Can you name all the former PSU verbal commits who went elsewhere and had great or poor careers?

[Jerademan74]

An example of a player who went on to have a great career was Kevin Jones of VA Tech (his father thought our weight training program sucked). An example of someone who de-committed from PSU who bombed elsewhere was Dan Kendra of FSU.

 

[WDLion]

An example of a player who went on to have a great career was Kevin Jones of VA Tech (his father thought our weight training program sucked). An example of someone who de-committed from PSU who bombed elsewhere was Dan Kendra of FSU.

I don't think Jones ever committed to PSU.

 

[lionlurker]

I have always thought that recruits who commit/de commit/recommit elsewhere have a much higher failure rate than you would expect. It is a character issue.

 

[dwiz]

I don't think Jones ever committed to PSU.

Yeah Jones just pick Vtech during signing day

 

[psu1969a]

Do you really have to compile/read the list?

 

[Section118]

Brandon Wimbush will be one.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Hmmm.....

Leon Williams, LB - De-committed and went to Miami. Had a good college career, but nothing special.

Dominique Easley, DE - He was committed until he got a Florida offer, then jumped ship. Had an injury riddled career though and was a 1st Rd NFL pick.

I can't recall the name of the RB who decommitted and went to Michigan but he never did much there. To be honest, the recruits we got to flip *for* us has far outweighed the ones who got away.

 

[Lion8286]

Hmmm.....

Leon Williams, LB - De-committed and went to Miami. Had a good college career, but nothing special.

Dominique Easley, DE - He was committed until he got a Florida offer, then jumped ship. Had an injury riddled career though and was a 1st Rd NFL pick.

I can't recall the name of the RB who decommitted and went to Michigan but he never did much there. To be honest, the recruits we got to flip *for* us has far outweighed the ones who got away.

Michael Shaw

 

[psuro]

Hmmm.....

Leon Williams, LB - De-committed and went to Miami. Had a good college career, but nothing special.

Dominique Easley, DE - He was committed until he got a Florida offer, then jumped ship. Had an injury riddled career though and was a 1st Rd NFL pick.

I can't recall the name of the RB who decommitted and went to Michigan but he never did much there. To be honest, the recruits we got to flip *for* us has far outweighed the ones who got away.

I think he ended up at UMass

 

[Option Bob]

1. Chris Simms --> verbal to Tennesee --> then signed with Texas
2. Cam Williams --> OSU
3. Armani Reeves --> OSU
4. T Schutt --> OSU
5. Thomas Holly --> UF
6. Some RB named Shaw --> Michigan
7. A. Womack --> Virginia

 

[ellobo]

I think he ended up at UMass

Mike Cox was the kid who ended up at Umass from Michigan and then the NFL. Shaw was the kid who decommited from PSU. When healthy he was a pretty good player...was not healthy often.

 

[Lion8286]

1. Chris Simms --> verbal to Tennesee --> then signed with Texas

I don't think Simms ever publicly committed to Penn State.

 

[Eurotrash1]

Dorian Johnson is off to a good start. We'll see how his career finishes.

 

[eidolon21]

How are Reeves and C Williams doing @ OSU ? Those hurt (the H*ll with Emmert!).

 

[Ceasar]

Dorian Johnson is off to a good start. We'll see how his career finishes.

I recall about 5-6 years ago a LB from Philly named Quinn de committed, went to ND and was never heard from again.

 

[jimarnp]

An example of a player who went on to have a great career was Kevin Jones of VA Tech (his father thought our weight training program sucked). An example of someone who de-committed from PSU who bombed elsewhere was Dan Kendra of FSU.

---Jason Evans, 4 star RB out of Georgia about 10-12 years ago. De -committed when Stanford offered. Never much more than a returner or backup RB there, but he did get a heck of an education. ---played under Harbaugh, I think

 

[Jerademan74]

I have always thought that recruits who commit/de commit/recommit elsewhere have a much higher failure rate than you would expect. It is a character issue.

I agree with this assessment. Who was the LB who first thought Penn State, then OSU and then ND.....Analone? How is he doing now? Some of this kids think they are better than the game, and when they find them playing against equal competition, they can't handle it properly. I know there are well documented exceptions who go on to be great in college an great NFL players, but that is far from the norm.

 

[Jerademan74]

Hmmm.....

Leon Williams, LB - De-committed and went to Miami. Had a good college career, but nothing special.

Dominique Easley, DE - He was committed until he got a Florida offer, then jumped ship. Had an injury riddled career though and was a 1st Rd NFL pick.

I can't recall the name of the RB who decommitted and went to Michigan but he never did much there. To be honest, the recruits we got to flip *for* us has far outweighed the ones who got away.

We really haven't had high 4 star or 5 star kids decommit from elsewhere and flip to us. Anthony Morelli is the last flip that we got that was highly rated, but I would consider him a flop for us based on expectations.

 

[BigTimeBig]

I agree with this assessment. Who was the LB who first thought Penn State, then OSU and then ND.....Analone? How is he doing now? Some of this kids think they are better than the game, and when they find them playing against equal competition, they can't handle it properly. I know there are well documented exceptions who go on to be great in college an great NFL players, but that is far from the norm.

Alex Anzalone. I think he was a PSU commit at one time then backed out and decided between ND and UF. Ended up at Florida. Still only a RS JR I believe. Read an article about him a little while ago and seems like he could start this year but is battling past injuries and the depth chart.

 

[BigTimeBig]

We really haven't had high 4 star or 5 star kids decommit from elsewhere and flip to us. Anthony Morelli is the last flip that we got that was highly rated, but I would consider him a flop for us based on expectations.

Was Morelli committed elsewhere? I was going to say Henne, but similar to K. Jones I don't believe he ever committed. I may be wrong on both counts. Thought they were just considered leans by people back then. Of course recruiting has changed a ton so a lean then was different than a lean today.

 

[LionDeNittany]

We lost a QB to Florida as well. The son of the announcer?

Those who left and went to OSU that one year they are in this article:

http://247sports.com/Article/Looking-Back-At-Ohio-States-Recruiting-Class-Of-2012-37463200

A couple of them have a NC ring... which is nice.

Skyler Mornhinweg is the QB I mentioned above. He's apparently at Columbia now.

 

[ram2020]

Yup, anzalone was a tough one I remember. Pennsylvania kid, fit the mold of a PSU linebacker through and through. That was sort of the apex of the sanctions. He was then set to go to OSU, but he went on his recruiting trip and some Pedo Buckeye fan hung out with him at a bar and posted pictures. Anzalone's dad is a doctor and when this guy posted pics of himself with Anzalone and other recruits, anzalone's dad got mad as a hornet and said no way to OSU. Florida sort of won by default, but muschamp got fired and its been a bit of a mess there. Still think PSU would have been a great spot for him, he could easily be a permanent starter at this point.

QUOTE="Jerademan74, post: 283848, member: 8510"]I agree with this assessment. Who was the LB who first thought Penn State, then OSU and then ND.....Analone? How is he doing now? Some of this kids think they are better than the game, and when they find them playing against equal competition, they can't handle it properly. I know there are well documented exceptions who go on to be great in college an great NFL players, but that is far from the norm.[/QUOTE]

 

[TheGLOV]

I recall about 5-6 years ago a LB from Philly named Quinn de committed, went to ND and was never heard from again.

Exactly!!

 

[lionlurker]

Dorian Johnson is off to a good start. We'll see how his career finishes.

Actually, Johnson was pretty mediocre last year, but he is still young. Nevertheless, his start has not been all that impressive.

 

[Jerademan74]

Was Morelli committed elsewhere? I was going to say Henne, but similar to K. Jones I don't believe he ever committed. I may be wrong on both counts. Thought they were just considered leans by people back then. Of course recruiting has changed a ton so a lean then was different than a lean today.

Morelli was commited to Pitt. This was considered a great steal as he was a 5 star rated QB out of Pittsburgh.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

We really haven't had high 4 star or 5 star kids decommit from elsewhere and flip to us. Anthony Morelli is the last flip that we got that was highly rated, but I would consider him a flop for us based on expectations.

It's happening a lot more lately - Barkley, Farmer, Dalton, Bowers, Givens, Kelly, McSorley, Stevens, etc. But, there have been a few good ones before that - Hodges, Gbadyu, Kersey, etc. Mostly players from Rutgers, Maryland, and Pitt to be honest.

 

[mn78psu83]

I don't think Simms ever publicly committed to Penn State.

No, but Phil had him signed, sealed and delivered. Slam dunk. 100%. I'll never forget this line, "Fran Ganter is like a second father to him." What ensued was old board madness and chaos.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

No, but Phil had him signed, sealed and delivered. Slam dunk. 100%. I'll never forget this line, "Fran Ganter is like a second father to him." What ensued was old board madness and chaos.

Ah, the good ol days. The Simms recruitment was so weird! After he bailed on Tenn everyone had him pegged to PSU - then he picked Texas. I can't recall what happened there. I will say the Henne decision is probably the most epic for this board.

 

[mn78psu83]

Ah, the good ol days. The Simms recruitment was so weird! After he bailed on Tenn everyone had him pegged to PSU - then he picked Texas. I can't recall what happened there. I will say the Henne decision is probably the most epic for this board.

Henne had the hatred of Meatchicken, his high school coach and the bitter taste of betrayal all served up in a sh** casserole. The collective blood pressure was sky high when that happened.

 

[kgilbert78]

Different sport--but Trey Burke. He went to my wife's HS, so it was cool when he committed. But then he got a lot better....

 

[bmw199]

Yup, anzalone was a tough one I remember. Pennsylvania kid, fit the mold of a PSU linebacker through and through. That was sort of the apex of the sanctions. He was then set to go to OSU, but he went on his recruiting trip and some Pedo Buckeye fan hung out with him at a bar and posted pictures. Anzalone's dad is a doctor and when this guy posted pics of himself with Anzalone and other recruits, anzalone's dad got mad as a hornet and said no way to OSU. Florida sort of won by default, but muschamp got fired and its been a bit of a mess there. Still think PSU would have been a great spot for him, he could easily be a permanent starter at this point.

QUOTE="Jerademan74, post: 283848, member: 8510"]I agree with this assessment. Who was the LB who first thought Penn State, then OSU and then ND.....Analone? How is he doing now? Some of this kids think they are better than the game, and when they find them playing against equal competition, they can't handle it properly. I know there are well documented exceptions who go on to be great in college an great NFL players, but that is far from the norm.

[/QUOTE]
He went to my HS. He was never committed to Penn State. but everything else you say is correct.

 

[zwick99]

Will fuller had 17tds last year and jerron jones is a beast. Oakman is not too bad.

 

[tboyer]

Henne had the hatred of Meatchicken, his high school coach and the bitter taste of betrayal all served up in a sh** casserole. The collective blood pressure was sky high when that happened.

Funny thing is, Henne made sense to me. He went to Michigan to get coached by Scott Loefler who had coached three NFL QBs including Brady. PSU did not have a history of QB coaching that could remotely compare to that. Yeah, Henne turned out to be just an OK QB but hard to imagine he would have done any better at PSU.

 

[Jerademan74]

Funny thing is, Henne made sense to me. He went to Michigan to get coached by Scott Loefler who had coached three NFL QBs including Brady. PSU did not have a history of QB coaching that could remotely compare to that. Yeah, Henne turned out to be just an OK QB but hard to imagine he would have done any better at PSU.

This is why not having Bill O'Brien will make it tough to get another QB like Hackenberg. We are pursuing getting 2017 5 star QB Hunter from Indiana, but having him commit to Penn State will be tough, unless CJF shows the ability to make Hack shine this year by calling plays that are better suited to his talents. I felt like Hack regressed last year and it wasn't just the OL weakness. This is a critical year for CJF, his Offensive coordinator, QB coach, OL coach, WR's and the OLmen. If we can rock-n-roll on offense this year, it will open up the flood gates for additional high level skill position players!

 

[Ezcheez]

Kwame Harris. PSU OL recruit, ended up at Stanford became a top overall pick and later became one of the first few post NFL players to come out as Gay.

 

[mn78psu83]

Funny thing is, Henne made sense to me. He went to Michigan to get coached by Scott Loefler who had coached three NFL QBs including Brady. PSU did not have a history of QB coaching that could remotely compare to that. Yeah, Henne turned out to be just an OK QB but hard to imagine he would have done any better at PSU.

I also doubt that Henne has any regrets concerning the decision.

 

[lgpsu]

I also doubt that Henne has any regrets concerning the decision.

Agree.......Who would like Jay on the staff.

 

[tboyer]

This is why not having Bill O'Brien will make it tough to get another QB like Hackenberg. We are pursuing getting 2017 5 star QB Hunter from Indiana, but having him commit to Penn State will be tough, unless CJF shows the ability to make Hack shine this year by calling plays that are better suited to his talents. I felt like Hack regressed last year and it wasn't just the OL weakness. This is a critical year for CJF, his Offensive coordinator, QB coach, OL coach, WR's and the OLmen. If we can rock-n-roll on offense this year, it will open up the flood gates for additional high level skill position players!

Agree. I don't think the offense will be great this year -- the OLine is still green and the most important position on the team -- LT -- will be in the hands of a new starter, and we don't even know who that starter will be.

But the offense has got to show more life and unpredictability than it did last year. At times last year it looked like one of those woeful Paterno offenses.

Running back is such a big part of it. They have to get a tailback with breakaway speed on the field. That will fundamentally change the way defenses play them.

Some of the great Miami teams actually had pretty weak offensive lines -- but with the speed they had at running back and wideout, they could move the ball and score points at will. PSU has the POTENTIAL of great speed at running back now (I don't know who it will be but there are several possibilities) and they certainly have great athletic ability at wideout. More talent at wideout than I remember on a PSU squad in modern times. And then you add in Hack who, if he has time to set his feet, can make every throw all over the field.

I really think the offense should be able to operate this year against the Temples, Marylands and Rutgerses of the world. They may not be great but they should have a very different look from last year.

 

[Mace54]

An example of a player who went on to have a great career was Kevin Jones of VA Tech (his father thought our weight training program sucked). An example of someone who de-committed from PSU who bombed elsewhere was Dan Kendra of FSU.

I remember Kendra vividly. #1 QB in the country. He ended up being a 260# fullback at FSU. I don't think he ever threw a pass there.

 

[mn78psu83]

I remember Kendra vividly. #1 QB in the country. He ended up being a 260# fullback at FSU. I don't think he ever threw a pass there.

It's funny that at the FSU site they only show his rushing stats at the bottom of his bio.
LINK: FSU - Dan Kendra

In the season by season breakdown they have all kinds of info about his passing performances his RS freshman and soph seasons. Of note, though, at the time of his graduation he held the FSU leg press record of 1300 pounds. Pretty strong dude.

Sophomore Year (1997): Played in seven games behind ACC Offensive Player of the Year Thad Busby at quarterback...gained valuable experience with the Seminole offense... completed 20-of-37 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns over sophomore season...Florida State's fourth leading rusher on the season with 73 yards on 18 carries...had his best game in a relief role against Maryland where he completed 6-of-8 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns...connected on 7-of-15 passes for for 82 yards against Wake Forest...completed three of his four passes against Georgia Tech for 90 yards and a touchdown...did not play against Clemson, NC State, North Carolina or Florida...gained 36 yards rushing on three carries in the win over Miami.

Freshman Year (1996): Perhaps the best known backup quarterback in the nation as a freshman... led the Seminoles to a 44-7 win over Wake Forest in his only start of the season...stepped in for Thad Busby, who sat out the Wake game with a fractured left wrist suffered the previous week against Georgia Tech...com-pleted 20-of-39 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns against the Demon Deacons...played in eight games...threw a pair of touchdown passes against both NC State and Southern Mississippi...attempted 15 or more passes in three games...netted 55 rushing yards on the season...ran for a pair of touchdowns on the year.