Penn State’s new defensive coordinator Brent Pry has three proven linebackers already penciled in to starting roles next season: Jason Cabinda, Brandon Bell, and Nyeem Wartman-White. Whether or not Cabinda will slide back outside after posting a team-high 100 tackles from the Mike in 2015 remains to be seen.

The transfers of Troy Reeder and Gary Wooten, Jr. leave a void of playing time that some young guns will be asked to fill. True sophomores Jake Cooper and Manny Bowen are first in line for those coveted snaps, but at least one of Penn State’s incoming freshman linebackers — Cameron Brown and Shaka Toney (plus, perhaps another recruit *cough cough Brendan Ferns* hops on board before National Signing Day) — will likely be forced into the rotation from day one.

Brown picked up scholarship offers from a host of the nation’s top programs — including Notre Dame and USC — but eventually found his new home in Happy Valley, committing to the Nittany Lions in mid-July while on campus for the program’s annual recruiting extravaganza known as the Lasch Bash.

Building connections with the boys early #PSU @ZMcphearson @danny_dalton22 pic.twitter.com/W6PkyLg4M4

— Cam Brown6⃣ (@Freakyy6ix) January 1, 2016

A four-star outside linebacker according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Brown was high school teammates with redshirt freshman tight end Jon Holland at The Bullis School in Potomac, Md. According to his Hudl page, Brown also lined up at wide receiver for the Bulldogs, a theme congruent with Penn State’s tendency since James Franklin’s arrival to recruit versatile athletes who showed promise at multiple positions on the prep level (see: Manny Bowen, Kamonte Carter, and Aaron Mathews).

Checking in at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Brown has plenty of room to fill out his frame under the tutelage of strength and performance enhancement director Dwight Galt, but given Penn State’s depth situation at his position, the coaching staff almost certainly informed him he should be ready to go as soon as he and the rest of the freshmen arrive this summer.

Brown participated in the prestigious Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Carson, Calif., alongside a handful of his future teammates (Zech McPhearson, Andrew Pryts, Will Fries, and Danny Dalton) on Jan. 3. Brown’s East squad emerged victorious, 28-13, but it was a huge hit on Ole Miss pledge D’Vaughn Pennamon that made his individual highlight reel.

#pennstate commit Cameron Brown with the big hit on #OleMiss commit D’Vaughn Pennamon. https://t.co/2psSjv4GdQ

— Scout Recruiting (@scoutrecruiting) January 4, 2016

One of Brown’s classmates — four-star quarterback and longtime Maryland verbal Dwayne Haskins — flipped his commitment to Ohio State on Monday, causing quite a stir in the recruiting world. As the presumed heir apparent to J.T. Barrett in Columbus, Haskins and Brown are sure to square off as Big Ten East foes over the next few years.

The Burtonsville, Md., native is one of four Penn State commits peppered throughout the top 11 Class of 2016 recruits hailing from the state of Maryland — the most of any school, including his home-state Terrapins — according to 247Sports. Joining Brown as Nittany Lion commits from Crabcake Country are McPhearson, defensive end Shane Simmons, and defensive tackle Ellison Jordan. Forget #DMVtoUMD, it’s safe to say the #DMVtoPSU pipeline is alive and well.

You can follow him on Twitter @FreakyyCinco. We’re looking to forward to seeing you on campus soon, Cam.