"How Does PSU Scandal Impact Recruiting - ESPN

[BGIF]

I posted this article in the Recruting Thread because is it about recruiting and not about the particulars of the PSU/Sandusky saga. I trust people with keep to recruiting here and take the legal/criminal issues over to the PSU thread in the Other College Football Forum.

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How does PSU scandal affect recruiting? - Big Ten Blog - ESPN

By Adam Rittenberg ESPN
11/7/11

The Penn State scandal isn't going away any time soon, and it could affect several areas of the Nittany Lions football program, including recruiting.

Penn State has 16 verbal commitments for its 2012 class, including two ESPNU 150 selections -- offensive tackle Joey O'Connor and defensive tackle Tommy Schutt.

Several recruits in Penn State's 2012 class say they are firm in their commitments whether Joe Paterno remains coach or not. Colleague Jared Shanker of ESPN Recruiting, who covered Penn State football until last year for The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News, checked in with several Lions recruits during the weekend. The good news for Penn State: They're still on board.
...

Another factor is that Penn State's recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach, Mike McQueary, reportedly was the former graduate assistant who reported an alleged sexual assault involving Sandusky to Paterno in 2002.

"That's huge," Shanker said. "He's going to be the first one usually [recruits] can contact. He might not end up being the lead recruiter, but in most instances he's the guy to initate contact with recruits or their parents. That’s going to be something parents are going to ask. They're going to want to know what happened."

Questions also likely will be asked of other assistants who were on staff in 2002, including top recruiters like defensive coordinator Tom Bradley.

Shanker said many of the recruits he spoke to have been told that if Paterno were to step down -- Paterno's contract ends after this season -- a member of his staff would take over. The big factor going forward, if there are changes, is how dramatic those changes are.

"All of them didn't seem concerned about wholesale changes to the staff," Shanker told me. "If Paterno were to leave, that was pretty much a non-factor for them. They were building their relationships with the assistant coaches. If the assistants leave, they would have to reevaluate things."

As the issues stand now, I really don't think this will have a dramatic effect on their recruiting. There may be a change or two but I don't see widespread defections. Some people may go to jail. Some others may lose their jobs, "retire", or relocate.

Paterno was likely to be done this year as it was. We can conjecture about the morality of the administration but it's really about a couple of people. There will be no NCAA sanctions, no probation, just a stigma. There are likely to be personnel changes in the Administration, AD's Office, perhaps the Head Coach, and an assistant or two. But unless the student body and the football team transfer en masse it's still the same school these kids committed to, for the Program, the campus, the education, the coeds, the helmets, whatever.

 

[clashmore_mike]

Classy article by ESPN. Like recruiting matters at all in light of the all of that stuff.

 

[BurningRiver]

Classy article by ESPN. Like recruiting matters at all in light of the all of that stuff.

Class is espn's middle name

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

That campus is covered with a gross, disgusting slime.

 

[military_irish]

That campus is covered with a gross, disgusting slime.

That might be because Paterno's colonoscopy bag spilled.

 

[NDPhilly]

Armani Reeves had us second right?

 

[jason_h537]

Not really interested. The staff already pased on Schutt, the team is in good position with Payton, Agholar, and Darboh. I suppose this helps with Spence but that is still a long shot. All the guys that were down to PSU-ND went Notre Dame's way already.

 

[aubeirish]

Yea, we have been winning on the recruiting front against them anyways.

 

[NDman3]

Doesn't hurt for our recruitment with Adam Breneman.

 

[NDdomer2]

Irish Sports Report: Could ND target Penn State commits?

I know how much everyone loves Lemming.

 

[RyCo1983]

Irish Sports Report: Could ND target Penn State commits?

I know how much everyone loves Lemming.

That is a great avatar of Dr. Lou.

 

[NDdomer2]

That is a great avatar of Dr. Lou.

Thanks it was on the cover of my alma mater's monthly magazine. The kid on the magazine cover is one of my best friends. He was the cover the month before for winning the Gigliardi.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Not really interested. The staff already pased on Schutt, the team is in good position with Payton, Agholar, and Darboh. I suppose this helps with Spence but that is still a long shot. All the guys that were down to PSU-ND went Notre Dame's way already.

This is how I remember it:
(1) We liked and offered Schutt
(2) We had 2 DLine spots, one was reserved for an Armistead/Jones type monster DE, one for everyone else
(3) Day beat Schutt to the punch, and was likely a little ahead of Schutt on our board
(4) When we passed on him, we were bringing back Crist.
(5) When we passed on him, it seemed likely we'd get a top 15 OT
(6) When we passed on him, Shwenke looked like a sure thing

To me, based on the conditions on the ground and our depth at DLine , I have no issue whatsoever calling up Schutt and re-opening the offer, Chase Hounshell style. I would always err on the side of D-lineman, especially one who could potentially play OG. If we got Schutt and Armistead, Schutt or Jones could play OLine.

 

[Irishman77]

Imagine your son is so accomplished that he has offers to play college football. Then imagine turning on ESPN and seeing campus riots as a result of a sexual molestation crime. Why in the world would you put your son in such turmoil. Personally if my son gave a verbal commitment, I would tell my son to pick any other school but you will NOT be going to Penn State.

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

It will definently be interesting to see how the PSU scandel effects not only the recruiting classes but also players currently already there. I can see absolutely no good coming from this whole mess. The whole thing is embarrassing and troublesome. We are not talking about Cash for play or some other form of nonsense, but Child Abuse of the worst kind and the failure to report to the proper channels. I know that PSU is doing everything right now PR wise to make things better.., but too little too late in my opinion. I'm sure alot of kids and parents are more than a little concerned. It will be interesting to see how things play out.

 

[NDPhilly]

And so it begins...

4 star Colorado OT Joey O'Conner has decommited from Penn St.

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

I'm sure there will be plenty of others to follow suit.

 

[RyCo1983]

Yup...just the beginning I'm sure...

 

[BGIF]

PSU announced Mike McQueary will not be coaching at Saturday's game due to threats made against him.

Got to be an delicate time for Tom Bradley's first and last recruiting game weekend (last home game) of the season with no Recruiting Coordinator available. It would be kind of untoward talking to parents wearing a kelvar blazer while flanked by six state troopers for protection.

I haven't seen any reports that PSU cancelled recruits for this weekend although it probably would be a good idea.

 

[BobD]

PSU announced Mike McQueary will not be coaching at Saturday's game due to threats made against him.

Got to be an delicate time for Tom Bradley's first and last recruiting game weekend (last home game) of the season with no Recruiting Coordinator available. It would be kind of untoward talking to parents wearing a kelvar blazer while flanked by six state troopers for protection.

I haven't seen any reports that PSU cancelled recruits for this weekend although it probably would be a good idea.

What are the chances, that all or most of the football staff at Penn St., didn't have some sort of knowledge about Sandusky being a sicko?

 

[irish4ever]

Ishaq Williams has to be thinking "wow I'm really grateful that Diaco was waiting outside the house @ 4:30am the day I became Irish"!

 

[Old Man Mike]

The chances that the Inner Circle of the coaching staff learned nothing as to why the big dog of the staff [Sandusky] was suddenly leaving is ZERO. The whispered secrets among close associates would have told them a lot.

 

[BobD]

The chances that the Inner Circle of the coaching staff learned nothing as to why the big dog of the staff [Sandusky] was suddenly leaving is ZERO. The whispered secrets among close associates would have told them a lot.

Do you think as the police interview the remaining staff, more of them will be dismissed for having information and not coming forward or calling the authorities?

 

[Old Man Mike]

They'll be dismissed after the season. There's big money and the whole football program involved here. Economic and damage control says: quiet on all this and play the season out. Hire a new coach in December, but let this staff coach the bowl. The only reason another firing would happen before that is if the investigation resulted in another indictment. Mum's the word otherwise.