at seeing snaps as a true freshman. He'll also be in the mix as a kick returner.

"

WR commit Chris Godwin on Franklin: "I'm excited about it. He's done great things at Vanderbilt and I expect nothing less at #PennState."

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) January 11, 2014"

Grant Haley

Height/Weight: 5'10", 170 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star CB, No. 47 CB recruit

High School: Lovett School (Atlanta, Ga.)

Other Offers: Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Duke

Commit Day: Jan. 20, 2014

Haley was one of the Vanderbilt commits that switched to Penn State after the hiring of Franklin. The coaching staff intends to use him at corner as well as a returner, so he'll have a shot to make an immediate impact.

"

Made a decision tonight to commit to Penn State University...appreciate everyone at vandy and hope they can still respect me #WeAre

— Grant Haley (@haleyboy10) January 20, 2014"

Trace McSorley

Height/Weight: 6'0", 182 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star QB/Safety, No. 15 Dual-Threat QB recruit

High School: Briar Woods High School (Ashburn, Va.)

Senior Year Stats: 2,690 passing yards, 30 touchdowns

Other Offers: Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Boston College, North Carolina

Commit Day: Jan. 20, 2014

On the surface, it looks like a long shot that McSorley could compete at quarterback right now, but in high school, he put together a 55-5 record while throwing for over 10,000 yards and 111 touchdowns to go with his 38 rushing yards.

Whether he plays quarterback or safety in Happy Valley, McSoley will likely redshirt as a freshman as he hones in on perfecting his skill on one side of the ball.

"

Wow #WeAre pic.twitter.com/HlgKaoN04E

— Trace McSorley (@TM7_NextGen) January 26, 2014"

Michael O'Connor

Height/Weight: 6'4", 223 pounds

Position/Ranking: 4-star QB, No. 14 Pro-Style QB recruit

High School: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Senior Year Stats: 1,804 passing yards, 18 touchdowns

Other Offers: Michigan State, Missouri, Mississippi State, Rutgers

Commit Day: June 8, 2013 (Early Enrollee)

The staff would probably prefer to redshirt O'Connor and put a year between him and Hackenberg. But if they need him, the Canadian native spent the last two years learning under Chris Weinke and has the tools to contribute.

Amani Oruwariye

Height/Weight: 6'1", 180 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star CB, No. 50 CB recruit

High School: Gaither High School (Tampa Bay, Fla.)

Senior Year Stats: 47 tackles, four interceptions, nine pass breakups and three blocked punts

Other Offers: Nebraska, Michigan State, Arizona, Duke

Commit Day: Jan. 30, 2014

Oruwariye initially committed to James Franklin in October while he was still at Vanderbilt but decommitted and visited Penn State after the coach switched jobs.

The Nittany Lions have brought in several defensive backs over the last two years, but Oruwariye's length may give him an advantage if there is playing time to be had for an underclassman. He's another candidate to see snaps on special teams.

"

It's been a long recruiting process. I'd like to thank every school that played a part in this. I… http://t.co/4c0Q8cX5Ih

— Amani Oruwariye (@ooFUTURISTICoo) January 31, 2014"

Troy Reeder

Height/Weight: 6'2", 230 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star LB, No. 22 Inside Linebacker recruit

High School: Salesianum School (Wilmington, De.)

Senior Year Stats: 96 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries

Other Offers: Pitt, Rutgers, Miami (FL), Maryland

Commit Day: Feb. 26, 2013

Reeder likely would have compiled a long offer sheet had he not committed so early in the process. As a senior, he earned first-team All-State honors at both running back and linebacker while winning a state championship.

Most people believe he'll make an immediate impact on both defense and special teams after arriving on campus.

"

Chris Godwin and I representing the future of #PSU at the All-State banquet. Defensive and Offensive POY's pic.twitter.com/owyAxKtZ2Z

— Troy Reeder (@troyreeder9) January 28, 2014"

Nick Scott

Height/Weight: 5'11", 188 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star Athlete, No. 47 Athlete recruit

High School: Fairfax High School (Fairfax, Va.)

Senior Year Stats: 1,593 rushing yards, 23 touchdowns

Other Offers: Nebraska, USF, Boston College

Commit Day: Feb. 23, 2013

Primarily recruited as a running back, Scott will need to find a niche in order to see the field as a freshman. With 99 tackles as a senior linebacker, he's another candidate to contribute on Penn State's special teams units that promise to be faster and more diverse in 2014.

"

Best game I've seen in my life. #WeAre #NittanyNation #BleedBlue #BeatMichigan #WhiteOut #4OTs #107,884 pic.twitter.com/WmCxMveO4t

— Nick Wiggle Scott (@NittanyKidNick2) October 13, 2013"

Chance Sorrell

Height/Weight: 6'6", 263 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star OT, No. 93 OT recruit

High School: Middletown High School (Middletown, Ohio)

Other Offers: Louisville, West Virginia, Vanderbilt, Boston College

Commit Day: Jan. 11, 2014

A tight end-turned-tackle, Sorrell will likely redshirt his first season as he continues to add weight and refine his technique.

"

AWESOME is becoming cliche but don't know what else to say. @Chanman158811 & @angelsorrell1 are #WeAre #PSU pic.twitter.com/xVtNT7spnE

— Gardner Sorrell (@glsorrell) January 26, 2014"

Johnathan Thomas

Height/Weight: 5'11", 205 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star RB, No. 31 RB recruit

High School: St. John's Prep (Danvers, Mass.)

Junior Year (2012) Stats: 1,794 yards, 15 touchdowns

Other Offers: Arkansas, Boston College, Maryland, UConn

Commit Day: 10/20/2013

It's hard to imagine a freshman running back seeing the field in 2014, but Thomas has a shot. He's big enough for the next level and played both sides of the ball in high school, which could land him on special teams.

De'Andre Thompkins

Height/Weight: 6'0", 170 pounds

Position/Ranking: 4-star WR, No. 33 WR recruit

High School: Swansboro High School (Swansboro, N.C.)

Senior Year Stats: 699 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns, 269 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns

Other Offers: North Carolina, Clemson, Notre Dame, Tennessee

Commit Day: April 20, 2013 (Early Enrollee)

Thompkins could probably benefit from a redshirt season to learn the details of playing receiver, but his speed and athleticism won't allow it. Thompkins is the favorite to be the kick returner when Penn State squares off against UCF in Ireland.

"

Good WR more schools should have been on is De'Andre Thompkins. ATH playing Wildcat in HS. #PennState #UAALLAMERICA

— Tom Luginbill (@TomLuginbill) December 29, 2013"

Antoine White

Height/Weight: 6'3", 265 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star DT, No. 47 DT recruit

High School: Millville High School (Millville, N.J.)

Junior Year (2012) Stats: 80 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 6 sacks

Other Offers: Michigan State, North Carolina, Pitt, Rutgers, Duke

Commit Day: July 1, 2013 (Early Enrollee)

Antoine White should be given a shot at making the rotation at defensive tackle this year. Either way, he'll be a cornerstone of the line going forward.

"

I am a Nittany Lion, and will be enrolled and on campus January 11th. No more questions.

— Antoine White (@antoinewhite53) January 4, 2014"

Daquan Worley

Height/Weight: 5'11", 170 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star CB, No. 41 CB recruit

High School: Coatesville Area High School (Coatesville, P.A.)

Junior Year (2012) Stats: 1,779 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns, 45 tackles, 3 interceptions

Other Offers: Rutgers, Pitt, Georgia Tech

Commit Day: May 3, 2013

Worley may redshirt after tearing his ACL in October, but as the highest rated of the three cornerback recruits, he's one to keep an eye on.

Chasz Wright

Height/Weight: 6'6", 285 pounds

Position/Ranking: 3-star OT, No. 3 JUCO OT recruit

High School: Milford Academy (New Berlin, N.Y.)

Other Offers: UConn, Temple

Commit Day: Dec. 28, 2013 (Early Enrollee)

Playing a year of prep school and enrolling early will benefit Wright. If he improves in the spring, there's no reason to think he won't be in the the rotation this fall.

Where Are the Top Prospects Coming From?

Check out where the top recruits are coming from this year. Penn State getting into the south could be a big factor in the near future.