Penn State Football: Top Seven Recruiting Commitments for 2011

The 2010 Penn State football team faced more turmoil and criticism than Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes, but the key point to note is that very little of it was warranted.

The Nittany Lions finished the season 7-6 and struggled against ranked opponents, Joe Paterno faced health and retirement rumors during most of the season, and the upcoming recruiting class has taken its fair share of lumps, too.

Only, here’s the thing: Paterno isn’t going anywhere, he’s said so.  This was a very young Penn State team that is only going to get better, and with less than a dozen seniors on last year’s roster, why would anyone expect there to be a large number of top recruits flying to Happy Valley?

Penn State is going to be fine, and so is the 2011 recruiting class, and here is the current top half of the group of current verbal commitments:

7. Matt Zanellato – WR (Burke, VA)

The Nittany Lions have two seniors at the position in Brett Brackett and Graham Zug, both who had size and got significant playing time.  There will be a need for depth at the WR position, and Zanellato—while not ranked highly by Rivals—is a four-star recruit according to Scout.  He’s unofficially listed as being nearly 6’4”, and Scout lists him as a fiery player with “excellent route running skills”.  If he pans out, he’d be a great addition to the offense. (Photo Credit: Scout.com)

6. Ben Kline – OLB (Dallastown, PA)

Linebacker U saw a slight dip in 2010, and rightfully so, what with some great talents departing the year before, as well as injuries occurring, most notably to star Michael Mauti.  Penn State has a lot of linebacker talent in house, but the school could use more—and as many are aware—a number of local PA kids have flourished in the PSU system.  Scout has Pennsylvania native Ben Kline listed as 6’3” and 225 lbs., with 4.5 speed, which if accurate, is very solid.  Former PSU linebacker Sean Lee is listed as 6’2” and 240 lb. (Photo Credit: Rivals.com)

5. Donovan Smith – OT (Owings Mills, MD)

Photo Credit: Scout.com

Penn State’s biggest need heading into 2011 is adding offensive line depth, as the Nittany Lions had three seniors from that group in 2010—specifically Stefen Wisniewski, Doug Klapacz and Lou Eliades.  Donovan Smith is a talented kid, and one that’s listed as a four-star recruit by Scout, Rivals and ESPN. (Photo Credit: Scout.com)

4. Shawn Oakman – DE (Lansdowne, PA)

Photo Credit: Scout.com

Over recent years, the Penn State defensive line has been loaded with talent, often falling near the top of the national list in total sacks.  Last year’s group tallied just 17 sacks on the year, which was good for 96^th in the nation.  New additions and depth are welcome, especially with senior Ollie Ogbu moving on.  Oakman is listed a local PA kid that is listed as 6’8” on Scout.  Along with his great size, Scout also lists his pass rushing skills as a strength, which is just what the Nittany Lions need after a down year in that department. (Photo Credit: Scout.com)

3. Anthony Zettel – OG / DE (West Branch, MI)

Photo Credit: Rivals.com

As mentioned previously, Penn State needs to add depth and talent in the trenches, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.  Zettel played on both sides in high school, and the major recruiting sites are conflicted when predicting which position he will play.  In particular, Rivals has Zettel as PSU’s top recruit, and listed as a defensive end.  Either way, he will be a welcomed addition, especially since he was swiped away from the state of Michigan. (Photo Credit: Rivals.com)

2. Angelo Mangiro – OG (Succasunna, NJ)

Photo Credit: Scout.com

Mangiro is listed as one of the top guards in the country by multiple recruiting sites.  With one of the best guards in recent Penn State memory leaving (Stefen Wisniewski), it was important for Penn State to bring in some new blood.  It’s common that the Nittany Lions rarely play its offensive linemen as freshmen, so only time will tell how Mangiro develops and if and when he breaks into the starting lineup.  There are enough departing linemen that starting positions could be available. (Photo Credit: Scout.com)

1. Bill Belton – WR / ATH (Atco, NJ)

Photo Credit: Scout.com

Belton was a recent verbal commit to the Nittany Lions, after he decommitted from a Pittsburgh team that was dealing with major coaching changes and issues.  In high school, Belton was known to play running back, wide receiver and quarterback.  With talents like Evan Royster graduating, the Nittany Lions need new weapons on offense.  Belton is an athlete with multiple talents, and ESPN listed him in its ESPNU Top 150 for 2011.  With a need for athletes to complete with the best of the best, Belton could earn playing time sooner rather than later. (Photo Credit: Scout.com)