FTB’s All-3-Star and Under Team: PSU Defense
Our Counter to the Ridiculous Hype and Conjecture of National Signing Day, We ‘Wished Upon a 3-Star’ and Assembled a Squad of Penn State Players That Outperformed Their Modest Recruiting Profile.
Note: For those who missed our All-3-Star and Under Offense unveiling, click HERE.
Concept: Fair warning to all you ‘Star Chasers’ who spend mid-December and early-February decoding emoji-laced social media messages from blue-chip prep prospects…this article isn’t for you. No, this two-part series — Penn State’s All-3 Star and Under Team – is sweet nectar for the Eye Rollers and Cloud Yellers out there who scoff at Carrot Top-inspired, prop-filled televised announcement ceremonies and the exalted status bestowed upon kids who won’t step on a college football field for seven months AT THE EARLIEST. Yes, the players on this team are the exception not the rule, but their careers do remind us that none of us truly know what the heck’s in store for signees once they hit Happy Valley.
Criteria: Candidates had to be rated a 3-Star prospect or less by ONE – not all – of the major recruiting services (Scout, Rivals, 247). Because these databases only go back to 2001 this is a 21st Century Team by default, so don’t blow us up wondering why we left 1950s unheralded Ampipe High linebacker Sergei “Soot Lung” Mesarzos off the list. Your whining is just gonna get lost among the sea of boner-pill-slinging bots encamped in our comments section, anyway. So give us and your angry fingers a break.
Special consideration was given to 2-Star, 1-Star and Walk-on prospects whose Penn State football resumes compared similarly to that of a 3-Star prospect. No consideration was given to what these guys did/are doing in the NFL. Like most All-American/All-Conference teams, we went 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 5 OL (no specific position) on offense and 2 DE, 2 DT, 3 LB, 2 CB, 2 S on defense.
The Starting Defense:
DEFENSIVE ENDS
Carl Nassib
It doesn’t get more ‘Off The Radar’ than Carl Nassib.
Known mainly as “Ryan’s younger brother” when he left Malvern Prep as a starless prospect, Carl was such an afterthought that both his Rivals.com Profile and 247 Profile didn’t feature a picture of him, opting for ‘generic football guy silhouette’ instead – the Twitter Egg of recruiting.
From a skinny, gangly walk-on, Nassib added 50+ pounds at Penn State thanks to an uncommon and unrivaled weight-room work ethic and a love of Chipotle – which we always thought was a laxative, but guess not.
After seeing a few snaps as a sophomore, and a few more as a junior, Nassib finally cracked the starting lineup in 2015, his senior season. That year, the once-unwanted, misshapen EDGE set the Penn State single-season sack record with 15.5. Nassib was an AP First-Team All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and took home the Lombardi Award and Ted Hendricks Award.
Aaron Maybin
Maybin barely qualified for this team thanks to 247’s 3-Star evaluation (Rivals gave Maybin four stars).
Unlike Nassib, Maybin was a Top 300 recruit and received offers from powerhouses like Penn State, Florida, and Virginia Tech.
Just like Nassib, though, Maybin posted one MONSTER season in Blue and White. That’d be 2008…Penn State’s Big Ten Championship season. Using pure speed and not much else, Maybin amassed 12.0 sacks and recorded 20.0 TFLs. Despite being a redshirt sophomore, Maybin passed on another year of college ball and entered the NFL Draft.
In this final season at Penn State, Maybin was a Walter Camp First-Team All-American and a finalist for multiple national awards.
ALSO CONSIDERED: Jack Crawford (3-Star), Deion Barnes (3-Star), Evan Schwan (3-Star), Sharif Miller (3-Star), Shake Toney (3-Star).
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Jordan Hill
Despite winning back-to-back high school state championships, Jordan Hill’s college offer list remained regional, not national. Penn State. Pitt. Rutgers. Temple. That’s it. Forming a bond with former Nittany Lions defensive line coach Larry Johnson during the recruiting process, Hill committed to Penn State shortly after receiving the full-ride invite.
Hill performed decently in 2011, but got overshadowed by All-American DT neighbor Devon Still. The next year, 2012, Hill was one of the more vocal Penn State players when NCAA sanctions hit the program that July. Stressing unity and trust amongst those who stayed and didn’t transfer, Hill was one of many defensive leaders on that upstart ‘Bunch of Fighters’ squad. Beyond keeping linebackers Gerald Hodges, Glenn Carson, and Michael Mauti clean, Hill registered 64 tackles on his own and 4.5 sacks. The Big Ten coaches and media were smart enough to name Hill a First-Team All-Conference.
Jay Alford
Another 3-Star here, 4-Star there selection, Jay Alford was a bridesmaid twice when it came to All-Big Ten honors – narrowly missing first-team accolades in 2005 and 2006 (he was 2nd Team both seasons). Nonetheless, Alford doesn’t need a gold-star sticker from the coaches or media to justify his spot on that team, this team, or any team.
Alford registered 19.0 sacks and 32 TFLs during his four years career at Penn State.
ALSO CONSIDERED: Austin Johnson (3-Star), Kevin Givens (3-Star), Ollie Ogbu (3-Star), Robert Windsor (3-Star), DaQuan Jones (3-Star on Rivals…4-Star on 247).
LINEBACKERS
Paul Posluszny
So, obviously the recruiting gurus whiffed here. Not gonna crush them. It happens. Posluszny outperformed his 3-Star high school label at Penn State, leaving Happy Valley as a Two-Time All-American linebacker, Two-Time Chuck Bednarik Award winner, the 2005 Dick Butkus Award winner, and arguably LBU Mt. Rushmore status.
After topping Penn State in tackles (104) in 2004, Posluszny became the first Nittany Lions junior in more than 35 years to be named team captain when Penn State began its magical 2005 campaign. Posluszny was the first Big Ten player to earn Defensive Player of the Week honors three times in a single season.
His 372 career tackles rank 2nd in Penn State history just behind teammate Dan Connor.
NaVorro Bowman
Bowman was a 3-Star linebacker prospect out of Maryland, according to 247 Sports and the No. 255 high school player in Class of 2006.
Two years later – with Dan Connor now in the NFL and Sean Lee out for the season – Bowman took full advantage of his increased snap count and cemented himself as a starting linebacker by Week 4 of 2008. That season – the first of two First-Team All-Big Ten selections – Bowman notched a team-best 106 tackles (61 solo), 16.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, forced two fumbles, and recovered Terrelle Pryor’s crucial 4th down hot-potato fumble that set-up the game-winning score vs. Ohio State. In the Rose Bowl loss to USC, Bowman balled out on the big stage by breaking Penn State’s bowl record and tying the all-time Rose Bowl record for TFLs with 5.
Sean Lee
Despite authoring a college career most 3-Stars could only dream of, a rather large What If? lingers when reflecting back on Sean Lee’s time at Penn State…specifically, what if Lee didn’t tear his ACL during 2008 spring practice? That injury limited Lee to serve as a headset-wearing special undergraduate assistant coach on the sidelines during Penn State’s Big Ten title run.
Lee earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2007 and 2009.
ALSO CONSIDERED: Tim Shaw (3-Star), Brandon Bell (3-Star), Jason Cabinda (3-Star).
CORNERBACKS
Amani Oruwariye
Only the 91st-ranked high school player in the state of Florida his senior year, Amani Oruwariye still managed to reel in dozens of FBS offers. Vanderbilt. Syracuse. Nebraska. Georgia Tech. Louisville. Despite making his mailman’s life a living hell for two years, Oruwariye never received a formal full-ride offer from the in-state Big 3 (Miami, Florida, and Florida State). So he simply followed James Franklin, first verbally committing to Vanderbilt then flipping to Penn State late in the recruiting process.
Oruwariye put together a sneaky-good college career. Even though the Tampa native didn’t really start until his redshirt senior season, he received Second-Team All-Big Ten honors as an oft-used backup in 2017. The next year, Oruwariye tallied career-bests in tackles, PBUs, and forced fumbles, bumping up to First-Team All-Big Ten cornerback.
Oruwariye’s 8 career INTs are more than any other Penn State player during the James Franklin Era. Television announcers also pronounced Oruwariye’s last name more ways than any other Penn State player during the James Franklin Era, as you’ll see below:
Grant Haley
Wanna know what’s wild? Grant Haley’s “Kick-6” blocked-FG TD vs. Ohio State was the first time in the 130 years Penn State has played organized football that anyone in blue and white/pink and black returned a blocked FG for a touchdown. That’s pretty improbable/remarkable and helluva time to make history.
Wanna know what else is wild? Haley never made the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Team All-Big Ten squads during his four-year Penn State career – a tenure stuffed full of unforgettable, ‘big play, big stage’ moments. Crazy, huh? Haley racked up a modest 5 interceptions, 28 PBUs, and 139 total tackles from 2014-2017.
ALSO CONSIDERED: Tony Davis (3-Star), D’Anton Lynn (3-Star), Stephon Morris (3-Star), Trevor Williams (3-Star), Jordan Lucas (3-Star).
SAFETIES
Calvin Lowry
Bit of trivia: who was the first true freshman to ever start for Joe Paterno? If you guessed former stud Calvin Lowry, you’re right! And if you’re right, well, you probably cheated and googled it.
When you consider the parade of Parade All-Americans Paterno recruited throughout his half-century at Penn State, it’s kind of odd that Lowry would be the one to nab that first-true-freshman-to-start distinction. According to 247, Lowry was only a 3-Star cornerback out of Fayetteville, N.C., and ranked just outside the Top 300 nationally.
Lowry, like everyone on our team, proved recruiting stars don’t really mean much.
After posting a four-interception season in 2004, Lowry matched that total the following year, earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors from the media and coaches. Lowry’s 2nd Quarter interception vs. Ohio State in 2005 led to what would be the game-winning touchdown – a two-yard Michael Robinson option keeper.
Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen’s inclusion over Adrian Amos perfectly illustrates our ‘No consideration of NFL success’ policy. Because on first glance, we penciled Amos in this slot or Lowry’s slot…but the more we dug in and examined each player’s college career, Amos just missed the cut.
Despite being just the No. 23 overall prep player in the state of Maryland, Allen held offers from 40+ schools coast to coast. Clemson. Michigan. Stanford. Nebraska. Arizona. In the end, though, Allen’s connection with new coach James Franklin brought him to Penn State.
The emotional heart-and-soul of Penn State’s defense, Allen finished his college career with 321 tackles – good for sixth-most in program history. Coaches named Allen First-Team All-Big Ten as a senior. Beyond stats and accolades, though, Allen left Nittany Lions’ fans with a slew of memorable moments, including THE most memorable Penn State Football moment of the 21st Century.
Also Considered: Anthony Scirrotto (3-Star), Drew Astorino (3-Star), Stephen Obeng-Agyapong (3-Star), Adrian Amos (3-Star), Malik Golden (3-Star).
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