OL, 6' 8", 290 lbs., 4.9 sec. forty. Expected to play offensive tackle at PSU. Reports indicate that he has great lateral mobility. Would have signed a letter of intent early in his junior year, if that was permitted. (Verballed to PSU over tOSU and Pitt.)

LB, 6' 3", 240 lbs., 4.6 sec. forty. Rated by G&W Report as one of the top 5 LBs in the country. G&W Report and SuperPrep rated Ron the country's top inside linebacker prospect. The National Recruting Advisor rated the Ron the #1 strong-side linebacker prospect. Will probably play MLB at PSU, though he may start out at OLB. (Verballed to PSU over Pitt.) USA TODAY ALL-AMERICAN

LB, 6' 4", 220 lbs., 4.5 sec. forty. One of the top 10 prospects in the country. Is also a quality RB (rushed for over 4,000 yards in HS). Is expected to play OLB at PSU, but may start out at safety. G&W Report and SuperPrep rated him the #1 high school prospect. Gatorade's 1996 Player of the Year for Pennsylvainia. Parade Magazine's All America Team High School Player of the Year. (Verballed to PSU over Pitt.) PARADE ALL-AMERICA

OL, 6' 5", 285 lbs., 5.1 sec. forty. Considered the top OL prospect in PA by many recruiting services. In high school, graded out at more than 90% on the offensive line. Expected to play offensive guard at PSU. Named the top student-athlete in southeastern PA by the Maxwell Club of Philadelphia. (Verballed to PSU over Notre Dame.)

TE, 6' 4", 242 lbs., 4.75 sec. forty. Rated the #3 TE prospect by SuperPrep and the #9 TE prospect by the National Recruiting Advisor. Some reports that he may play DL in college, but most observers expect him to play TE at PSU. (Verballed to PSU over Syracuse, Virginia, Georgia Tech, and Pitt.)

OL/DL, 6' 5", 305 lbs., 5.2 sec. forty. Played OL and DL in HS. Initial reports had him playing OG in college, but PSU plans to start him out as a DT. Received the Brooks-Irvin Memorial Scholar/Athlete Aware -- an award for the top student-athlete in southern New Jersey. Rated by Phil Grosz, of Blue White Illustrated, as one of the top two OL prospects in southern NJ.

TE/DL, 6' 5", 260 lbs., 4.7 sec. forty. His stock really rose in May when college coaches viewed his HS films. Only played one or two games as a junior, due to injury. Rated the top TE prospect in Ohio by most recruiting services. Is a two-time winner of the Dev. 1 (large school) heavyweight wrestling championship in Ohio. Most reports had him playing TE in college. However, it is now believed that he will play on the defensive line at PSU.

OL, 6' 7", 295 lbs., 5.1 sec. forty. Attended the '96 PSU summer football camp, and decided PSU was the place for him. Is expected to play offensive tackle in college. (Verballed to PSU over OSU, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, and Louisville.)

OL/DL, 6' 3", 290 lbs., 4.9 sec. forty. Rated the #2 OG prospect in the country by the National Recruiting Advisor. Attended '96 PSU summer FB camp. Rated the #11 prospect in the Northeast by G&W Report. Initial projections had him playing center in college. It now appears that PSU will start him out at defensive tackle to take advantage of his great mobility. (Verballed to PSU over Duke, Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia Tech.)

LB/DE, 6' 3", 242 lbs., 4.7 sec. forty. Combines size and speed with a 36" vertical leap. He's been a huge PSU fan since he was a kid. G&W Report listed him as one of the top 100 prospects in the country. SuperPrep rated him the #30 linebacker prospect. Expected to play DE in college. (Verballed to PSU over Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Pitt.)

TE/LB, 6' 5", 225 lbs., 4.6 sec. forty. Rated the #11 TE prospect by the National Recruiting Advisor. Combines a nice combination of size and speed. Will need to bulk up a bit, but expected to play TE at PSU. (Verballed to PSU over North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and South Carolina.)

PK, 6' 1", 185 lbs. One of the top placekickers in the nation (ranked #1 by SuperPrep, #4 by National Recruiting Advisor). Has kicked a 43 yard FG in a game, and routinely hits 50 yarders in practice. Attended '96 summer FB camp at PSU, Syracuse, and Virginia, and was offered a scholarship by each. Missed virtually his entire senior season due to a separated shoulder. Is expected to be fully recovered by summer practices, and will be given every chance to win the place-kicking job as a freshman. (Verballed to PSU over Syracuse, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Rutgers.)

WR, 6' 1", 180 lbs., 4.35 sec. forty. Branch is rated one of the top three prospects in Virginia for the 1996 season, and just might be the top receiver prospect in the nation. He was offered scholarships by 72 schools, including Michigan, Florida State, Notre Dame, USC, Tennessee, Virginia and Florida. Rated by G&W Report as one of the top five receivers in the country. Parade Magazine rated Bruce as the #1 HS wide receiver in the country following his senior season. (Verballed to PSU over Michigan.) PARADE ALL-AMERICAN

RB, 6' 2", 240 lbs., 4.4 sec. forty. One of the top TB/FB prospects in the country. Combines size and speed with a 36" vertical leap. Rated by G&W Report as the sleeper prospect of the year. The National Recruiting Advisor rated him the #1 fullback prospect in the country, and SuperPrep rated him the #7 running back prospect. Over 50 schools offered him a scholarship. Moved to the USA two years ago from Jamaica, where he was the Junior Olympic 100 & 200 meter champ. Has only played two years of HS football. Gatorade's and USA Today's 1996 Player of the Year for Massachusettes. While some think he will end up at fullback, most reports indicated that PSU will start him out as a running back. (Verballed to PSU over Syracuse.) PARADE ALL-AMERICAN

DB, 6' 1", 210 lbs., 4.4 sec. forty. Some coaches and recruiting gurus consider him the top prospect in VA; he's certainly one of the top five. Attended PSU's summer FB camp. Has a reputation for being a ferocious hitter. (Verballed to Penn State over Tennessee, Nebraska, Michigan, North Carolina, and Florida.) USA TODAY ALL-AMERICAN

DT, 6' 4", 262 lbs., 4.7 sec. forty. Committed to PSU last year, but elected to attend Kiski Prep. While at Kiski he worked on his academics, had surgery on bone spurs in his ankle, and added 22 lbs. of bulk. Was the first player to publicly verbal to PSU last year. Played DL, LB, and FB in high school. Expected to play defensive tackle at Penn State. A year ago, picked PSU over Notre Dame, Nebraska, West Virginia, and Pitt.

DB, 6' 1", 185 lbs., 4.375 sec. forty. Rated amongst the top five players in Virginia by most recruiting services. Named to AP's Virginia AAA first-team over James Whitley -- a highly prized DB prospect that signed with Michigan. Is expected to play cornerback at PSU, and will be given a chance to win the job as a true freshman. (Verballed to PSU over Michigan and Virginia.)

DB, 6' 1", 195 lbs., 4.4 sec. forty. Received post-season honors at QB, DB, and Punter; the three positions he played as a senior in high school. Is expected to play safety at Penn State. (Verballed to PSU over Florida State and Nebraska.)

OL, 6' 7", 330 lbs., 5.0 sec. forty. Rated by the National Recruiting Advisor at the #1 prospect at offensive tackle, and by SuperPrep as the #1 offensive line prospect. Named to virtually every post-season All-American team, except for Parade's. Was attracted to PSU as much by its academic offerings as its football offerings. Is expected to play offensive tackle at Penn State. (Verballed to PSU over Michigan, tOSU, Wisconsin, and Tennessee.) USA TODAY ALL-AMERICAN

OL, 6' 5", 255 lbs., 5.0 sec. forty. A surprise signee, as most observers thought that Penn State was no longer recruiting him. Is the brother of former Nittany Lion, and current Detroit Lion, Jeff Hartings. Uses technique, more than brute force, to get the job done. Is expected to play offensive guard in college.

WR/DB, 6' 4", 200 lbs., 4.4 sec. forty. Rated the #6 propsect in Ohio by the Ohio Recruiting Report. Initially verballed to tOSU, but later contacted PSU and asked them to continue recruiting him. Is also a standout basketball player, and is expected to play both sports in college. PSU's approach to academics, as well as its sports teams, is reported to have made the difference in securing Sam. It is believed that he will start out at WR. (Verballed to PSU over tOSU.)