PSU Nittany Lions: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Jabrill Peppers (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic), the No. 2 prospect in the country, has set his decision date.
The No. 1 defensive back will make his decision live on ESPNU on May 26. With almost every program in the country targeting the talented prospect, Peppers has narrowed his list down to LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers and Stanford.
He still plans on taking his visit to Penn State on May 18, and has already been out to Michigan, LSU and Ohio State. There might still be a surprise visit in store before the announcement as well. The five-star prospect has turned heads with his play on the field and will undoubtedly be a game changer for whichever school he picks.
The order of the top group for four-star Quenton Nelson (Red Bank, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) open to interpretation.
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive lineman listed a top five of Notre Dame, Boston College, Ohio State, Rutgers and Penn State. And is that in order?
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive lineman listed a top five of Notre Dame, Boston College, Ohio State, Rutgers and Penn State. And is that in order?
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ESPN/ABC announce B1G prime-time slate
April, 29, 2013
Apr 29
3:31
PM ET
By
Adam Rittenberg | ESPN.com
You've waited for it, and the Big Ten prime-time schedule for the 2013 season is finally here. Well, at least the first part of it.
ESPN/ABC has made its six prime-time picks for the upcoming season. One game already had been announced: Notre Dame at Michigan on Sept. 7.
Here's the full Big Ten prime-time schedule on ESPN/ABC:
Sept. 7: Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Sept. 14: Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Sept. 28: Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Oct. 5: Ohio State at Northwestern, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Oct. 12: Michigan at Penn State, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Oct. 26: Penn State at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Final TV designations will be made in the fall.
The Big Ten Network soon will announce its prime-time schedule for the fall, most likely next Monday. The Big Ten had 14 prime-time games last season, and you can expect about the same total this year.
Some thoughts on the list:
What do you think of the ABC/ESPN prime-time schedule?
ESPN/ABC has made its six prime-time picks for the upcoming season. One game already had been announced: Notre Dame at Michigan on Sept. 7.
Here's the full Big Ten prime-time schedule on ESPN/ABC:
Sept. 7: Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Sept. 14: Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Sept. 28: Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Oct. 5: Ohio State at Northwestern, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Oct. 12: Michigan at Penn State, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Oct. 26: Penn State at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Gene J. PuskarPenn State will host Michigan in another prime-time matchup on Oct. 12.
AP Photo/Gene J. PuskarPenn State will host Michigan in another prime-time matchup on Oct. 12.The Big Ten Network soon will announce its prime-time schedule for the fall, most likely next Monday. The Big Ten had 14 prime-time games last season, and you can expect about the same total this year.
Some thoughts on the list:
- Although the Big Ten is now open to night games in November, none appear on this list. ESPN/ABC was able to fill its six-game allotment before the end of October, featuring two games involving Notre Dame and four Big Ten matchups. An ESPN platform will televise a Big Ten matchup in prime time five of six straight Saturdays from Sept. 7 to Oct. 12. There are certainly some appealing games in November that could be played at night, but the networks chose to pass this time around. So if you're upset, blame TV.
- Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has been vocal about the fact the Buckeyes typically play two road games at night and just one at home. Smith wants more night games at The Shoe -- so does coach Urban Meyer -- and he gets his wish as Leaders Division foes Wisconsin and Penn State both visit Ohio Stadium at night. Not surprisingly, the Buckeyes make more ABC/ESPN prime-time appearances (3) than any other Big Ten team, as they also visit Northwestern.
- Speaking of Northwestern, the Wildcats have to be thrilled with an ABC/ESPN prime-time game at Ryan Field. Pat Fitzgerald's crew could/should be 4-0 and coming off of a open week when Ohio State comes to town for Northwestern's Big Ten opener. It will be the most anticipated Northwestern home game in recent memory.
- I really liked the late-afternoon/early evening kickoff for Ohio State-Penn State last year at Beaver Stadium. Penn State gets another of these as Michigan comes to town on Oct. 12. Could a whiteout be on tap? Let's hope so.
- The ABC/ESPN prime-time slate features most of the Big Ten teams projected to contend for a championship -- except one. Nebraska has to be a little disappointed to be left out, although the Huskers' schedule in September and October -- when Big Ten prime-time games are typically played -- is very dull. A Week 3 matchup against UCLA likely will be a late-afternoon kickoff.
- Love 'em or hate 'em, Notre Dame remains a major national TV draw. The Irish will play a night game at a Big Ten stadium for the fifth consecutive season and two road night games against the Big Ten for the second time in three years.
What do you think of the ABC/ESPN prime-time schedule?
The RN Top 10 will appear throughout the camp and combine season and rank prospects based strictly on their on-field performance at that particular event. It does not reflect their overall prospect ranking.
ASHBURN, Va. – The East Coast and mid-Atlantic states represented well on Sunday as eight players earned invites to The Opening at the Nike Football Training Camp outside of Washington, D.C. Defense ruled the day, led by two five-star prospects from Virginia.
10. Nick Scott
Fairfax (Va.) Fairfax |RB| 5-11, 180
Scott stood out among a field of backs who were overshadowed by the prospects at nearly every other position. He earned the attention of coaches for his strong play and versatility but missed the MVP award, which went to Vincent Lowe (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield), who also posted the top SPARQ score.
Scott committed to Penn State in February over an offer from Boston College.
ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert’s take: “He’s got a great frame, and what I like about him as a Penn State verbal, he’s a versatile player. He may not run by you, but he does a good job in route-running.”
ASHBURN, Va. – The East Coast and mid-Atlantic states represented well on Sunday as eight players earned invites to The Opening at the Nike Football Training Camp outside of Washington, D.C. Defense ruled the day, led by two five-star prospects from Virginia.
10. Nick Scott
Fairfax (Va.) Fairfax |RB| 5-11, 180
Scott stood out among a field of backs who were overshadowed by the prospects at nearly every other position. He earned the attention of coaches for his strong play and versatility but missed the MVP award, which went to Vincent Lowe (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield), who also posted the top SPARQ score.
Scott committed to Penn State in February over an offer from Boston College.
ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert’s take: “He’s got a great frame, and what I like about him as a Penn State verbal, he’s a versatile player. He may not run by you, but he does a good job in route-running.”
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#BlueChipBattles: ESPN 150 release edition
April, 19, 2013
Apr 19
12:49
PM ET
By RecruitingNation | ESPN.com
Student Sports, ESPN, ESPNSpeedy Noil, Adoree Jackson and Da'Shawn Hand are three of the most coveted recruits in the Class of 2014.
: RecruitingNation summoned its writers from around the country to outline the recruiting battles for the ESPN 150's top 10 prospects.
Plus, rank the battles in SportsNation.
#TopFBMixtapes: Athlete mixtapes are all the rage in this highlight-crazed era of sports. We reached out to our Twitter followers to find out which 2014 football stars had the best highlight reels on YouTube, then had our staff rank and comment on the top submissions.
Tom Luginbill writes
: After talking to many coaches across the country and hearing their frustrations, here are their five biggest complaints about homemade highlight videos.
De'Andre Thompkins (Swansboro, N.C./Swansboro) can't believe fans already know his name.
He sat inside a restaurant during an NC State visit -- a two-hour drive from his home -- when a short man wearing a Wolfpack ball cap did a double-take from across the room. He approached the 5-foot-11 athlete: "Are you De'Andre?"
He sat inside a restaurant during an NC State visit -- a two-hour drive from his home -- when a short man wearing a Wolfpack ball cap did a double-take from across the room. He approached the 5-foot-11 athlete: "Are you De'Andre?"
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ESPN Watch List QB Michael O'Connor roamed the sideline during Penn State's practice Wednesday, following the four red-jerseyed quarterbacks inside Holuba Hall during an unofficial visit.
The signal-caller out of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy spoke with assistant coach Charlie Fisher on the phone and received his share of Penn State mail, but he wanted to pay careful attention to his coaching style at that practice. He wanted to see how his players fared, whether he yelled and how he'd get the most out of the quartet.
But, more than anything, O'Connor wanted to know if Penn State was a school he wanted to keep in touch with, that he wanted to visit again.
The signal-caller out of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy spoke with assistant coach Charlie Fisher on the phone and received his share of Penn State mail, but he wanted to pay careful attention to his coaching style at that practice. He wanted to see how his players fared, whether he yelled and how he'd get the most out of the quartet.
But, more than anything, O'Connor wanted to know if Penn State was a school he wanted to keep in touch with, that he wanted to visit again.
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Watch List OL aims to trim list after visits 
March, 26, 2013
Mar 26
5:35
PM ET
By
Jared Shanker | ESPN.com
When Ole Miss offered Watch List offensive lineman Quenton Nelson (Red Bank, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) on Monday, the Rebels became the 29th team to extend a scholarship. As of now, all of them are technically in contention for Nelson’s commitment.
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Quarterback Michael O'Connor plans to bury his nose in his 40-page high school playbook for the next few days. He needs something to do, after all, since he'll be visiting three more schools and driving more than 700 miles this week.
The ESPN Watch List signal-caller out of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy visited Michigan State on Monday and will be at Notre Dame today. From there, he'll travel Wednesday to Penn State and Thursday to Rutgers before heading home to Canada for the rest of his two-week spring break.
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Thomas Holley (Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) grew tired of the questions after every basketball game.
Inevitably, someone would stroll up to him on the hardwood and ask if he played football. Underclassmen weren't supposed to be so big, they'd say. And at about 250 pounds, they sure weren't supposed to move that fast.
"I kept saying no, that I didn't play football, and they'd just look at me funny," Holley said with a laugh. "They're like, 'Stop playing with me.' That's always how it's been for me, everywhere I go. So when I started thinking about it, people were all like, 'You should play football.' "
Football was always a lingering curiosity for the ESPN Watch List prospect, who took up the sport less than a year ago. The defensive tackle played basketball since third grade, and he always wondered about the sport. But his mother wasn't a fan of him playing such a rough-and-tumble game.
Holley didn't press the issue because he was over the league's weight limit in middle school anyway. He couldn't play football if he was over 185 pounds -- and he towered over most of his classmates at 6-foot, 230. But when fan after fan kept approaching him after those high school games, Holley couldn't resist.
He had to try it out. He wasn't even sure if he'd like it -- but what did he have to lose? He recruited his uncle to help persuade his mother into allowing him to play toward the end of his sophomore year. Scholarship offers weren't on his mind at that point, so he just focused on maintaining his weight by shedding fat and adding muscle.
Inevitably, someone would stroll up to him on the hardwood and ask if he played football. Underclassmen weren't supposed to be so big, they'd say. And at about 250 pounds, they sure weren't supposed to move that fast.
"I kept saying no, that I didn't play football, and they'd just look at me funny," Holley said with a laugh. "They're like, 'Stop playing with me.' That's always how it's been for me, everywhere I go. So when I started thinking about it, people were all like, 'You should play football.' "
Football was always a lingering curiosity for the ESPN Watch List prospect, who took up the sport less than a year ago. The defensive tackle played basketball since third grade, and he always wondered about the sport. But his mother wasn't a fan of him playing such a rough-and-tumble game.
Holley didn't press the issue because he was over the league's weight limit in middle school anyway. He couldn't play football if he was over 185 pounds -- and he towered over most of his classmates at 6-foot, 230. But when fan after fan kept approaching him after those high school games, Holley couldn't resist.
He had to try it out. He wasn't even sure if he'd like it -- but what did he have to lose? He recruited his uncle to help persuade his mother into allowing him to play toward the end of his sophomore year. Scholarship offers weren't on his mind at that point, so he just focused on maintaining his weight by shedding fat and adding muscle.
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Watch List WR completely shakes up top 5
March, 8, 2013
Mar 8
6:12
PM ET
By
Jared Shanker | ESPN.com
A Watch List receiver has a new top five, and only one program from his original five finalists still finds itself among the favorite.
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Jersey RB Hilliman plans several visits
February, 17, 2013
Feb 17
9:05
AM ET
By
Jared Shanker | ESPN.com
With more than two dozen offers, Jonathan Hilliman (Jersey City, N.J./St. Peter’s Prep) has the attention of schools all over the country. He knows some point over these next few months he will have to begin whittling his list down.
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Penn State assistant Larry Johnson usually doesn't usually travel to Michigan high schools to offer juniors. But then again, he doesn't often come across defensive ends like the recruit he saw Thursday either.
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Watch List OL Mustipher plans first visit
January, 8, 2013
Jan 8
5:28
PM ET
By
Dave Hooker | ESPN.com
Class of 2014 OL Sam Mustipher has his first visit of 2013 scheduled. It's no surprise that it's a football powerhouse.
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More than 150 of the top underclassmen prospects in the country were in attendance for registration to the Under Armour All-America Combine, several of which are from Georgia.
Massive OL looking to visit Wolverines
ESPN 2014 Watch List prospect Orlando Brown Jr. (Suwanee, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) should have no problem finding a place to play at the next level. At 6-foot-8, 370 pounds, the mammoth offensive lineman boasts offers from 36 programs, although he maintains eight of them are at the top.
Massive OL looking to visit Wolverines
ESPN 2014 Watch List prospect Orlando Brown Jr. (Suwanee, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) should have no problem finding a place to play at the next level. At 6-foot-8, 370 pounds, the mammoth offensive lineman boasts offers from 36 programs, although he maintains eight of them are at the top.
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ABOUT NITTANY NATION
Josh Moyer
Josh Moyer joined ESPN.com in 2012 after covering Penn State football for recruiting website Nittany Network and City Hall for The Citizens' Voice in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Moyer graduated from Penn State and earned his graduate degree at Columbia. Email him at espnjoshmoyer@gmail.com.