By Bill Kurelic, NN Recruiting Analyst

bkurelic@nittanynetwork.com

April 23, 2009

Nittany Network comes is thrilled to reveal its Penn State Hot List, a “Sweet 16” of prospects Joe Paterno would love to sign. 

Our ranking is based on a number of factors: the Nittany Lions’ chances of landing the prospect; how highly ranked the prospect is; and Penn State’s need at the prospect’s position. 

That said, here is Nittany Network’s Penn State Hot List for April.

1. WR Alex Kenney
Schools considering:  Penn State, Stanford, Illinois, Virginia, Boston College, Northwestern, Purdue and others
The Skinny:  Kenney is in the Nittany Lions’ backyard, is one of the top receivers in Big Ten country, and his father is a professor at PSU.   Failure to land Kenney would be a definite blow to Paterno’s recruiting efforts.

2. WR Adrian Coxson
Schools considering: Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia, Florida, Maryland, Boston College, Duke and others
The Skinny:  The Nittany Lions are arguably the leader or one of the leaders for Coxson.

3. DE/LB Dakota Royer
Schools considering:  Penn State, Illinois, Pitt, Michigan State, Rutgers, Stanford, Virginia, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Syracuse, UCLA and others
The Skinny:  The more offers Royer lands the tougher his decision seems to become.  But in the end, I see him playing for the Blue and White.

4. RB Silas Redd
Schools considering:  Penn State, Boston College, Stanford, Virginia, Rutgers, Connecticut, Oregon and Syracuse
The Skinny:  Redd has Penn State at the top of his list and I don’t expect that to change.

5. DL Sharrif Floyd
Schools considering:  Penn State, Pitt, UCLA, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Stanford, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others
The Skinny:  Floyd is expected to attend Penn State’s Spring Game on Saturday.

6. OL Luke Graham
Schools considering:  Penn State, Pitt, Illinois, Maryland, Duke, Virginia, Northwestern, and a couple others.
The Skinny:  Graham says he does not have a favorite.  The Nittany Lions have as good a shot as anyone.

7. DL Kyle Baublitz
Schools considering:  Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia, Boston College, Clemson, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Maryland, Stanford, Florida State and others
The Skinny:  Baublitz has visited Penn State a number of times, including a couple games this past season.

8. LB Khairi Fortt
Schools considering:  Penn State, Notre Dame, Florida, Florida State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Connecticut, Boston College and others
The Skinny:  After attending Notre Dame’s Spring Game last weekend, Fortt is expected to attend Penn State’s Spring Game this weekend.

9. QB/ATH Anthony Gonzalez
Schools considering:  Penn State, Pitt, Illinois, Maryland, Florida State, West Virginia, Northwestern, Maryland and others
The Skinny:  Paterno wants to sign two quarterbacks this recruiting season and would love for Gonzalez be one of them.

10. LB/RB Zach Zwinak
Schools considering:  Penn State, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Virginia Tech and others
The Skinny:  Zwinak and high school teammate Robby Havenstein visited Penn State and Maryland last weekend.   

11. OL Robby Havenstein
Schools considering:  Penn State, Maryland, West Virginia, Stanford, Virginia, North Carolina State and others
The Skinny:  Maryland and Penn State could battle it out for Havenstein’s services.

12. TE Kevin Haplea
Schools considering:  Penn State, Pitt, Miami, Syracuse, West Virginia, Rutgers and others
The Skinny:  Haplea visited Penn State in late March and liked what he saw.

13. RB Corey Brown
Schools considering:  Penn State, Ohio State, Florida, Alabama, Miami, Notre Dame, Pitt, Rutgers, and many others
The Skinny:  Early in the recruiting process, Brown did not have PSU in his top eight.  He now says he no longer has a top eight.

14. RB Braylon Heard
Schools considering:  Penn State, West Virginia, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Wisconsin and Maryland are among Heard’s 13 offers
The Skinny:  Heard says Penn State and USC remain his favorites, but he is open to anyone.

15. QB Robert Bolden
Schools considering:  Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan, Oregon, Northwestern and many others
The Skinny:  Bolden visited Penn State last weekend and things went well.  Bolden or Gonzalez, to go along with P.J. Jones, would be a coup for Paterno.

16. WR Justin Hunter
Schools considering:  Penn State, Florida, Louisville, Syracuse, LSU, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Alabama and others
The Skinny:  Hunter has over two dozen scholarship offers.  This won’t be an easy one for the Nittany Lions to win.