Linebacker Picks Penn State

Mandeville, La., native Michael Mauti had named three favorites just two weeks ago in Penn State, Florida and Oklahoma, however a visit to Happy Valley this weekend sealed the deal for the standout linebacker prospect. Mauti will join his brother Patrick at Penn State in 2008 and continue the family tradition.

A few years ago wide receiver Patrick Mauti walked onto the Penn State program and now his brother Michael Mauti will follow in his footsteps, committing to the Nittany Lion staff this weekend during a camp visit. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound outside linebacker prospect held offers from eleven other schools and had previously said that Penn State was a favorite along with Oklahoma and Florida.

“I actually just gave the coaching staff my verbal commitment this weekend while I was up there for camp,” Mauti said. “I just got back last night and frankly, I feel like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders ending the whole process and finding such a great place to spend the next several years of my life. Now I can just focus on my senior year and play football which will be great.”

For many recruits things like campuses, facilities, winning traditions or being a childhood favorite can play a big role in their decision, however with Mauti it really seemed to come down to relationships and being comfortable with the people he will work with, and be surrounded by on a daily basis in Happy Valley.

“While I was up there yesterday I spent a lot of time just hanging out with Coach Ron Vanderlinden and I was telling my father just today that I feel like I have known the man my whole life,” Mauti explained. “We have a great relationship, he is a great person and as a coach it doesn’t get better. Coach Vanderlinden is a great technician and really knows his stuff at the linebacker position. I really look forward to working with him over the next four years and getting to know him more. He just has everything that I am looking for in a coach.”

“Another thing that played a huge role is along the same lines in terms of relationships and it is just that with my brother being there already and having met a lot of the guys already on campus I felt so comfortable there,” Mauti added. “I got to meet guys like Michael Zordich who is great and even players who were already there like Paul Posluszny and Sean Lee. I just hit it off really well with everyone there and I feel like having those relationships built along with my brother already being there will really help me with the transition from high school to college life.”

Mauti is in the process of calling his other recruiters and letting him know of his decision and had nothing but great things to say about the coaching staffs at many of the schools he was considering. His decision does not sound like it came down to picking one school over others, but simply that one school really provided him all that he felt he wanted.

“There were a lot of other reasons why I picked Penn State,” Mauti stated. “I feel like coming out of Penn State with a degree gives me a lot of choices and provides me with a network of people that will help me become more successful after football. They really have a great combination of academics and athletics there. I also feel very privileged to be wanted by a school known as “Linebacker U” because there have been many great players at the position there before me and I don’t think I have even scratched the surface of what I can do now. That is one of the reasons I am so excited to work with Coach Vanderlinden.”

As for the question of whether the future of Head Coach Joe Paterno will be there throughout his entire career at Penn State, Mauti answered the question without even being asked.

“I told Coach (Joe) Paterno I was coming when I was up on campus and we had a talk about that,” Mauti added. “I feel like when Coach Paterno does eventually choose to walk away he will be replaced by someone that is already on the staff or is a Penn State guy. I felt like the great things about the opportunity to go to school there far outweighed that factor, so it isn’t really something that I am worried about at all. Like I said, this is just a great weight off my shoulders and I’m proud to be part of the Penn State family.”

As a junior at Mandeville High School, Mauti finished the season with 121 tackles, 24 of which came for a loss, four sacks and two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns. He also forced two fumbles from his outside linebacker position. Mauti reports a max bench press of 340 pounds, squats 420 pounds and can power clean 385 pounds. He also excels in the classroom at Mandeville, reporting a 3.0 core GPA and a 22 on his ACT test.