Penn State's top recruiting target in the state has ruled out Penn State after Monday's NCAA penalties were announced.
Trey Johnson, a four-star linebacker from Central Gwinnett High School, is no longer considering Penn State and will not take an official visit to the Big Ten school, according to his coach.
"After he got finished with our workouts this morning, he came in and saw what the NCAA announced ... and he just shook his head," Central Gwinnett coach Todd Wofford said. "That pretty much takes them out of it, because I don't know how they'll even have a team.
"I feel sorry for the kids that are there, even the new coaching staff, to pay that price. It would be hard to get any kid to go there right now."
Johnson has been committed to Auburn for about a year, but was heavily considering Penn State because of defensive coordinator Ted Roof. When Roof was an assistant at Auburn last year, he convinced Johnson to commit to the Tigers. Roof also has a special connection with Johnson because he attended and played linebacker at Central Gwinnett.
"He was going to take his official visit up there and you don't ever know what a kid will do after an official visit," Wofford said. "He was going to give Coach Roof the respect to go up there and give them a good look. But that won't be an option now after all the NCAA stuff."
Penn State has a football scholarship offer out to only one other 2013 prospect from Georgia, according to Rivals — Flowery Branch High School wide receiver Darius Curry, who is committed to Oklahoma State.
Also, last February, Penn State signed Cairo High School quarterback Steven Bench. He originally committed to Rice but flipped to Penn State after a late offer. Bench could not be reached for comment on Monday.
Penn State response
Penn State president Rodney Erickson and acting athletic director David Joyner quickly responded Monday, accepting both responsibility for the school and the penalties levied.
"The tragedy of child sexual abuse that occurred at our university altered the lives of innocent children," Erickson said. "Today, as every day, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims of Mr. [Jerry] Sandusky and all other victims of child abuse. Against this backdrop, Penn State accepts the penalties and corrective actions announced today by the NCAA. With today's announcement and the action it requires of us, the university takes a significant step forward.
"... The Freeh Report concluded that individuals at Penn State University entrusted to positions of authority shunned their basic responsibility to protect children and innocent children suffered as a result. Our hearts go out to the victims of this abuse and their families."
Joyner said: "Today Penn State takes another step forward in changing the culture at the institution as we accept the penalties of the NCAA for the failure of leadership that occurred on our campus. We are deeply disappointed that some of our leaders could have turned a blind eye to such abuse and agree that the culture at Penn State must change."
Big Ten also sanctions
About two hours following the NCAA announcement, the Big Ten handed down its own penalty to the Nittany Lions: censure, condemning the behavior of the school; probation, over the five-year term of the NCAA sanction; ineligibility, for bowl games under the NCAA but also for the Big Ten championship game; and a fine, giving up its bowl revenue share for the next four years, expected to be about $13 million that will be donated to Big Ten communities to protect children.
Emotional time
Georgia State's Bill Curry, a long-time college football coach, declined to comment. "He was good friends with Joe [Paterno] and it's emotional for him," school spokeswoman Allison George said.
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