Blue White Illustrated

I t's been an up-and-down year for Penn State recruiting, to say the least. The Class of 2021 is talented, no doubt, but the sta4's misses have earned at least as much publicity as its successes. Even James Franklin admitted this fall that the class wasn't "up to the stan- dard" that fans have come to expect in recent years. On the 3ip side, Penn State has also seen its Class of 2022 get o4 to the kind of start that quite frankly is hard to be- lieve given that players haven't been able to visit campus for the past eight months. With seven players already committed, including 2ve prospects in the Rivals250, the class has given fans a reason to feel good about the program's perception. However, what will ultimately answer that question of perception is not how the class starts, but how it 2nishes. We won't know that answer until December 2021, but there will be clues and hints along the way. To get a better feel for how the sta4 will reach its goals, I complied a list of eight 2022 defensive players who will bear watching in the months ahead. Landing these players will go a long way toward determining just how good Penn State's Class of 2022 is when it's all said and done. DANI DENNIS-SUTTON DE, 6-6, 240 Owings Mills, Md. McDonogh There's a lot to like here if you're a Penn State fan. Physically, Dennis-Sutton is a very im- pressive prospect at a position of need for the 2022 class. That's important, but he's also great off the field, too. That matters. In the eyes of Franklin and his staff, I think he's the most im- portant prospect outside of Pennsylva- nia for 2022. Dennis-Sutton also plays at a school were Penn State has re- cruited very successfully in recent years, landing prospects in the 2018, '19 and '20 classes. So far, he's only made one true visit to Penn State, although he did take a personal tour of campus in November. It feels as if the Nittany Lions will be serious players, if not the early favorites. CRISTIAN DRIVER Saf., 6-1, 170 Argyle, Texas Liberty Christian Driver is the son of for- mer NFL wide receiver Donald Driver. That's a good thing for the Nittany Lions, as Franklin coached Driver in Green Bay back in 2005. The two became close and have remained friends ever since. In fact, Driver spoke to the Nittany Lions ahead of last year's win in the Cotton Bowl. Franklin has "been on me since I was a little kid. He's more like an uncle to me," Cristian told Rivals.com earlier this year. That rela- tionship certainly helps, but it won't be easy. Last month, Driver narrowed his list to 13 schools, and it featured just These 2022 prospects could boost Penn State's defense A N A L Y S I S B Y R Y A N S N Y D E R ELITE LINEBACKER Murphy has been to Penn State twice, and the staff will be eager to welcome him back to campus when visits re- sume. Photo courtesy of Rivals.com

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