It wasn't long ago that Adam Gress was an unheralded junior, a towering offensive lineman with a noticeable upside but limited Division I interest.

What a difference a year can make!

After an offseason which saw him grow significantly -- literally and in the eyes of college coaching power brokers such as Joe Paterno and Rich Rodriguez -- the immense, yet highly affable Gress, is now the center of attention.

"It really blew up out of nowhere," said Gress, a senior at West Mifflin Area High School.

But really, it was Gress who "blew up," adding 50 pounds to his 6-foot-7 frame, pushing his physical stature -- he's 295 pounds -- and his recruitment to newfound peaks. Last month, Gress verbally committed to Penn State, ultimately choosing the Nittany Lions over West Virginia. He also received scholarship offers from several other schools, including Michigan.

"He's come a long way since I first saw him going into his junior year," said second-year West Mifflin coach Tim Brennan. "Last year, nobody really knew too much about him. When the coaches came around and visited [in the spring], they saw his body and how much he developed, and that's when they became interested. I don't think I've ever had a kid who's been as highly recruited as a junior as Adam Gress."

Prior to moving to Western Pennsylvania early last year, Brennan was one of the most successful coaches in Idaho, leading Bishop Kelly High to three state titles. Along the way, he coached a handful of Division I players, including Cody Hawkins, the starting quarterback at Colorado.

Gress, who credits "days and days in the weight room" and regulating his diet for his weight increase, has his sights set on a super-sized senior season. He has been working diligently with Titans offensive line coach Tim Shoyda on refining his technique and just overall becoming more consistent. Gress will start at offensive tackle and defensive end for the second consecutive season, and plans on legitimizing his status even more.

"I feel like I proved a lot last year, but this year I think I'll definitely be able to be more consistent," he said. "With the way camp is going, I think I'll do pretty good."

It won't take long for Gress to get a gauge on how good that is and how much his meteoric rise will translate into production in games. The Titans open the season Aug. 29 against non-conference opponent Allderdice, a contest which will feature an intriguing head-to-head matchup between Gress and Allderdice's Will Clarke, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound defensive end/tight end who verbally committed to Pitt last week. The two previously squared off at Pitt's camp this summer, and Gress still remembers when Clarke "swam right through me" on one particular play. Gress is excited about squaring off with Clarke once again.

It's that confidence that has also played a major role in Gress' advancement. As he has matured, his understanding of the game has flourished, the speed of the game has slowed and his movements have become more natural.

"I think that confidence comes from his hard work in the offseason," Brennan said. "He feels good about what he's done and he understands he's still got a lot to do."

A year from now, Gress hopes to be in State College preparing for his first year of college. Even after visiting Michigan, Gress said the comfort level he felt at Penn State -- in addition to a bond he formed with defensive coordinator Tom Bradley -- was too much to pass up.

"After checking out a lot of places, it ended up being what I was looking for," he said. "I wanted to go to a place with a small-town feel, good football and good schooling."

For now, the focus is following up a gargantuan offseason with an even bigger final campaign as a West Mifflin Titan.

"He's done what he needed to do in the offseason," Brennan said. "Now we'll see what he does when the real football starts."