By Bill Kurelic, NN Recruiting Analyst

bkurelic@nittanynetwork.com

April 28, 2009

Penn State’s Blue-White Spring Game on Saturday attracted some of the top prospects the Nittany Lions are pursuing.  One of those in attendance was Annandale (N.J.) North Hunterdon tight end Kevin Haplea.

“I went up there on Friday,” Haplea said.  “I stayed all day Friday and left after the game on Saturday.  On Friday I got to spend some time with Mickey Shuler and go to classes and hang out.  I had lunch with Coach (Bill) Kenney.  I went to a Penn State baseball game with Coach (Dick) Anderson on Friday evening.  I got a good feel for things.”

Haplea was not disappointed with the game on Saturday either.

“It was crazy,” Haplea said.  “Having 76,000 fans was an insane turnout.  The atmosphere is second to none.  I was impressed with the people and the school, how the whole town feeds of the football program.”

The 6-foot-4 and 235-pound Haplea is one of the East Coast’s top tight end prospects.  He caught 17 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns during his junior season.  Haplea also played defensive end and made 58 tackles including nine sacks.

Haplea has scholarship offers from Penn State, Pitt, Florida State, South Florida, Louisville, Syracuse, Miami, West Virginia, Rutgers and Purdue.

“I didn’t think about committing when I was at Penn State,” Haplea said.  “I want to go to the Florida schools in June.  The earliest I would decide is sometime in the middle of the summer.”

However, Haplea may soon narrow things down to at least a tentative list.

“In a week or two I’d like to narrow down my list and make it public, but it’s tough because I haven’t seen the Florida schools,” he said.

Haplea will be back in State College for the Penn State Nike Football Training Camp on Saturday.