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Pennsylvania's Top 25 High School Football Players
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TE • 6-5 • 230
CEDAR CLIFF
The PG has Breneman as the No. 1-rated player in the state, but fans won't get to see him play this year. He sustained a torn ACL during a June 7-on-7 scrimmage and will not play this season. A year ago, Breneman caught 71 passes for 1,120 yards. Has 144 career catches for 2,244 yards. Committed to Penn State in March and might enroll for spring semester. Final list of schools also included Ohio State, Notre Dame and Maryland.
WR • 6-3 • 190
CENTRAL VALLEY
Foster is ranked among the top receivers in the country by scouting services. Has excellent speed and also is a good kick-returner. As a junior, had 37 catches for 584 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Also plays DB. Has narrowed list of colleges to seven -- Pitt, Michigan, Michigan State, Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and Southern California.
OL • 6-4 • 285
NORTH ALLEGHENY
Ranked among the best offensive tackles in the country. Also plays defense. Has been part of two WPIAL Class AAAA championship teams since moving here from Buffalo before his sophomore year. Has added about 20 pounds since last year. Kugler committed to Michigan in late February. Ohio State, Michigan State, Florida and Florida State were his other finalists.
LB • 6-3 • 220
WYOMISSING
A hard-hitting middle linebacker who also plays running back for Wyomissing. Ran for more than 900 yards last season. His recruiting has taken some different paths. He committed to Ohio State in April, but backed out of the commitment when a convicted sex offender met Anzalone and a couple other recruits at Ohio State and posted a photo with Anzalone on Twitter. Anzalone apparently already was having second thoughts about Ohio State and said that photo scared him away. So Anzalone committed to Notre Dame July 8 on ESPNU.
RB • 6-0 • 190
IMHOTEP CHARTER
Williams helped West Catholic win a Philadelphia Catholic League championship last year, rushing for 1,936 yards and scoring 18 TDs. But he won't be wearing a West Catholic uniform this year. He transferred to Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia. His offer list has cleared two dozen schools, but he has narrowed it down to Wisconsin, South Carolina and Tennessee. He is a big back with small-back speed and elusiveness.
OT • 6-6 • 290
BELLE VERNON
Johnson has added 25 pounds since last season. His size and long arms make him an ideal offensive tackle. Also plays defensive tackle. Made a commitment to Penn State in late June, but changed his mind after the NCAA sanctions hit Penn State. He has reopened his recruiting and lists Pitt and Ohio State as his top schools. But he also has offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia and South Carolina, among others.
WR • 6-1 • 170
CLAIRTON
A do-it-all player who also plays running back, defensive back and will see some time at quarterback this season. Last year, he rushed for 2,400 yards and caught 16 passes for 314 yards and scored 48 touchdowns for the three-time defending PIAA Class A champion Bears. Has many scholarship offers, but has not narrowed his list. Penn State was No. 1 for him, but Boyd is not considering the Nittany Lions any longer since the NCAA sanctions. Some of his other scholarship offers are from Pitt, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Arizona.
OT • 6-8 • 290
WILLIAM PENN CHARTER
Notre Dame has put together an excellent recruiting class, and a lot of it has to do with a strong group of offensive linemen that includes McGlinchey, who chose the Fighting Irish in March. McGlinchey also considered the likes of Florida, Penn State and Michigan. Has a great mix of athleticism, balance and agility. He is the first cousin of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, a former William Penn star.
LB • 6-3 • 210
CENTRAL DAUPHIN
Issah committed to Penn State before the program was hammered with NCAA penalties. Issah has not backed out of his commitment yet, but said he is unsure of his future. Few players in the state rivaled what this dynamite athlete did in leading his team to the Class AAAA championship last season. He ran for 1,345 yards, had 672 yards receiving and scored 31 touchdowns. Defensively, he had 123 tackles and 14 sacks. Penn State recruited him as a linebacker.
WR • 6-0 • 170
ROMAN CATHOLIC
Fuller long wanted a Penn State offer and committed there just days after receiving one in early June. But Fuller switched his pledge to Notre Dame in early August after the penalties against the Nittany Lions program. Fuller is a fluid route-runner and does an excellent job of creating separation from defensive backs. He broke a Philadelphia city record that had stood since 1969 when he racked up 276 receiving yards in one game last season.
OL • 6-5 • 260
HERSHEY
Nelson is an athletic lineman who has a 30-inch vertical leap. He committed to Penn State in the spring and reaffirmed his commitment to the Nittany Lions recently, despite the NCAA sanctions. He has been a Penn State fan since his childhood days. Pitt, Maryland, Temple and Northwestern also had offered scholarships.
DE • 6-5 • 230
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH
Tall, lean and explosive, Cothran gave Penn State a solid pickup when he selected the Nittany Lions in the spring. Maryland and Rutgers were his two other finalists. His upside is great, and he has terrific size and excellent athleticism. His technique will need to improve. but Cothran finished with 40 tackles and four sacks last season.
WR • 5-11 • 175
BISHOP MCDEVITT
If you like productivity at the receiving position, then Lemelle is your man. He finished with 93 receptions for 1,630 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. It marked the second year in a row he broke the 1,000-yard mark. Lemelle has received more than a dozen offers, including West Virginia, Iowa, Nebraska and Cincinnati.
RB • 6-0 • 170
HICKORY
Coleman is dangerous with the ball in his hands, and his playmaking skills will fit nicely in coach Dana Holgorsen's West Virginia offense. He also put a lot of thought into accepting offers from Penn State and Purdue. His quickness and breakaway speed separate him from most backs. He ran for 2,393 yards and 31 TDs last season when he led Hickory to its first district title in 20 years.
WR • 5-11 • 175
DOWNINGTOWN EAST
An elusive slot receiver, Harris is an excellent athlete and has the playmaking skills to be a game-breaker. He chose to attend Michigan State earlier this summer. Among the other schools coveting his services were Pitt, Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers. Harris caught 53 passes for 732 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He is a major threat in the return game.
QB • 6-4 • 205
ERIE CATHEDRAL PREP
Terry is an excellent dual-threat quarterback who already has a school-record 3,647 career yards passing. He has completed 223 of 418 passes. But he also is an adept runner, evidenced by his 4.6 speed in the 40. He committed to Michigan State in April. Pitt, Boston College, Illinois were some of the other schools that offered.
WR-RB-DB • 6-2 • 210
ERIE CATHEDRAL PREP
One of the best all-around players in the state, Williams is being recruited as a running back, wide receiver and safety. As a junior, he accumulated 1,256 all-purpose yards and made 45 tackles and an interception. Williams has hinted that he feels the most comfortable at safety. He was named all-state at that position. He is physical, well-built and fast. More than 20 schools have offered scholarships, with Nebraska, Michigan State and West Virginia being the leaders.
DE • 6-3 • 235
WILKES-BARRE G.A.R
Soto has impressive athleticism. Last year, he had 114 tackles and nine sacks, returned an interception for a touchdown and blocked a punt. He runs the hurdles in track. He'll bring that athleticism to Pitt next year. He committed to Pitt in April. Maryland, Boston College and Temple were among the other schools that offered.
LB-DB • 6-0 • 215
McKEESPORT
Christian could be a defensive back or a linebacker in the future. He committed to West Virginia in May and will play a position for the Mountaineers that is a cross between a strong safety and outside linebacker. Illinois, Northwestern and Rutgers were among the other schools that offered. At McKeesport this season, he also will play running back.
QB • 6-4 • 190
MONESSEN
Rawlins still is working on improving his passing ability. He completed 71 of 153 (only 46 percent) for 991 yards at a Class A school. He also threw 12 interceptions. But college coaches like Rawlins' athleticism and potential. He runs well and has good size. He committed to West Virginia in the spring. Rawlins believes he might be cut in the same athletic mold of current WVU QB Geno Smith. His finalists were West Virginia, Duke and Tennessee.
TE • 6-4 • 240
ARCHBISHOP WOOD
Arcidiacono helped lead Archbishop Wood to the PIAA Class AAA title last season. He also became the second Arcidiacono to commit to Rutgers in two seasons, joining his brother, Brandon. The younger Arcidiacono also held offers from Boston College, Temple and some MAC schools. Rutgers recruited him as a tight end, even though he played guard as a junior.
DE • 6-4 • 255
MOUNT CARMEL
Academics always have been more important to Joraskie than football, so it did not come as a surprise that he chose to attend Northwestern. Several Ivy League schools also had offered Joraskie admission, and he had scholarship offers from Pitt, Purdue, Syracuse, Boston College and Rutgers. Joraskie had 72 tackles and 91/2 sacks his junior season. He's a tough kid who plays with high intensity and explodes from the snap. Joraskie could become a defensive tackle.
TE • 6-5 • 240
SETON-LaSALLE
Talk about a transformation. Orndoff came to Seton-LaSalle as a quarterback. Now, he's projected as a Division I college tight end. He caught 17 passes for 312 yards last season. Production could increase this year. Committed to Wisconsin before his junior year, but, when Paul Chryst became Pitt's coach, Orndoff changed allegiances. He is now a Pitt recruit.
DE • 6-3 • 265
PHILADELPHIA GW
Moody is coming off a junior season in which he accumulated 12 sacks, 20 tackles for losses and forced five fumbles. While a defensive end now, it's quite possible he could move to tackle in college. His size and run-stopping ability would make him a nice fit for that role. At the same time, he's adept at beating offensive tackles to the outside from the end position. His offers include Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers.
LB • 6-2 • 230
HAVERFORD SCHOOL
Galambos doesn't have high-level athleticism, but his cerebral approach and nose for the ball make him a natural at inside linebacker. Galambos recently narrowed his list to Pitt, Rutgers and Harvard, then committed to Pitt a few days ago. Also offering were Syracuse and Temple. Last season, Galambos made 88 tackles to go along with four sacks and three interceptions. He also had 436 receiving yards and six touchdowns at tight end.
NOTE: Positions listed are projected college positions.
First Published August 19, 2012 7:14 am
