By Jeff Rice, NN Senior Writer

jrice@nittanynetwork.com

June 3, 2009

Tom Luginbill has seen the game as a player, a coach and a personnel evaluator. Each year, ESPN’s national director of recruiting and his colleagues at Scouts, Inc. evaluate more than 3,000 high school prospects, from future NFL stars to those destined for FCS programs.

Luginbill took some time to talk to Nittany Network senior writer Jeff Rice about a variety of Penn State topics. Today, in the first of a three-part series, he breaks down the Nittany Lions’ six commitments and talks about some recent changes in their recruiting philosophy. Stay tuned for future installments.

Jeff Rice: It seems like Penn State is going after more high-profile prospects for the class of 2010 than they have in the past. Why do you think that is?

Tom Luginbill: The biggest thing they’re trying to do is upgrade their speed and athleticism. One of the things that helped get them back to the top of the conference was being faster and more athletic. They’ve seen the results of that and it’s more of a priority now. The thought is, ‘If we can be faster, we can compete for championships each year.’

JR: Can you give us your thoughts on the guys they have in the fold thus far?

TL: Mike Hull: We all know the tradition of Penn State linebackers, and that’s always going to be somewhat of a recruiting tool. Hull is hard-nosed, tough; he really fits the mold of what fans have become accustomed to at that position. He’ll have to gain some weight, but more and more teams are going with a smaller version of a linebacker because of all the spread offenses. You want players on defense you don’t have to substitute for and can play in space. You’re really starting to see it infiltrate the Big Ten. You can add bulk and strength, but you can’t coach speed or quickness or range.

PJ Jones: I’ve got real mixed feelings on him. When I saw him on tape, I was very intrigued. He’s got a ton of raw physical talent. When I saw him in person, I realized he’s far more of a project than anticipated. In my opinion he needs a redshirt year, time in the film room, significant time on his mechanical work.
I compare him to (Kevin) Newsome – they’re both athletic, great-looking athletes on the hoof, but they need to develop into quarterbacks that happen to be great athletes, not athletes that happen to play quarterback.
I know what Galen Hall (Luginbill coached against him in NFL Europe) likes to have. He’s not been a guy that has had dual threat quarterbacks until recently, and he’s done a great job of it but in doing so, you give up a little of that ready-made passer. I think if Jones takes a year to learn, sit, absorb, it will really benefit him down the road.

Silas Redd: That’s a guy we think is really, really good. He’s short and compact from a frame standpoint but has tremendous agility, balance, the ability to fit through tight creases. And he can carry the load, more so than just looking at him would indicate.
He has the opportunity to be a very good back. The one thing is he comes from Connecticut where there aren’t a ton of elite players, so when you watch him on tape, he’s a man amongst boys. It will be interesting to see him transition to the next level when he’s around players at his skill level or better.

Adrian Coxson: He’s the first guy you want getting off the bus (to intimidate the other team). He really passes the eye test -- tall, physical, put together. You look at him on tape, then watch him in person, and it’s the same type of skill set and production. Physically, he’s ready to play, but that’s not usually the determining factor, it’s how quickly you adapt to learning the game at the next level.
If he handles adjustment, I think he can play as a true freshman.

Luke Graham: (Luginbill had not yet seen Graham on film)

Miles Dieffenbach: We invited him to the Under Armour All-America game as a center prospect. This is a difficult class to evaluate at the center position because so many guys that end up being centers were tackles or guards in high school.
He’s played everywhere across the front. For a center he’s tall, and you usually don’t see a lot of that. I think it’s a good pickup for this type of class that doesn’t have a bunch of ready-made centers available.
 
JR: Were you surprised Dieffenbach chose Penn State over Pitt given that his dad is the longtime Panthers’ tennis coach?

TL: Drawing from my own personal experience (Luginbill’s father, Al, was the head coach at San Diego State), most fathers involved in the coaching profession that have a son or daughter who is a recruitable athlete, the No. 1 thing they’re smart enough to do is advise when they need to advise and then stay out of the way.
I would venture to say his dad has been through the process enough as a coach to realize (Miles) has to make the decision that’s best for him.