Son of former Penn State star commits to Nittany Lions

Richy Anderson, a running back from Frederick, Md., who is the son of former Penn State star Richie Anderson, has given Nittany Lions coach Bill O'Brien an oral commitment to join his freshman Class of 2013, several recruiting web sites have reported.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Anderson, who plays for Gov. Thomas Johnson High School, is rated as a three-star recruit by both Scout.com and Rivals.com. He is Penn State's 12^th commitment for 2013.

Anderson had committed last June to Maryland but reconsidered after being contacted by Penn State in September. He attended Saturday night's game between Penn State and Ohio State, returned home, talked about the matter with his father and contacted O'Brien on Sunday night with his decision, ESPN.com reported.

Anderson told ESPN.com that the NCAA sanctions, which include a post-season ban and reduced scholarships, didn't bother him. He said he was impressed with Saturday night's crowd despite the Nittany Lions' 35-23 loss.

"The tradition and everything is still there; it's not just about football," Anderson told the web site. "They were down big in the fourth quarter, and nobody left. It was just amazing. It's more than football there, and it's crazy."

Anderson also had been offered by Temple, Boston College and Rutgers before committing to Maryland. Scout.com rated him the nation's No. 76 running back, and Rivals.com had him as its No. 20 all-purpose back.

Richie Anderson, also a running back, played for Penn State from 1989 through 1992 and played for 12 years on the NFL.

--Joe Juliano