Below are capsule looks at the prospects who have already verbally committed to Penn State. National Letter-of-Intent Day for the Class of 2008 is Feb. 4, 2004

1. Matt Hahn (6-1, 210/RB) South Huntington (N.Y.) St. Anthony’s- Hahn became Penn State’s first verbal commitment for the Class of 2008 when he announced for the Nittany Lions on Feb. 20. As a junior, Hahn was a second-team all-state pick and first-team All-Long Island pick following a junior campaign in which he rushed for 1,368 yards on 141 carries and had 30 touchdowns, and helped lead the Friars to a second consecutive New York Catholic High School Football League AAA title. Helped Friars to third straight title as a senior, setting the CHSFL record for season rushing yards (2,057) and career rushing yards (3,920). Was named first-team all-state, Newsday All-Long Island and NY Daily News Player of the Year, as well as two-time CHSFL player of the year. He runs a 4.5 second 40-yard dash. A good student, Hahn picked Penn State over Georgia Tech, Maryland, Michigan State and others.

2. Wyatt Bowman (6-6, 314/OL) Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley- Bowman verbally committed to the Nittany Lions on April 26, before Penn State’s Blue-White game. He has the ability to play guard or tackle in college and has good feet. He runs a 5.0 second 40-yard dash. Penn State was his only scholarship offer before the Spring Evaluation Period, but interest in him had grown significantly and he was getting serious attention from Boston College, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Notre Dame and Pitt, among others. He is ranked among the top players in Pennsylvania by the G&W Recruiting Report and was widely considered one of the top five offensive linemen in the Keystone State for the 2003 season. Bowman is academically qualified. He had 95 pancakes and allowed just one sack as a senior.

3. Greg Harrison (6-5, 300) Shenandoah (Pa.) Valley- Harrison joined Bowman as the second offensive lineman to verbally commit to Penn State on April 26 before the Blue-White game. Harrison is also one of the top five offensive line prospects in Pennsylvania for the 2003 season and is ranked among the top 25 players in the Keystone State by G&W Recruiting. He is generally considered the top offensive line in Pennsylvania’s “Coal Region.” Harrison was named first-team all-state by the Associated Press as a junior and senior and was a four-year starter. He is an excellent student with a 3.7 GPA and 1120 SAT score and ranks very highly in his class. He had 13 scholarship offers to choose from when he picked Penn State and had the most serious interest in Colorado, Stanford, Michigan State, Virginia, Maryland, NC State and Boston College. As a senior he had 99 pancake blocks on offense and 96 tackles on defense. Enrolled at PSU in January.

4. Dontey Brown (6-3, 250/LB) McKeesport, Pa.- Brown became the fourth verbal commitment for Penn State’s Class of 2008 when he informed the Nittany Lion coaching staff of his decision on May 1. Brown hails from the same high school as Penn State All-American linebacker Brandon Short. In 2002, Brown led McKeesport with 150 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and six sacks. He was a first-team all-conference pick and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review preseason All-WPIAL selection. The Associated Press named him second-team big-school all-state following the 2002 season. He was recruited by Tom Bradley and Ron Vanderlinden and picked the Nittany Lions over Michigan, Pitt and Georgia Tech. He runs a 4.7-second 40 yard dash and is ranked among the top 15 players in Pennsylvania and one of the top five linebackers in the state by the G&W Recruiting Report. He is academically qualified. His stocked soared during his senior season when he had 93 tackles, four sacks and two fumble recoveries. He was named all-state and a member of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review's Terrific 25 and Post-Gazette's Fabulous 22 as a senior.

5. Tony Davis (6-0, 180/DB) Warren (Ohio) Howland- Davis becamePenn State’s fifth verbal commitment for the Class of 2008 on May 12 when he picked the Nittany Lions over Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa and Pitt. Davis bench presses 315 pounds and at a camp in May ran a 3.9 second 20-yard shuttle time and posted a 41-inch vertical leap. He helped lead Howland to a 9-4 season in 2002, totaling 50 tackles. He was named an All-Metro Athletic Conference performer by the Youngstown Vindicator. Davis was recruited by Penn State assistant coach Jay Paterno and made an unofficial visit to Happy Valley on April 23. As a senior, Davis was named the AP's Ohio Division III Co-Offensive Player of the Year, closing the season with 1,768 yards rushing on 257 carries with 22 touchdowns. He had 2,053 all-purpose yards. On defense he had three sacks, six knockdowns and four INTs.

6. Spencer Ridenhour (6-0, 212/Ath.) White Plains, N.Y.- Ridenhour became Penn State’s sixth verbal commitment in mid-May. He is projected as a safety, though due to his athleticism, Ridenhour could probably fit in at several positions. He impressed at the April 27 Penn State Nike Camp when he ran a 4.45 second 40 yard dash and had a 34.5 inch vertical leap. Maryland also offered, and he was seeing serious interest from Michigan, Notre Dame, Iowa, Nebraska and Michigan State. He was named all-league, all-section, and his league’s most valuable back in 2002. On offense in 2002, Ridenhour, a four-year, two-way starter, rushed for 1,153 yards and 15 touchdowns. Brian Norwood recruited Ridenhour for Penn State. As a senior, Ridenhour rushed for 1,006 yards and 23 touchdowns. He set a school career record with 57 TDs, and in 2003 returned one INT for a TD. He was named first-team all-state.

7. A.Q. Shipley (6-2, 280/DL&OL) Coraopolis (Pa.) Moon Area - Shipley became the seventh verbal commitment to the Class of 2008 on June 18 during a visit to Happy Valley. He picked Penn State over Michigan and Virginia and had nearly 40 scholarship offers. Shipley is rated the sixth best player in Pennsylvania by the G&W Recruiting Report. In 2002 he was named All-Conference and third-team All-State by the Associated Press. During his junior campaign, he had more than 70 tackles and six sacks. As a senior when he was named first team all state by the AP, Fabulous 22 by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Terrific 25 by the Pittsbugh Tribune-Review, Shipley notched 53 tackles, 13 for losses, two forced fumbles, one recovery, one pass breakup, three sacks and a blocked extra point. He runs a 4.9 40-yard dash. He benches 350 pounds and squats 560.

8. Jed Hill (6-4, 245/TE) Struthers, Ohio - The Nittany Lions got a commitment from Hill when he made a trip to their summer football camp on June 16. After some success as a sophomore fullback, Hill, who has now switched to tight end where he expects to play in college, suffered a broken arm in the summer of 2002 and a broken ankle at the start of his junior campaign. He was not well-known to many recruitniks, but many D-I college coaches took notice last spring, with most saying a scholarship would be offered if he attended their camps. Michigan, Penn State and Nebraska showed the most serious interest. At Penn State’s camp, Hill was impressive, running a 4.65 second 40-yard dash, 4.1 second shuttle run, benched 225 pounds 25 times and had a 34-inch vertical leap. Hill also has a bench max of 390 pounds and a leg press of 890. As a senior he had 31 catches for 331 yards and a touchdown. On defense he had 61 solo tackles, 28 assists and 10 sacks. He was recruited by Jay Paterno.

9. Mike Lucian (6-3, 250/DT&TE) Frederick (Md.) Linganore - Lucian became Penn State’s ninth verbal commitment on June 20 when he received a written scholarship offer from the Lions. A two-time first-team all-state pick, Lucian had 12 catches for 180 yards on offense and 80 tackles, four sacks and an interception on defense as a junior. As a senior, he was named All-Met by the Washington Post and he had eight sacks leading Linganore to a 3A state championship. Lucian runs a 4.85 second 40-yard dash and a 4.3 second 20-yard shuttle. Though his size would indicate he is headed for tight end, it is more likely he will play defensive tackle, as he is expected to grow a few inches and to about 280 pounds. Lucian was also offered a scholarship by Georgia Tech and he expected Maryland to offer if he would have attended the Terps camp. Ohio State, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Marshall, West Virginia and Boston College,all showed serious interest. Rivals rates Lucian the No. 8 prospect in Washington D.C./Maryland and among the top 25 tight end prospects in the country. Larry Johnson recruited Lucian for Penn State.

10. Dan Lawlor (6-3, 235/FB) Mechanicsburg (Pa.) Cumberland Valley - Lawlor had indicated he might wait until the fall before making a decision, but after visiting his other favorites he decided Penn State was the place for him and became the Lions’ 10th verbal commitment on June 24. He hails from the same high school as another PSU commit, OL Wyatt Bowman. Lawlor has 4.6 40 yard speed and is a good receiver out of the backfield. In his sophomore and junior seasons, he totaled 2,660 yards rushing, 35 receptions for 615 yards and 48 touchdowns. He is rated the top fullback in the state and ninth best prospect overall in PA in the June G&W Recruiting PA Top 50. Following the 2002 season he was named all-conference, all-league and third-team All-State by the PA Football News. He was All-Mid Penn Conference and first team All-State following his senior campaign, when he rushed for 1,577 yards on 221 carries and scored 36 touchdowns. He was recruited by Larry Johnson.

11. Austin Hinton (6-5, 285/OG) Secaucus (N.J.) - Hinton chose Penn State over Boston College, Rutgers, Clemson, Duke, Michigan State and Virginia. He recorded 60 pancake blocks in 2002 and was twice named all-area, all-league and all-county. As a senior in 2003, Hinton notched 92 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack. He is a G&W ALl-Northeast selection, as well as a Rivals.com three-star prospect rated among the top 50 guards in the nation. "The place just thoroughly impressed me," Hinton told BWI. "The coaches seemed to have a real concern for their players and the atmosphere was just perfect for me."

12. Mark Rubin (6-4, 210/WR) Buffalo (N.Y.) Amherst Central - Rubin committed to Penn State shortly after attending its football camp in late June. Rubin was told by the Penn State coaching staff that he will be the only wide receiver the Lions take in its Class of 2008. Rubin has been named all-New York State three times. During the 2003 season Rubin was moved around quite a bit. Rubin he saw playing time at wide reciver, quarterback and running back on offense. He caught 63 passes for 924 yards and 12 touchdowns, all three totals Amherst records. In his career he totaled 167 receptions for 2,488 yards and 34 touchowns, all Western New York career records. His career catches are the second most ever in Empire State history, and his career receiving yards are third most ever in the state. Boston College, Syracuse and Buffalo were the other schools to offer the wide out.

13. Trent Varva (6-3, 320/OG) Lake Orion (Mich.) - Varva became PSU's 13th commitment July 8 when he called Nittany Lions' coach Ron Vanderlinden and informed him of his decision. Varva was a three-year starter at Lake Orion and one of the top lineman in Michigan. He had 83 knockdowns from his right guard position in 2002. As a senior in 2003, Varva registered 85 knockdown blocks and graded out at 90 percent blocking. On defense, Varva had 48 tackles, two sacks, one field goal block and eight pass deflections as a junior. In his final high school campaign, Varva totaled 45 stops, four tackles for losses, one sack, one blocked field goal and one fumble recovery. He was named to several first-teams all-conference and all-area. He was named the No. 6 player in the Detroit Free Press's Fab 50 ranking of the top players in the state and the No. 11 blue-chip player in the state by the Detroit News. The Lansing State Journal named him No. 12 on its Catch-22 List of the top recruits in Michigan. Varva selected Penn State over Colorado, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State. Varva was teammates with Michigan recruits Roger Allison and Will Johnson at Lake Orion.

14. Rich Ohrnberger (6-3, 275/OL&DL) East Meadow, N.Y. - Ohrnberger became Penn State’s 14th verbal commitment for the Class of 2008 on July 12. He had written offers from Purdue, West Virginia, Syracuse, Toledo, Connecticut, Hofstra and oral offers from Virginia Tech, Boston College and Duke. In 2002 he tallied 64 pancake blocks as an offensive guard and ran his streak of not allowing a sack to 18 straight games. On defense, Ohrnberger collected 47 tackles, three sacks, 14 tackles for losses, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He was an all county selection in 2002. As a senior, after bulking up, he earned the Thorp and Martone awards as the top lineman in Nassau, and he was named Newsday All-Long Island and All-State. In 2003 he recorded 79 tackles, 10 for losses, seven QB hurries and 3.5 sacks. On offense he had 81 pancakes and has reportedly never allowed a sack. He was recruited by Brian Norwood and was a three-year starter.

15) Josh Gaines (6-3, 255/DE&TE) Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop- Gaines became Penn State's 15th verbal commitment on Aug. 2 after visiting State College for three days. Rated a three-star prospect and among the top 25 defensive ends in the nation by Rivals.com, Gaines was an all-league and junior all-state pick in 2002 after compiling 43 tackles, five sacks and two fumble recoveries. As a senior, he posted 39 solo tackles, 22 assists, seven for losses, 10 sacks and a forced fumbled. He was named all-conference as a tightend, with 15 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown and also had an 89 percent blocking grade.He was named first-team all-state and the Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year, despite suffering from a high ankle sprain for much of the season. He can play a number of positions, including linebacker and tight end and he was recruited by Penn State to play defensive end. He had offers from Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin as well as the Lions.

16) Dan Connor (6-3, 220/LB) Wallingford (Pa.) Strath Haven- Connor, a five star prospect by Rivals.com and widely regarded as one of the nation's top two LBers, made his decision to attend Penn State on Aug. 5. He picked Penn State over Notre Dame and Michigan and had about 40 scholarship offers. He is rated the No. 1 prospect in PA and a first team All-American by G&W Recruiting Report. He excelled on offense and defense as a junior, rushing for nearly 1,700 yards and 23 TDs. As a senior, he had 118 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions. On offense he rushed for 1,807 yards on 251 carries with 28 touchdowns in leading Haven to a second place state finish. He is a three-time first team AP all-state selection, Philadelphia Inquirer All Area pick and Maxwell Club Award winner. Connor is two-time Delco Player of the Year and he is a consensus All-American. He was named Pennsylvania Class AAA Player of the Year by the AP. He was a U.S. Army All-American and named an AA by every recruiting service He was recruited by Ron Vanderlinden and Fran Ganter. Enrolled at Penn State in January.

17)Gerald Cadogan (6-6, 310/OL) Portsmouth, Ohio- Cadogan became Penn State’s 17th verbal commitment when he picked the Lions on Aug. 8. He chose Penn State over Northwestern, Michigan, Wake Forest and Boston College and made visits to all three. Bill Kurelic’s Ohio Football Recruiting Report ranks Cadogan, an offensive tackle, the fourth best OL in the Buckeye State and he is rated an All-Midwest lineman by G&W Recruiting. Rivals.com rates Cadogan as a three-star prospect and among the nation’s top 35 offensive tackles. He is very athletic and runs a 5.0 40-yard dash. Cadogan is an excellent student with a 3.8 GPA and an 18 on the ACT. As a senior he was credited with 94 pancake blocks. Cadogan was named all conference by the Youngstown Vindicator and first team all-state by the AP. He was recruited by Penn State assistant coach Jay Paterno.

18) Tyrell Sales (6-4, 235/LB) Butler, Pa.- Sales became Penn State's 18th verbal commitment on Aug. 10 while in Happy Valley for an unofficial visit. He had about 30 scholarship offers and picked the Nittany Lions over runner-up Pitt. Notre Dame, Ohio State and Virginia had also been in the running for Sales. Ranked a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Sales is a G&W Recruiting Report All-Northeast selection and rated among the top 10 prospects in Pennsylania. As a junior in 2002, he was an All-WPIAL selection after amassing 100 tackles, seven sacks and interception and two fumble recoveries. An injury slowed him down slightly in 2003, but he amassed 97 tackles as a senior, with 14 tackles for losses, three sacks, five hurries and two interceptions. He is an excellent student with a 3.7 GPA and runs a 4.6 second 40-yard dash. He was recruited by Penn State assistant coach Tom Bradley. He could end up at linebacker or defensive end in Happpy Valley

19)Kevin Suhey (6-2, 195/Ath.) State College (Pa.) Area- Suhey became Penn State's 19th verbal commitment on Dec. 3. He had a successful career for the Little Lions at quarterback, but there's a good chance he could end up at defensive back or outside linebacker at Penn State. He led State College to a District 6 title and the state semifinals in 2003. Along the way, Suhey emerged as a leader and a productive signal caller. The 6-foot-2, 195 pounder completed more than 60 percent of his passes for 1,600 yards and a dozen touchdowns. He threw just three interceptions all season and had a stretch of 146 pass attempts without an interception. He rushed for more than 300 yards as well.The second leading passer in school history (behind current PSU quarterback Chris Ganter), he threw for 3,442 yards in his career, completing 61. 8 percent of his passes. He also had a school record 280 completions.His father, Paul, and Paul’s brothers Matt and Larry, played for Joe Paterno in the 1970s.

20) Paul Cianciolo (6-5, 220/QB) North Charleston (S.C.) Fort Dorchester - Cianciolo committed to the Lions the weekend of Dec. 5 during his official visit to Happy Valley. He had more than 2,500 yards passing and 25 TD passes along with eight interceptions in 2003. As a junior he had over 2,000 yards and 17 TDs. He had interest from Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, North Carolina and Maryland. His father was a tight end at Air Force, where his brother is a sophomore linebacker. Cianciolo was named All-State, All-Lowcountry and team MVP. He was recruited by PSU assistant coach Bill Kenney. Some recruiting experts consider Cianciolo to be the ebst quarterback prospect out of South Carolina this year, and he was named All-ACC Area by the G&W Recruiting Report.

21) Elijah Robinson(6-3, 300/DL) Camden (N.J.) Woodrow Wilson - Robinson committed to Penn State and enrolled at University Park just days before the start of the spring semester on Jan. 12, after a late scramble to get the encessary paper work in to do so. A Rivals.com three-star prospect, Robinson originally committed and signed with Tulane last February, but left before the 2003 season commenced. Robinson had to up his SAT score before picking a new school and spent the fall doing that and working out, during which time he added about 50 pounds of mostly muscle. He picked PSU over Purdue and had offers from Indiana, Iowa and Rutgers as well. His senior season at Woodrow Wilson, Robinson was named All-South Jersey by the Philadelphia Inquirer after he registered 83 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss from his strongside defensive end slot. He was recruited by Brian Norwood.

22) Jordan Lyons (6-5, 220/Ath.)College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy-Lyons committed to Penn State on Jan. 19 after returning from an official visit to Happy Valley. Lyons will be given a shot to play quarterback at Penn State, but should that not work out he will move to tight end, a top prospect at that position in Georgia. Lyons had offers from Michigan State, Maryland and Clemson, as well as Georgia which wanted him as a tight end. He was down to Penn State and Notre Dame, which did not offer yet.Lyons passed for 1,420 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2003.His father was an All-American lineman at Georgia and went on to a pro career with the Denver Broncos. Lyons is an excellent student with a 1320 SAT score and a 3.4 GPA. Following his senior season he was named Class AAAA all-state by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

23) Adam DiMichele(6-1, 175/Ath.) McKees Rocks (Pa.) Sto-Rox - DiMichele committed to the Nittany Lions on Jan. 19 and is another successful high school QB who might not be throwing any passes in the Blue & White. The Pennsylvania Class A Player of the Year, DiMichele was a standout at quarterback for Sto-Rox. He set the WPIAL career passing mark with 6,741 yards. In 2003 he passed for 2,318 yards.DiMichele has been named to the Post-Gazette’s Fabulous 22, Fabulous 5 in basketball and all-area team in baseball, the first athlete to be named to all three. He duplicated the unprecedented feat on the Pittsburgh Tribune Review's three all-star teams.

24) Daryll Clark (6-3, 190/QB) Youngstown (Ohio)Ursuline- After much delay and confusion, Clark committed to Penn State on Jan. 29. The dual threat QB with 4.7 40-yard dash speed had said it looked like his only option might be to enroll at Kiski Prep school for 2004 or take a scholarship from Cincinnati, but when he committed to PSU he said he could enroll for the fall. Later it was learned that he still must first wait on a test score.Nonetheless, Clark will be a Nittany Lion after turning down offers from Iowa, Toledo, Nebraska and West Virginia. He is rated the No. 24 dual threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com and the No. 38 player in Ohio.He passed for 1,900 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2003.

25) Anthony Morelli (6-4, 208/QB) Penn Hills, Pa. - On signing day, Morelli, who had previously committed to Pittsburgh, announced he was signing with the Nittany Lions. The Penn Hills standout threw for 1,649 yards and 15 touchdowns his senior year. He was twice selected to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Fabulous 22. He is rated the 12th best prospect in the nation and a five-star player by Rivals.com. As a junior, Morelli attended the exclusive Elite 11 quarterback camp in California as a ball boy. He was a particpant as a senior. Morelli has a powerful, accurate arm and at last year’s Nike Camp, he put up 19 reps with 185 pounds. He had dozens of offers. During his junior season, he passed for 1,880 yards and 20 touchdowns and was named first team all conference in a 4-A league.

26) Jim Shaw (6-4, 265/DL) Spring Grove, Pa./Rice transfer- Older brother of Penn State defensive tackle John Shaw, a freshman in 2003, Jimmy Shaw is transferring from Rice University and will spend the spring semester at Penn State York. He will sit out the 2004 season and when he is eligibile in 2005, he will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.He had 45 tackles and two sacks in 2003 for Rice and started all 12 games. He was used at defensive end and tackle by the Owls, but Penn State is looking to utilize him solely as an end. Coming out of Spring Grove his senior year in which he recorded 78 tackles and 13 sacks, Shaw was recruited by Kentucky, South Florida, Toledo and Liberty before he eventually selected Rice. He's added nearly 50 pounds since then.

27) Jonathan Jackson (6-1, 180/DB) Philadelphia West Catholic - Jackson signed with the Class of 2007, but an arteriovenous malformation caused him to grayshirt in 2003 while he received treatment and recovered. He will still not no until March whether he will be cleared to play football again, but recent indications were positive. Coming out of West Catholic, he was rated a three star prospect and one of the top 20 players in Pennsylvania by Rivals.com. He had three interceptions and on offense he had 18 receptions for 387 yards and carried 21 times for 118 yards. He also had eight touchdowns, including one on a kickoff return. He picked PSU over Minnesota, Wisconsin and Syracuse

Known Preferred Walk-Ons

Tony Bernatos (5-10, 230) Harrisburg (Pa.) Central Dauphin -Bernatos tied for the state lead in field goals made this season with 10, including a long of 50 yards. He is a two-time Associated Press All-State selection.

Patrick Humes (5-9, 170/PK) Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland - Humes announced his intent to walk on at Penn State on Jan. 26, turning down a scholarship offer from Connecticut to do so. Humes, ranked the 29th best kicker in the country by Rivals.com, finished his career at Pine-Richland with 163 total points, 13 made field goals and 124 extra points. The senior kicker finished with 77 total points his final season and was five of nine on field goal attempts in 2003. Humes took his official visit to Happy Valley on Jan. 16 and was hosted by both Lion kickers Robbie Gould and Nate Weltman.He was recruited by Tom Bradley.

Joe Prokopik (6-1, 185/WR&PK)- A very close friend of Anthony Morelli, Prokopick announced he would be following Morelli to PSU, as a preferred walk-on. He’s got speed with a 4.5 40-yard time and smarts with a 3.87 GPA and 1150 SAT score. Syracuse, Miami(Ohio) and Pitt showed serious interest in Prokopik. He converted 4 of 5 field goal attempts with a long of 46 yards and was 31 of 33 on PATs as a senior.