By Bill Kurelic, NN Recruiting Analyst

bkurelic@nittanynetwork.com

June 17, 2009

Today, Nittany Network has a ‘Sweet 16’ Hot List of prospects that would look just right in a Penn State uniform.  These 16 players have all been offered a scholarship by the Nittany Lions. 

The prospects are ranked based on a number of factors including how likely it is the prospect ends up at Penn State and the Nittany Lions need at the prospect’s position.

Our first Hot List ran in April, and the prospects ranked second, fourth, sixth and seventh committed to Penn State in the interim. Still, the current iteration of the list has changed. Some names are new. Some moved up. Some moved down. Some dropped off. Some committed elsewhere.

That said, here is Nittany Network’s Penn State Hot List for June:

1. LB Khairi Fortt
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Boston College, Cal, Virginia, North Carolina, Syracuse and others
Kurelic’s Take:  The Nittany Lions have a good shot at landing Fortt.  He attended the Nike Football Training Camp at Penn State and there was no doubt he liked what he saw and felt comfortable in State College.

2. DE/LB Dakota Royer
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Pitt, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oregon and a couple others
Kurelic’s Take:  Royer was one of the players hanging with Fortt at the Penn State Nike Camp.  It would not be surprising to see them as Nittany Lion teammates next year.

3. WR Alex Kenney
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Virginia, Stanford, Boston College, Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota and others
Kurelic’s Take:  Kenney is one of the top prospects in the Keystone State and has grown up in the Nittany Lions’ backyard.  However, Kenney says he has no clear-cut leader at this point.

4. RB Marcus Lattimore
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Clemson, South Carolina, North Carolina and Maryland
Kurelic’s Take:  Lattimore has narrowed his list down to eight schools.  He will visit Penn State June 26-27.

5. DL Sharrif Floyd
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Rutgers, UCLA, Stanford, Wisconsin, Temple and others
Kurelic’s Take:  Floyd was at Penn State for the Nike Camp and seemed to enjoy his time in State College.  He told me Penn State will definitely be one of his official visits.

6. QB Robert Bolden
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Michigan and Oregon are Bolden’s main three.
Kurelic’s Take:  Look for this one to come down to the Nittany Lions and Spartans.  It would be a huge victory if Paterno can pull it off.

7. TE Kevin Haplea
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Pitt, Rutgers, West Virginia and others
Kurelic’s Take:  Haplea has been to Penn State on more than one occasion and the Nittany Lions have as good a shot as anyone.

8. OL Robby Havenstein
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Boston College, Stanford and others
Kurelic’s Take:  Havenstein has been to Penn State several times.  He could definitely call State College home for the next four or five years.

9. RB/LB Zach Zwinak
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Maryland, West Virginia, Michigan, Pitt, Boston College, Rutgers, Syracuse, Ohio State, Stanford, Virginia Tech and others
Kurelic’s Take:  Zwinak prefers running back, but seems more likely to play fullback or linebacker in college.

10. QB Anthony Gonzalez
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Maryland, Clemson, Pitt, Illinois, Florida State, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Missouri and others
Kurelic’s Take:  Gonzalez has checked out Penn State, Pitt and Maryland, but says he has not yet begun to narrow his list down.

11. OL Arie Kouandjio
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Maryland, Ohio State, Notre Dame, LSU and many others
Kurelic’s Take:  Kouandjio says he is very open minded and considering all three-dozen-plus schools that have offered a scholarship.

12. DE C.J. Olaniyan
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Indiana and others
Kurelic’s Take:  Olaniyan liked what he saw when he visited Penn State, but remains non-committal on any favorites.

13. J.R. Ferguson
Schools Considering:  Penn State, USC, North Carolina, Boston College, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Michigan State, Illinois, Stanford, Tennessee and many others
Kurelic’s Take:  Landing Ferguson would be a huge coup for the Nittany Lions.  But the competition is fierce as he has offers from seemingly everyone from coast-to-coast.

14. DE Darryl Baldwin
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan State
Kurelic’s Take:  Baldwin enjoyed his visit to Penn State on Friday, but Ohio State won’t be easy to beat.

15. WR Kenny Stills
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, San Diego State and others
Kurelic’s Take:  Stills says one of his official visits will be to Penn State, but the West Coast schools loom.

16. RB Corey Brown
Schools Considering:  Penn State, Florida, Ohio State, Rutgers, Pitt, Miami, Florida State, Clemson, West Virginia, Alabama and others.
Kurelic’s Take:  Brown has Florida, Ohio State and Rutgers at the top of his list.  He will be the Pennsylvanian Paterno will have the toughest time landing.