Nittany Lions losing out on Pennsylvania's best

Is it time to worry if you're a Penn State fan?

That notion seems a bit absurd to those who don't follow the recruiting process closely, but to recruitniks there is a bit of panic in Happy Valley.

Why?

There's more talent in the state of Pennsylvania than there has been in more than a decade, and the Nittany Lions might get shut out when it comes to signing the best of them.

Joe Paterno and his staff currently have two commitments for the class of 2008, one from in-state lineman Matt Stankiewitch and another from Ohio legacy recruit Mike Zordich. Zordich was a great get for the staff despite the family connections to PSU (his dad, Mike Sr. played for Paterno in the early 1980s). However, the Nittany Lions beat out three Big East teams -- Rutgers, West Virginia and UConn -- for Stankiewitch. The 6-4, 295-pounder won't be ranked in the top 20 players in state. The big boys aren't flocking to PSU at this point.

Let's take a quick look at the talent in the Keystone State this year. Pennsylvania boasts four of the nation's top 28 players, led by quarterback Terrelle Pryor from Jeannette High School. The 6-5, 220-pounder has been compared to Vince Young and has more upside than any other player in the nation. But Terrelle Pryor is the only one of the four looking at Penn State.

Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway linebacker Shayne Hale (No. 12) has narrowed his list to 11 schools, and the Nittany Lions didn't make it. Offensive/defensive lineman Lucas Nix (No. 26) from Jefferson Hills (Pa.) Thomas Jefferson has a final six -- without Penn State. Tight end/wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin from Aliquippa, Pa., has nine teams he's considering but -- you guessed it -- PSU didn't make the cut.

There are eight additional players from Pennsylvania in the Rivals 250 and four of them are already committed. Running back Chris Burns is headed to Pitt, linebacker Andrew Sweat will play at Ohio State and safety Nick Moody and athlete A.J. Alexander committed to Florida State.

Tight end Hubie Graham from Scranton (Pa.) West Scranton hasn't been heavily recruited by Penn State despite offers from Michigan, Oklahoma, UCLA and many others. That leaves three other Pennsylvania standouts -- linebackers Christian Wilson and Mike Yancich and cornerback Jared Holley -- currently listing Penn State along with Terrelle Pryor. Wilson's list is still nine teams deep, Yancich has 10 schools listed and Holley lists 11.

So what's wrong in State College?

After signing the nation's top player -- wide receiver Derrick Williams -- in 2005 and landing the nation's No. 6 recruiting class in 2006, things have slipped on the recruiting trail for Paterno and company. Last year's class was 21 deep, and there wasn't a top-100 player in the group. If things go sour in-state this year, Penn State could find itself struggling in the Big Ten again.

Many point to Paterno's age as the main reason for the recent recruiting struggles. However, Paterno was 78 a couple years ago when the Nittany Lions finished atop the Big Ten in recruiting. Sure, Paterno isn't as involved in recruiting as most of the other head coaches in the nation. However, the man can still close on prospects (Derrick Williams is an example). The fan base can't be blamed. The program's supporters help create one of the best atmospheres in college football for big games.

My best guess is that Penn State looks antiquated to recruits. All of the excitement surrounding PSU's 11-1 record in 2005 and new, wide-open offense has been tempered by offensive struggles in 2006. Paterno and his offensive staff opened things up with Mike Robinson in 2005, scoring 20 or more points in all but one game.

This past year? The Penn State offense scored 20 or fewer points in six of the 13 games they played. The Nittany Lions posted a grand total of 19 points in losses to Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan. Sound familiar? In 2004's 4-7 season, Penn State scored 10 or fewer points in six games -- including a 6-4 loss to Iowa on national television.

But why are defensive players shying away? Penn State is still a top defensive team, right? Yes, if you look at the numbers.

But players these days seem to want more flash than substance. They want to play for a team that will compete for a national title right away. The bowl victory over Tennessee showed promise, but there isn't the same buzz around the Penn State program as there is at Ohio State, Florida, Florida State and others.

So is it time to panic? Not quite yet. However, there's a chance that the Penn State program could use a shot in the arm sooner than later.

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