Defensive end C.J. Olaniyan from Warren (Mich.) Mott has become verbal commitment No. 17 for Joe Paterno’s 2010 recruiting class.
Olaniyan selected the Nittany Lions over scholarship offers from a dozen-plus schools including Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana, Oregon, Kentucky, Maryland and Virginia Tech.
“C.J. committed to Penn State last night,” Mott Coach Tom Milanov said. “He talked to Coach (Ron) Vanderlinden. He’s good to go.”
Olaniyan attended a workout at Penn State during the spring and was impressed with the way Larry Johnson did things. Vanderlinden has also been heavily involved with Olaniyan’s recruitment.
The 6-foot-4 and 230-pound Olaniyan is one of the top 10 prospects in the state of Michigan. He has been a varsity starter at defensive end and as a flex receiver since the beginning of his sophomore season.
Olaniyan made 85 tackles including nine sacks during his junior season. He had 14 tackles for loss. On the other side of the ball Olaniyan caught 33 passes and scored three times.
Mott coach Tom Milanov talked about his star player.
“He has a good motor,” Milanov said. “He is just scratching the surface of his potential. He is definitely a team player.”
In addition to being an outstanding football player, Olaniyan is also on the Mott basketball and track teams.
Kurelic’s Comment: Olaniyan’s commitment is not a huge surprise. He has long had Penn State as one of his top five choices. The only slight surprise is Olaniyan decided against taking official visits. With Olaniyan and QB Robert Bolden, the Nittany Lions have landed two of the top 10 prospects in Michigan. I have Bolden as the No. 2 overall prospect in Michigan and Olaniyan at No. 9 in my print publication, the Midwest Football Recruiting News.
Olaniyan makes it 17
