Linebacker

Joe Nilan, a 6-foot, 220-pound senior linebacker who helped Malvern Prep win the Inter-Academic League championship last season, has committed to Marist. Nilan, named the Inter-Ac's most valuable player, chose Marist over a number of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schools, including West Chester. He also considered Bucknell. The Springfield (Delco) resident, who doubled as a fullback, was an Inquirer first-team all-Southeastern Pennsylvania pick at linebacker. Brown to Lehigh.

When the Eagles traded for DeMeco Ryans, the feeling of relief and excitement among fans was palpable. The team had picked up a name linebacker. Finally. But the big move doesn't necessarily mean the Eagles solved the linebacker problems that were so plain and painful to see last season. Ryans is a two-time Pro Bowler and renowned leader, but after an Achilles tear in 2010 he wasn't the same player in 2011. The Eagles are optimistic about his health and returning him to the 4-3 system in which he excelled, but even if he returns to form, the team might need insurance and definitely needs an upgrade at outside linebacker.

Curtis Lofton and Stephen Tulloch, according to many, are the two best free-agent linebackers. After almost a week of free agency, neither has been signed, and only Lofton reportedly visited a team - the New Orleans Saints - on Sunday. The Eagles, according to many, have to significantly upgrade at linebacker. They have done nothing so far to address that situation, although they aren't the only linebacker-needy team that has trod softly into the market. In other words, there hasn't been a rush as the price tag for linebackers steadily drops.

Brandon Bell said he wasn't much of a Penn State football fan as a youngster. But he always knew one thing about the Nittany Lions. "That's Linebacker U," said Bell, who will be a senior in the fall at Oakcrest High School in Mays Landing, N.J. He is the first linebacker in the class of 2013 to commit to Penn State. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Bell, a three-star recruit by rivals.com and scout.com, said he made up his mind to commit to Penn State after making his second visit to State College last week.

Commit? Decommit? Recommit? In today's world of college recruiting, high school athletes have commitments to make and sometimes break and remake. Occasionally, a pledge is made and something goes wrong. A head coach is fired, or moves to another program. That's when it's time to think about decommitting, recommitting, or going someplace else. The latest example is linebacker Dan Mastromatteo of Holy Spirit in Absecon, N.J. Mastromatteo, who committed to North Carolina in early June, was faced with a decision when Tar Heels coach Butch Davis was fired on July 27. Stay or go?

Everywhere around him the accolades are flying, yet somehow, Timber Creek senior linebacker Quanzell Lambert is keeping a steady head about things. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder has been acknowledged as one of the top high school linebackers in the country, well before he was selected to participate in the inaugural Semper Fidelis All-American game Jan. 3 in Phoenix. College coaches have been lavishing Lambert with praise, hoping he will commit to their school. Yet despite all the attention, the soft-spoken Lambert remains focused on helping his Timber Creek team (4-0)

Artie Flemming doesn't have to look for Chance Negri on the football field. He usually can hear him. "Chance gets fired up out there," Flemming said of his fellow inside linebacker on the Triton defense. "He plays with so much emotion. " The old friends and old teammates will face one of the key challenges of their careers in Friday night's game at Kingsway. In a game loaded with West Jersey Football League National Division and South Jersey Group 4 playoff implications, Flemming and Negri will lead Triton's sturdy run defense against Kingsway's potent run offense.

T.J. White, a rugged senior linebacker for West Chester Henderson, has committed to play football at Villanova. "I had a few other offers on the table," the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder said on Friday. "Villanova was a great fit for me, academically and football-wise. And I think I have an opportunity to play early on there. " White, a three-year starter who also played tight end, also had scholarship offers from Bucknell, Coastal Carolina, New Hampshire, Towson, and Western Michigan.

THE COMMITMENTS for the class of 2013 continue to roll in at Penn State. The Nittany Lions received a verbal commitment from outside linebacker Zach Bradshaw, from Damascus (Md.) High, according to recruiting websites. Bradshaw, 6-3, 205, becomes the 13th junior to commit to Penn State. He cannot sign a letter of intent until February. He is considered a three-star prospect by Scout.com and Rivals.com. Scout has him as the 67th best linebacker in the country in his class.