Scholarship players added
O’Brien has decided to put five run-on players on scholarship for this season. That brings the Lions’ total to 71 scholarship players. They don’t have to be down to the NCAA-mandated limit of 65 until next year.
The five players put on scholarship are:
G Bryan Davie (Jr. 6-3, 282), who weighed 350 pounds when he made the team during a tryout in January of 2012 but has lost nearly 70 pounds.
DE Carl Nassib (So. 6-6, 244), younger brother of former Syracuse quarterback and current New York Giant Ryan Nassib.
CB Devin Pryor (So. 5-10, 174), who went to high school in England and played for a team located on the Royal Air Force Base.
DT Tyrone Smith (Jr. 6-4, 264), a Pittsburgh native who was all-city in high school and made the Lions during a tryout in January of 2012.
RB Deron Thompson (So. 5-10, 205), who played in six games on the punt return unit last year and was named Academic all-Big Ten.