Recruiting Preview: Buffalo

Schools: Committed to Penn State. Considering Alabama, Kentucky, LSU, among others

The Latest - Adams will be returning to Penn State for the fourth time. He was last on campus in July for the Lasch Bash and is expected to take his official visit with the rest of the Class of 2020 in December. With that said, Adams will take at least a few other official visits elsewhere this season. That'll begin next weekend when he heads to Lexington, Ky., to see Kentucky host Florida. LSU will also receive an official visit. As of now, that trip is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 11-13, but it could get pushed back to Oct. 25-27. Alabama also offered last month, so that could be a school to watch. Obviously, James Franklin and the rest of the coaching staff would prefer that Adams not visit other schools, but I don't get the impression that he's close to switching his commitment. His family remains very high on Penn State, so I still lean towards him signing with Lions when it's all said and done.

Schools: Top 5 - Penn State, Georgia, Iowa, Miami, Michigan

The Latest - Johnson will be taking his sixth visit to Penn State Saturday. His brother, Dominic, actually plays quarterback and wide receiver for the Bulls, so keep an eye out for him tomorrow night. Theo has already set his official visit to Penn State for the Oct. 19 White Out against Michigan. Georgia will host him for an official visit in two weeks, Sept. 20-22, followed by an official visit to Miami, Oct. 4-6. Iowa will then host him unofficially when Penn State comes to Iowa City, Oct. 12-13, followed by another unofficial visit to Michigan, Oct. 26-27. I put a prediction in for Penn State almost a year ago and I still feel good about the staff's chances. He's far from a lock, but this weekend and his trip in October should go a long way towards earning his signature come December.

Schools: Penn State, Florida, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, W. Virginia

The Latest - Thornton committed to Penn State back in February, but ultimately decided Aug. 1 to open everything up again. The odds haven't been good to Penn State when players back out of their commitments - Micah Parsons is the only recruit to recommit to the Lions since Franklin took over - but I also genuinely believe that Penn State still has a chance thornton. I didn't get that impression with Josh Moten, Aaryn Parks and many others. His decision to visit Saturday only strengthens that belief and I wouldn't be surprised if he returns again later this season. I don't expect Thornton to rush into another commitment. He visited Tennessee in June before traveling to Oregon in July. Maryland, Michigan, Virginia and West Virginia have also hosted him at some point over the past two years.

Schools: Penn State, Bowling Green, Iowa St., UMass, Rutgers, Texas A&M, Toledo, Va. Tech

The Latest - Bruce truly earned his Penn State offer this summer, camping with the staff twice. Overall, this will be his sixth visit and I only expect the Harrisburg prospect to continue visiting this season and beyond. He needs to see some other programs before he takes the next step in his recruitment, but myself and colleagues believe it's only a matter of time before he joins PSU's Class of 2021. I put in a pick for Penn State last month.

Schools: Penn State, Cincinnati, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Pitt, Tennessee, Toledo

The Latest - Clifford is the younger brother of quarterback Sean Clifford. Going back to Sean's recruitment, Liam has been on campus well over a dozen times. This will be the fourth true visit of his own dating back to last season. Clifford earned an offer from Penn State this summer following a really strong workout with Gerad Parker. Physically, he's grown a lot since last season, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if a bunch of other programs start extending offers once they see his early season film. Obviously, with his brother's ties to the school, I expect Penn State to be in the mix throughout, but Liam isn't going to rush into anything.

Schools: Boston College, Duke, Iowa State, Louisville, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, Virginia, Va. Tech, W. Virginia

The Latest - Estime is making his first trip to Penn State with multiple teammates, including future Nittany Lion DL Amin Vanover. The Rivals250 prospect rushed for 860 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, leading St. Joseph's to a Non-Public Group 4 State Championship. He's off to an excellent start this season, too, rushing for 126 yards and a touchdown against California powerhouse JSerra Catholic last weekend. St. Joseph's won, 24-13. Penn State has yet to offer a scholarship, but he's been speaking with both Franklin and Ja'Juan Seider, making him someone to watch this weekend.

Schools: Kansas, Louisville, Minnesota, Pitt, Rutgers, Virginia, W. Virginia

The Latest - Just like Estime, VanDemark is visiting Penn State for the first time. He's yet to earn an offer from Penn State but has earned a handful of scholarships from Power Five programs. He's currently listed as a tackle, but a few schools think his future may be best at guard. So far, he's visited Boston College, Pitt and Rutgers.

*** - Holds a Penn State scholarship offer

PSU Commits

OL RJ Adams - FILM - Woodbridge, Va. - Woodbridge

DE Amin Vanover - FILM - Montvale, N.J. - St. Joseph's Regional

2020

OL Addison Darcy - FILM - State College, Pa. - State College

P Levi Forrest - FILM - Richlands, Va. - Richlands

TE Theo Johnson - FILM - Windsor, Ontario, Canada - Holy Names ***

WR Donte Kent - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Harrisburg

2021

OL Nate Bruce - FILM - Harrisburg, Pa. - Harrisburg ***

WR Liam Clifford - FILM- Cincinnati, Ohio - St. Xavier ***

RB Audric Estime - FILM - Montvale, N.J. - St. Joseph's

RB Dresyn Green - FILM - State College, Pa. - State College

Saf. Sammy Knipe - FILM - State College, Pa. - State College

OL Nathan Roach - FILM - Buckingham Browne & Nichols

WR Justin Shorter - FILM - Hightstown, N.J. - The Peddie School

WR Devonta Smith - FILM - Cincinnati, Ohio - La Salle

P Sebastien Tasko - FILM - Montvale, N.J. - St. Joseph's

WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. - FILM - Baltimore, Md. - Mount St. Joseph ***

OL Geno VanDemark - FILM - Montvale, N.J. - St. Joseph's

2022

CB Jashaun Green - FILM - State College, Pa. - State College