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F O O T B A L L R E C R U I T I N G Nittany Lions bolster 2022 class Penn State adds four commitments, but Class of 2021 holds steady at 13 | P enn State's Class of 2022 took a major step in the right direction in August and September, as the Nit- tany Lions brought in four more prospects following the additions of wide receiver Kaden Saunders and tight end Jerry Cross at the end of July. The Lions' surge began on Aug. 3 when three-star dual-threat quarterback Beau Pribula of York, Pa., ended his recruit- ment. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound Pribula earned an o6er from the coaching sta6 at the end of March. A Penn State fan grow- ing up, Pribula admitted that the Lions were the team to beat, but he hadn't ex- pected to end his recruitment just over four months a7er receiving his o6er. However, due to all the changes sur- rounding the COVID-19 pandemic, he said he was able to learn more, not less, about his top schools in the spring and summer. "Penn State was always my dream school, although I tried not to let that in5u- ence me during this deci- sion," Pribula said. "But quarantine was a unique time. Coaches and I had a lot of time. I think I talked to coaches more over the past couple months than I normally would have if this was a normal environment. That really helped me develop relationships with these coaches pretty quickly, even with- out visiting all of them. "But I was still able to evaluate each school, and I did that. It just got to the point where I knew Penn State was the one that I wanted to go to, and that school just so happened to be my dream school growing up." Regional recruiter Tyler Bowen and of- fensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca led Pribula's recruitment. Overall, he totaled a dozen scholarship o6ers, with North- western, Nebraska, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Vir- ginia being a few of the more notable schools that were pursuing him. The Nittany Lions then added tight end Holden Staes just 10 days later. A native of Atlanta, Staes earned an o6er from Penn State this past April and quickly de- veloped a strong relationship with Bowen, who coaches the Lions' tight ends, and head coach James Franklin. "The biggest thing was Coach Franklin and coach Tyler Bowen," Staes said fol- lowing his commitment. "They are two great coaches and are a big part of my commitment. I think Coach Franklin is one of the top head coaches in football PENN STATE TIES Talley is well-ac- quainted with PSU graduate assistant Deion Barnes, and that connection played a role in his decision to choose the Nittany Lions. Photo courtesy of Ri- vals.com

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