Okay, so Angelo Mangiro’s selection of Penn State might not have been a surprise–Mangiro grew up rooting for the Nittany Lions, and went so far as to call Penn State his “dream school.”  But the way Penn State’s early recruiting efforts have gone so far this season, with widely expected future Lions spurning Penn State, I’m not sure that Mangiro picking any of the other final four candidates would have been much of a surprise.

But instead of choosing Ohio State or Rutgers or Pittsburgh, as so many top prospects have done this offseason, Mangiro chose the Blue and White, instantly becoming the most highly touted prospect to pick Penn State thus far for the class of 2011.  This means we don’t have to push the panic button just yet.

The 6-3, 295 guard already stands as an imposing figure, and one can only imagine the road-grader he’ll become after a few years in the college weight room. That impressive frame, when coupled with his superb strength and athleticism, made Mangiro one of the top prospects in the northeast. Able to bench press 330 pounds, squat 475, and earning all-conference, all-region, all-county and all-state honors, Mangiro still maintained a 3.5 GPA.

Scout ranks Mangiro as the #5 guard in the country, and grades him as a 4-star prospect, while ESPN lists Mangiro as the #2 player at his position, and offers a comprehensive scouting report. Excerpts:

Mangiro has the athleticism and playing strength to be a dominant run blocker…This player flashes the playing strength to knock defenders off the ball. When asked to reach on offset defenders will tend to raise his pad level however his good agility and balance allow him to maintain contact and gain leverage…This guy displays the ability to handle quick inside movement and can be a devastating down blocker…This is a tough, aggressive player with the finishing attitude that can dominate opponents. Mangiro could see early playing time if a red shirt year is not deemed necessary, regardless this player is capable of making a significant impact during his career.

But if the recruiting services don’t impress you, take a look at the offer sheet:  In addition to the aforementioned schools, Mangiro held scholarship offers from Florida, USC, Boston College, Notre Dame, and just about every other school in the region.

This is a big get for Penn State, even if the deck was stacked in our favor from the outset.  We can only hope that Mangiro’s commitment not only gets the ball rolling for the Nittany Lions, but also prompts Angelo to sing our praises to his fellow big-time prospects.