Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1082442
T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 9 >> TRAIL MIX Looking back on some of the ups and downs of the just-completed recruiting cycle | F or the third consecutive year, Penn State has signed a class that ranks among the top 15 in the country. It's taken a lot of hard work to get to that level, and it will take even more to stay there. Recruiting the best players in the country is a four-season, around- the-clock task. Travel miles add up, and phones constantly buzz with calls and text mes- sages. There are victo- ries and then there are heartbreaks. Home runs and strikeouts. They all help comprise the Nit- tany Lions' Class of 2019. With another one in the books, let's take a look at some of the highlights of the recently concluded recruiting cycle. HEAD OF THE CLASS Climbing 18 spots in the ;nal Rivals100 rankings for 2019 – a?er he had already begun his college career as an early enrollee – linebacker Brandon Smith ;nished as the highest- rated member of Penn State's recruiting class. Coming in at No. 39 overall, he ;nished one spot ahead of running back Devyn Ford. Smith is considered Vir- ginia's best prospect and is rated as the third-best outside linebacker in the na- tion. STRONGEST POSITION No team in the country is bringing in a better running back duo than the one Penn State landed. With Ford and Noah Cain, who is ranked No. 43 overall, PSU is the only college to sign a pair of top-50 RBs in this class. Ford and Cain also o=er complementary skill sets. Ford is an all-purpose back who runs with a slashing style, while Cain is more of a bruiser who likes to grind it out between the tackles. MOST DRAMA Nick Cross didn't just go the ;rst signing day without signing. He bypassed the second one, too. Penn State made a hard push for the four-star prospect from DeMatha Catholic in Maryland a?er he declined to sign with Florida State, the school to which he was verbally committed, during the Decem- ber period. He had still not made up his mind by Feb. 6, as he and his parents re- mained undecided about his college destination. Penn State was in play, but the in-state Terrapins, who had recently hired Cross's former high school coach, were enticing him to stay home. As of Feb. 10, he hadn't announced a decision. The runner-up in this category is Cain, who was still considering Texas well into IMPACT PLAYER After he en- rolled in classes at Penn State in January, Smith moved up 18 spots in the Ri- vals100. Photo courtesy of Ri- vals.com