Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1082442
LONG-DISTANCE DEDICATION Ja'Juan Seider has raised PSU's profile outside of its customary recruiting territory n recognition of the most influential recruiting coach for the Class of 2019, the award goes to... Can it be any more obvious? Ja'Juan Seider. Penn State has assembled almost an entire staff of ace recruiters, led by James Franklin and buoyed by coordina- tors Tyler Bowen and Terry Smith. Without the first-year running backs coach, however, the Nittany Lions almost assuredly would have missed out on a third consecutive finish among the nation's top 12-ranked classes. Perhaps Penn State would have gone with- out the two wide re- ceivers it signed, and maybe the tight end, too. The Lions would likely have signed players at those positions no matter what, but those other prospects might not have been as highly regarded as the ones who did sign. Elsewhere, would the Nittany Lions have landed two solid quarterbacks in one year without Sei- der's reputation among his fellow col- lege coaches? It's unlikely, and I haven't even mentioned the two top-50 running backs who are coming in to train under his tutelage. The relationships Seider has built along the way have certainly proved fruitful for Penn State. Difficult deci- sions by the head coach have helped, too. It was just over a year ago when Sei- der was added to the staff under atypi- cal circumstances. Franklin knew that he had to get the former Florida assis- tant, even if it meant that he would have to change his plans regarding an- other hire he had just made. Franklin had recently brought on David Corley from Army to coach his running backs, but once Seider's name hit the market, Franklin snapped him up and re- arranged his staff. Well aware that it was going to be a down year in Penn- sylvania, Franklin knew that he would have to venture to the far corners of the country to help offset the imbalance. JUDGMENT CALL I SUNSHINE STATEMENT In his first year on the staff, Seider played a major role in helping the Nittany Lions sign three prospects from Florida in their Class of 2019. Photo by Steve Manuel