On Thursday morning kicker Anthony Fera became the eighth member of the Penn State Nittany Lions to transfer to another school following NCAA sanctions against the school. There's a good chance he won't be the last to leave, either.
All of which is a problem for Penn State coach Bill O'Brien, who will already be dealing with depth issues thanks to the scholarship restrictions placed on the program. So, not surprisingly, when asked if he would recruit Penn State players if roles were reversed, O'Brien said he wouldn't.
"Hell no!" O'Brien said. "That's not the right thing to do in my opinion. So I wouldn't do that.
"I'm not fighting for my career, I'm fighting for Penn State. For what's right about this football program and so at the end of the day, like I said, these coaches are playing by the rules. That's what they're doing."
Honestly, though, what's O'Brien supposed to say when asked that question? If he says yes then he's essentially yelling "come on down and take a look at what we got" to opposing coaches.
As for whether it's the right thing to do or not, that's debatable. With the players that have left, if they contacted other schools and said they were interested that's one thing. The reports of
Either way, it's all perfectly legal according to the NCAA. Whether you feel it's right or wrong really depends on whether or not Penn State players can help your program.
