Four-star offensive tackle Ryan Brubaker released a top five a little more than a week ago, but that’s really not the most interesting part about his recruitment.
A Penn State legacy from Denver (Pa.) Cocalico, the Nittany Lions are definitely a contender in his recruitment but the feeling is that the four other programs on his list have a very real chance to land Brubaker. Visits over the month of June are going to be really important.
Recently, Brubaker said he’s definitely looking at all of his favorites and not just going through the motions. If that was the case he wouldn’t be taking these visits at all.
In today’s Ranking The Contenders, we take a look at the top schools on Brubaker’s list and determine which program has the best shot at landing him.
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1. PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions have to have the edge in his recruitment. His father played at Penn State. Brubaker knows the program well and lives a little more than two hours away from State College.
From the history and the tradition there to the coaching staff making Brubaker a top priority on the offensive line to his dad playing for the Nittany Lions and an upcoming official visit, Penn State is still in very good shape to land his commitment.
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2. SOUTH CAROLINA
This is where things get very interesting. Any of the other four teams could make a real argument to be in the second spot here, but the Gamecocks might hold a slight edge since coach Shane Beamer and his staff have made Brubaker a priority.
The feeling is that the Penn State connections might not hold as much weight as some others think they do and assistant coaches Greg Adkins and Pete Lembo are working hard on him.
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3. STANFORD
The Cardinal did not offer until later in April, but Brubaker is planning a trip west in June because Stanford is a very serious contender and could be second on the four-star’s list as well. Academics are going to play a key role in Brubaker’s final decision, and Stanford has an extraordinary mix of athletics and academics to offer.
Once he gets to campus and gets a feel for the Bay Area, the Cardinal could move even higher up the list. It cannot hurt that coach David Shaw loves to run the ball behind a massive offensive line.
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4. TENNESSEE
Again, Tennessee could be higher on this list – maybe even second behind Penn State – and has a sneaky good chance to land Brubaker, especially if he loves his visit to Knoxville later in June. The Vols need to keep building offensive line depth. Brubaker is an offensive tackle who has versatility and can move fast in coach Josh Heupel’s offense.
The four-star’s relationship with position coach Glen Elarbee is one of the strongest in his recruitment.
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5. VANDERBILT
There are some opportunities for Vanderbilt to separate itself in Brubaker’s recruitment, but also some challenges. The four-star has a good relationship with position coach AJ Blazek. There is a new, fresh approach with coach Clark Lea running the Commodores. Plus, Vanderbilt is closer than Stanford.
But Vanderbilt has not been a winning football program in years. If academics are playing that big of a role, Stanford might emerge as the frontrunner, too. It’s just always a tough climb at Vandy.
