A disappointing football weekend for the Nittany Lions concluded with a bit of good news Sunday night as Richie Anderson, a running back from Frederick Maryland, committed to the Penn State program.

If the name sounds familiar, it is because Anderson’s father, also named Richie, played fullback for the Blue and White in the early 1990s before enjoying a long career in the NFL. The elder Anderson scored 31 touchdowns during his time at Penn State and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2001 when he was a member of the New York Jets.

The younger Anderson was originally committed to the Maryland Terrapins as part of the Class of 2013 before switching to the Nittany Lions last night. The 5-11 180 lb. senior is rated as a 3-star prospect by most major recruiting services and also had offers from Illinois, Boston College, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Rutgers, and Temple in addition to Penn State and Maryland.

Shortly after Ryan Snyder of Blue White Illustrated reported the news, freshman running back Akeel Lynch revealed on Twitter that he hosted Anderson during a visit this past weekend. The senior from Thomas Johnson High School was one of more than 100 prospects at Beaver Stadium for Saturday night’s WhiteOut against Ohio State.

Anderson is the twelfth member of Penn State’s 2013 recruiting class. While Christian Hackenberg and Adam Breneman have received a ton of hype, the class had been thin on offensive skill position prospects.

The contest against the Buckeyes had the potential to be a showcase game for potential recruits. The direct result did not go according to plan, but the son of a former Nittany Lion decided to follow in his father’s footsteps anyway.