Hours after NJ Advance Media reported the curious circumstances surrounding Penn State's unconfirmed hiring of a former Rutgers football recruiting coordinator, the mystery is solved:
E.J. Barthel has indeed been hired by Penn State, where he will handle aspects of the Nittany Lions football program's recruiting.
Barthel is expected to have a significant hand in Penn State's recruiting efforts, although he will be restricted from meeting prospects off campus.
"We can confirm that E.J. has been hired at Penn State,'' Penn State associate director of strategic communications Kris Petersen told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday afternoon.