Penn State Football Recruiting: How National Signing Day 2011 Affected PSU

Today, there were three main topics of discussion in University Park, Pennsylvania. The first was the presence of President Barack Obama on campus. The second was the Lil Wayne concert announced at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Last, and most importantly of course, were the results of the 2011 National Signing Day.

Last year, Penn State brought in the best recruiting class in the Big Ten. It was ranked as the 11th best in the nation.

The 2011 class doesn't even come close, and this has caused some rumblings amongst Penn State faithful.

The problem with these statistics is that people tend to miss the big picture. Last year's class formed a fantastic foundation for the Nittany Lions. This year was about filling in the missing pieces.

The numbers may not show it, but if the pieces are able to complement last year's class, then Penn State could be in great shape.

Here are the 16 recruits that have signed their letters of intent for Penn State.

OG Anthony Alosi

Anthony Alosi actually graduated high school last May. Small FCS schools had offered him scholarships, and Penn State offered him the opportunity as a preferred walk-on.

Alosi declined the offers and spent a year at The Hun School of Princeton in New Jersey.

His year was well spent. Alsoi added nearly 25 pounds of muscle, and had the opportunity to mature a bit more. He was only 17 graduating from high school, so he was a year behind the rest of his class.

The biggest competitors that Penn State faced in recruiting Alosi were UConn and Tulane. When Penn State offered Alosi the opportunity, he took it.

He shows a lot of power, which should be expected from a 6'6", 280 lbs prospect.

Alosi will probably play offensive line.

S Adrian Amos

What makes National Signing Day so exciting is never knowing what is going to happen. That was the case with Adrian Amos.

Amos originally committed to Connecticut in September. Coach Randy Edsall decided to take his talents to Maryland, forcing Amos to reconsider.

Yesterday, Amos decided on Penn State. The decision could be a fantastic one for both him and the university.

Amos led his high school to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship. He ended the season compiling 78 tackles, four interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Drew Astorino and Nick Sukay are both heading into their final seasons of eligibility. After that, the door opens for Amos.

Amos has wonderful catching ability (he also played receiver) and he can run with the ball (he also played some quarterback). He has great closing speed and awareness, which is vital when playing safety.

Most importantly, Amos has a good head on his shoulders. His reason for choosing Penn State was actually academic.

"Penn State is known for the number of student athletes who graduate," Amos said. "If something does go wrong—and God willing, it won't—I will still have a future. I'll still go some place because people know Penn State is serious about academics. It's a very tough academic school, and in this economy, you need everything you can to get a job."

DE Deion Barnes

Rivals ranks defensive end Deion Barnes as the sixth best in the nation at his position.

Barnes is looked at, for the moment at least, as a pass rushing defensive end. He lacks some size and strength, weighing in at 220 lbs at a height of 6'5".

Barnes has future potential as a starter if he can put on some weight and get stronger. He does have a relentless motor and phenomenal athletic ability.

He ended his senior year with 85 tackles (25 tackles for a loss), 13 sacks and three blocked punts.

Barnes has quite the personal story, coming from North Philadelphia. He has grown up in an environment that has been anything but easy.

Barnes will bring a great work ethic to Happy Valley. Hopefully that can translate into success on the field.

ATH Bill Belton

Bill Belton is a unique player, and that is a good thing.

Just consider his list of teams that offered him scholarships as proof: West Virginia, Florida, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Nebraska, Oregon, Pitt, Purdue, South Carolina and Wisconsin just to name a few.

But, despite all the other offers, Belton will be lining up in blue and white next year.

In high school, Belton played quarterback. In his junior year, he rushed for 1,192 yards followed by 1,003 yards in his senior season.

In his sophomore year, he played wide receiver. He posted 707 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.

Belton is expected to play wide receiver in college.

The most noticeable thing Belton brings to the table is his quickness. He comes in and out of cuts with speed, and has great body control.

It should be interesting to see how Penn State incorporates him into the offense.

TE Kyle Carter

There are still a lot of questions surrounding Kyle Carter.

Carter was the first prospect to announce his intention to play for Penn State next year.

Carter didn't receive many offers, and the two others he did were Delaware and Bucknell. Penn State obviously saw something in Carter, offering him a scholarship despite a 2-star rating from Rivals.com and a 3-star rating from Scout.com.

"Penn State just saw the potential and they offered me from that, which meant a lot," said Carter.

Carter seems to have great receiving abilities, and he isn't afraid to go in for a block. In fact, he seems to enjoy it.

Penn State is thin at tight end, so Carter could get some opportunities quickly.

K Sam Ficken

It will be the 2-star prospect from Indiana who will probably make the biggest impact on Penn State next year.

Kicker Sam Ficken will be the replacement for Collin Wagner, and it will not be an easy task.

Ficken does show a good upside. He kicks well off the ground rather than with a tee, which most high school kickers use.

He was 10-of-14 on field goals his senior year, including a long of 52 yards.

Ficken will take over field goal and kickoff duties.

DE Jordan Kerner

Jordan Kerner will bring his versatility to Penn State next season.

In his senior year, Kerner spent time playing running back, tight end, defensive line and linebacker. Kerner will likely play defensive end for the Nittany Lions.

The 3-star recruit was an all-state selection the past two years.

At 6'5" and 230 pounds, Kerner brings a lot of power despite his smaller frame. He can apparently bench press 320 pounds.

Penn State has been looking to build both the offensive and defensive line. Kerner may be a piece for years to come.

LB Ben Kline

Ben Kline is Linebacker University's only linebacker recruit in 2011.

Kline originally committed to Pittsburgh back in June, but the firing of former head coach Dave Wannstedt obviously had an effect on his decision.

"I was weighing my options and everything and trying to figure out everything that I wanted to do. Obviously with Coach Wannstedt being let go, I love those guys out there and everything and I really feel for them, but once that all happened it just kind of solidified that Penn State was the place for me," Kline said.

Rivals.com and Scout.com both rate Kline as a 3-star linebacker.

Kline finished his senior season with 152 tackles, 1.5 sacks and three interceptions.

OG Angelo Mangiro

There is some dispute when discussing offensive lineman Angelo Mangiro.

Rivals.com ranks Mangiro as the 18th-best offensive guard in the nation, while Scout.com ranks him third.

Mangiro is the team's only ESPNU 150 selection this year.

Regardless, Mangiro was one of the top recruits in the Northeast. He received offers from many prestigious schools, including Ohio State and USC.

Mangiro shows aggression when on the field. He comes off the ball with an attitude, and loves putting linemen on their backs. He is a very physical player, and uses his strength to his advantage.

However, Mangiro played in a very run happy offense in high school. He will have to improve his pass blocking abilities at the next level.

Mangiro has a fantastic upside, and should eventually be starting at University Park.

OT Ryan Nowicki

Most of the time, 3-star recruits are nothing to get overly excited about. This may be an exception.

While Ryan Nowicki hasn't received much attention from scouting sites like Rivals and Scout, he has received attention from schools.

Nearly every PAC-10 school, including USC, offered Nowicki a scholarship. He had over 20 total offers.

Nowicki is known for his rough playing style. He has a nasty streak, and gets off the ball in an explosive manner.

Nowicki is 6'5" and weighs 280 pounds. He is projected as an offensive tackle, but can move to offensive guard if needed.

DE Shawn Oakman

It's a pretty gratifying feeling knowing that Shawn Oakman will be coming to Penn State.

He may not be the highest rated recruit, but if those ratings were based just on physical talent, then Oakman would be close to the top.

The 6'8", 250 pound defensive end brings raw talent. He will need coaching, but has the ability to become an absolute force for years to come.

"It came down to what I thought what college should be and also what college coach was going to push from being good to being great. I think Coach Johnson and Coach Vanderlinden can do that. That's why I choose Penn State," Oakman said.

Coaches Johnson and Vanderlinden, get to work. This is a college football player in an NFL player's body.

ATH Shyquawn Pullium

Shyquawn Pullium actually committed to Penn State a year ago, but he decided to attend prep school.

Now, Pullium heads to Penn State and expects to compete for a spot at cornerback. He played both quarterback and cornerback in high school.

He is 6'0" and 170 pounds. He needs to add weight, since he lacks elite speed.

Pullium is one of the question marks in this year's draft class. It's hard to predict how he will do, but the Nittany Lions are weak at cornerback so he could get an opportunity.

WR Allen Robinson

He won't be another Derrick Williams or Deon Butler, but Allen Robinson should make an impact for the Nittany Lions.

Robinson is a possession receiver. He has good size, great hands and fantastic body control. He is a deep ball threat despite his lack of speed, since he is able to go up and take the ball away from defenders.

Robinson caught 39 passes for 653 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season at St. Mary's.

Yes, St. Mary's. Robinson was Robert Bolden's primary receiver in high school.

With Brent Brackett and Graham Zug graduating, Robinson may have opportunities this year. He is a larger target like Brackett, who was arguably Bolden's favorite target last season.

OT Donovan Smith

The final of the four offensive linemen in this year's class is offensive tackle Donovan Smith.

At 6'7" and 270 pounds, Smith has impressive size. He lacks the strength that would be expected of an offensive tackle, but that can easily be improved.

Smith also needs to work on some of his technique. His pad level gets too high when he is facing lesser opponents.

Despite this, he is still ranked as a 4-star prospect on both Scouts and Rivals.

It's all about potential with Donovan Smith. He may not be ready to start immediately, but he has the opportunity to develop into a star on the offensive line.

WR Matt Zanellato

Rivals.com says Matt Zanellato is a 2-star recruit. Scout.com says he is a 4-star recruit.

I'm going to lean towards the Scout rating for now. Zanellato seems to have all the attributes that one would ask for in a starting wide receiver.

He has phenomenal control over his body, great hands and concentration, good size for a wide receiver and runs great routes.

The only thing he seems to lack is top end speed, but his route-running ability makes up for that. Zanellato appears much quicker because of his ability to get in and out of cuts.

There was very little talk about Zanellato until his senior year. He transferred to Lake Braddock High School so he could play in its spread offense.

The decision was a good one. Zanellato totaled 76 catches for 1,444 yards and 17 touchdowns this year.

I'm just going to go ahead and say it now: This is Penn State's future No. 1 receiver.

DE Anthony Zettel

Last, but most definitely not least, is defensive end Anthony Zettel.

Zettel is yet another great pass rushing defensive end that will come to Happy Valley next season. He is an aggressive player who has good footwork.

Most impressive is his quickness off the ball. His initial burst gives him a huge advantage against offensive tackles.

Scout considers Zettel the No. 5 defensive end in the nation while Rivals puts him eighth.

Zettel's only downside is his lack of size for a defensive lineman. He comes in as 6'4" and 250 pounds. He has a frame that will allow him to put on some weight, but not much.

Despite this, Zettel is one of the better prospects in the nation and should have a great career at Penn State.