Penn State is down to just one interior lineman — offensive guard Steven Gonzalez — in its nationally acclaimed 2015 recruiting class, which presents an interesting storyline to watch between now and National Signing Day. James Franklin suffered another setback on the recruiting trail last week when four-star defensive tackle Adam McLean announced his de-commitment from the program.
On the heels of McLean’s de-commitment, Franklin extended a scholarship offer to three-star prospect Austrian Robinson, a defensive end with the size (6-6, 255 pounds) to one day make the move inside. The Nittany Lions are reaping the benefits of one such move already, with Anthony Zettel playing at an All-Big Ten level at his new position.
Penn State has verbal commitments from defensive ends Ryan Buchholz and Kamonte Carter already and could opt to move either one to the inside in lieu of recruiting a pure tackle to take McLean’s place. The Nittany Lions are also in good position with four-star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and three-star defensive end Shareef Miller.
The offensive and defensive lines should be a priority as the 2015 recruiting cycle begins to draw to a close. The cupboard is full at the skill positions with quarterback Tommy Stevens, running backs Saquon Barkley and Andre Robinson and wide receivers Brandon Polk and Juwan Johnson. Along with Gonzalez, Penn State has verbal commitments from offensive linemen Ryan Bates and Sterling Jenkins.
Andrew P. Shay, Bob Flounders and Dustin Hockensmith talked about McLean, the Nittany Lions’ current depth chart at defensive tackle and reinforcements on their way in this week’s Keystone Sports Network podcast. Check out audio from the show in this post and get plenty more podcasts and analysis on KeystoneSportsNetwork.com and by following @KSNSportsNet on Twitter.
Download KSN Podcast: Penn State recruiting: New outlook at defensive tackle