Penn State Lands First Commitment Since Sanctions

Penn State has seen plenty of players go following the sanctions handed down by the NCAA, but for the first time since the sanctions were announced, Penn State added a high school verbal commit.

Jordan Smith, a high school defensive back from Washington D.C., verbally committed to Penn State on Saturday. He becomes the first post-sanction commitment after Penn State previously lost 16 current players or verbal commitments.

Smith is rated as a 2-star recruit by Rivals.com and was given 3 stars by ESPN. In addition to Penn State, he also had offers from Colorado, Hawaii and Kansas. Smith’s current academic standing could be a major benefit as well. He is reportedly on pace to graduate in December and could possibly enroll in January. If that is the case, he could count toward the 2012 recruiting class and not the 2013 class, which has a 15-scholarship cap.