PSU Nittany Lions

NittanyNation recently asked four-star offensive tackle Andrew Nelson (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) to explain, in his own words, why he decided to commit to Penn State. The below article is written entirely by Nelson without any help from ESPN.

A number of high school football players, through hard work and dedication, earn the opportunity to be recruited by the nation’s top football universities during their high school football careers. I, by the grace of God, was one of those players.

For many, the recruiting process includes trips all over the nation to visit universities, compiling lists of pros and cons for every school, and many hours spent with parents deciding what’s best for the student-athlete’s future. While some of this went on during my recruiting process, the decision of which university I would choose came much easier for me than for most recruits. My decision to go to Penn State was influenced by many things; a great education, a quality coaching staff, and relationships are three areas that were unmatched at Penn State.

First is the education. While some athletes might look past the degree, my parents instilled in me that football will end someday for everybody -- and when that day comes, it’s what you know that will make you successful. So, during my recruiting, I always tried to keep my eye on the prize, which is the value of education.

Through the Penn State recruiting process, it was easy to see that education came first. I still remember back to my Junior Day at Penn State when we sat and talked with the academic advisors at PSU longer than we did with any of the coaches. That’s something I really appreciate about Penn State; it knows that the education comes first. At a highly esteemed institution such at Penn State, the degree I will walk away with is almost priceless. So, once I found out they offered my major, kinesiology, I knew the education would be unmatched.

Second is the coaching staff, another category where I believe Penn State is unmatched. When it came to the coaching staff, I focused on which staff could best develop me as a player and, more importantly, a young man of character. If there was any staff that could develop me best as a player and into possible NFL material, it is Penn State. Coach [Bill] O’Brien and Coach Mac [McWhorter] have come from very highly esteemed football programs before coming to Penn State, so I know that they’re experts on what it takes to make me the best.

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Penn State has filled its open coaching position by hiring former Georgia State defensive coordinator Anthony Midget.

Midget will coach the safeties, while John Butler -- who replaced Ted Roof as Penn State's defensive coordinator -- will continue to coach the cornerbacks. Midget was hired by Marshall toward the end of January, but opted to leave for Happy Valley.

"It's an honor to be part of the Penn State family and this great university," Midget said in a news release. "I am thankful to Coach [Bill] O'Brien for the opportunity to come to Penn State and am excited to get to know the players and get ready for spring practice."

Midget was a three-year starter at cornerback for Virginia Tech in the late 1990s. He was a fifth-round draft pick who played for the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining the Hokies as a graduate assistant in 2007.

One year later, he became a member of Georgia State's coaching staff and was promoted to defensive coordinator last season. The Panthers struggled to a 1-10 record and allowed 234 passing yards per game.

The Clewiston, Fla., native is expected to be a boon to Penn State's recruiting efforts thanks to his Southern roots. Roof was well-known around Georgia and also boasted strong ties to Alabama, so Midget's background should help him get a jump-start.

Brandon Bell (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) is the highest-rated linebacker of Penn State's 2013 class, and big things are expected out of the 6-foot defender.

So, NittanyNation decided to get a better idea of Bell's playing style and ability by polling five of the 10 coaches he faced this season. They shared their impressions, recollected memorable plays and talked about what fans have to look forward to from the three-star commit.

Click here to read the story

Brian Bennett discusses the Big Ten's decision to stop scheduling nonconference football games against FCS programs.

Texas is joining the likes of Michigan, Oregon and Georgia Tech in instituting a no-visit policy for its commits. Is this hard-line stance a good idea for elite programs? RecruitingNation writer Mitch Sherman takes a look the trend.

Read the story here.

The sting from the collapse of the short-lived Big Ten/Pac-12 scheduling alliance isn't totally gone for Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, but his desire to form partnerships with other conferences hasn't wavered.

Delany told ESPN.com on Monday that the Big Ten continues to explore possible affiliations with other leagues, both for bowl games and non-league scheduling. The Big Ten will be increasing its conference schedules to nine or 10 games, reducing the number of nonconference games by one or two per season.

"We would like to discuss [partnerships]," Delany said. "We were disappointed that the [Pac-12] collaboration didn’t work. Whether we're at nine or 10, there will be fewer nonconference games, but we hope the fewer are better improved in quality. We would be very energized to sit down with others who were interested in also upgrading their schedules to see how we could do that."

Delany points out that different Big Ten programs have different goals, whether it's competing for national championships or making bowl games on a regular basis. But the message from the league office to its members is to push themselves more in non-league scheduling.

"What we've got to do is upgrade," Delany said. "It doesn't make any sense to be playing people from different divisions with fewer scholarships [FCS]. It doesn't make sense for everyone to be playing Southern Cal and Texas, but there's comparability there that we could seek out. We're trying to find out ways that we can create fair schedules, good schedules, healthy schedules for our teams, our players, our coaches and our fans."

Creating healthier bowl matchups also is an objective for the Big Ten. One idea gaining steam is to increase the flexibility of the selection process by sharing tie-ins with other conferences.

The Big Ten continues to have conversations with other leagues and bowl games as it prepares for its next lineup -- beginning in 2014 -- one built around " keeping things fresh for the fans and for the players and for the bowls," Delany said.

"If you have someone who goes to the same bowl three years in a row, that’s problematic," Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said. "Even two years in a row is problematic. So how do we change that model?"

The Big Ten has valued its alliances with the Rose Bowl in football and with the ACC in basketball. Other leagues like the Big 12 also are motivated to form similar partnerships.

"The problem with partnerships beyond two or three or four is everybody has different objectives," Delany said. "Simple partnerships are easier than multilateral partnerships, but we'll explore both."