What could be a productive week for the Penn State football team's 2012 recruiting efforts got a major boost on Wednesday afternoon when Illinois five-star defensive tackle Tommy Schutt and Wyoming Valley West four-star wide receiver Eugene Lewis gave the Nittany Lions their 15th and 16th verbal commitments for this class.
As a junior, Schutt was a first-team all-state player at Glenbard West High School, where he had 68 tackles and 15 sacks. Although he's 6-foot-3 and 301 pounds, Schutt is known for his explosiveness and athleticism.
Schutt grew up a Penn State fan but nearly committed to Notre Dame last week. The Irish however, ran out of scholarship openings, leaving Schutt to choose between the Lions, Wisconson, Florida and Ohio State.
Lewis is 6-2 and weighs 185 pounds. He had close to 20 scholarship offers, with Maryland and Virginia Tech rounding out his top three.
Lewis played quarterback as a junior, both rushing and passing for more than 1,000 yards on his way to making second-team Class AAAA all-state. He averaged almost 25 yards per catch as a sophomore when he hauled in 11 touchdowns.
The Lions will look for more on Friday when Massachusetts four-star cornerback Armani Reeves announces his college choice - he's also looking at Notre Dame and Michigan. Meanwhile, five-star defensive end Noah Spence is scheduled to visit that same day.
