Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1378330
LAST WORD D A V I D E C K E R T | D A V I D E C K E R T 9 8 @ G M A I L . C O M he devout college football fan views the NFL Draft a bit differently than the football-crazed general public does. The widespread mania over which of the available quarterbacks can unlock the key to a struggling team's offense doesn't apply, nor does the exhaustive microanalysis about which fifth-round left tackle might stick around longest in the NFL. For those who prefer the college game, the three-day event tends to be more about reflection than making educated guesses about the future. Watching an alumnus stride across the stage and shake Roger Goodell's hand acts as a tacit sending-off ceremony, an oppor- tunity to remember all the moments that player provided and wish him well moving forward. It's not unlike a gradu- ation ceremony, but, instead of a diploma or degree changing hands, there's often a multimillion-dollar con- tract. Six Nittany Lions heard their names called on NFL Draft weekend late last month. Micah Parsons and Odafe Oweh came off the board in the first round. Pat Freiermuth was selected in the second round. Then Shaka Toney, Michal Menet and Will Fries were se- lected in succession in the seventh round. Despite disappointing results on the gridiron last fall, Penn State's recent success in the way of graduating its players to the next level has been among the best this program has ever seen. The Nittany Lions have sent 23 players across that NFL Draft stage over the past four seasons, the most since 1993- 96. A cool nugget if you're a Penn State fan, right? Wrong. It's more than that. It's vital. The relaxed vibe that college football fans present on draft day is, in some ways, welcome. The players there de- serve to experience one final wave of effusive praise and fond memories from the fans who watched them so closely over the previous three or four seasons. But maybe if college football fans thought a little more about the stakes for every major collegiate program at the NFL Draft every season, they might tend to come into the event wound a lit- tle tighter. The next generation of collegiate stars is watching closely, trying to discern which programs have the highest prob- ability of placing them on that stage in three or four years. "I see what [Penn State did] with guys like Oweh, Shaka Toney and Micah Par- sons. Obviously they can develop me, too, so obviously I'm high on them," Class of 2022 outside linebacker Anto Saka said at a prospect camp in early May. Saka already holds a four-star rating from Rivals.com, and his stock has only risen as of late. He holds offers from Michigan, Oregon and USC among oth- ers – all reputable enough football pro- grams that are more than capable of molding a player of his potential into a star. Recent results can be a separator, though. Just ask Cameron Edge, one of the top quarterback prospects in the re- gion in the Class of 2023, who holds an offer from the Nittany Lions and will camp with Clemson, Ohio State and LSU this summer. "I want to be the first quarterback off the board, whenever it's my time," Edge said. "So what schools have seen that, and what schools can coach that up consistently? That's how I look at it. Who has success on a consistent basis with quarterbacks?" There is still a massive gap between Penn State and the NFL factories that exist at schools like Alabama and Clem- son, which have basically become shoo- ins for the College Football Playoff every season. Even within their own conference, the Nittany Lions have some catching up to do. Ohio State saw 10 players selected in the NFL Draft this year, although Penn State did produce two first-rounders to the Buckeyes' one. It should be acknowledged that, in many ways, this is a classic chicken-or- the-egg scenario. Better recruits are more likely to be drafted, while sending more players to the draft is likely to net you better recruits. You'd like to see more eggs and more chickens year-on-year as a program grows, and, in general, James Franklin seems to be on that trajectory. Looking toward next season, the Nit- tany Lions appear to be primed for an- other big weekend. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy listed 11 Penn State players who are on his radar looking ahead to 2022 – a big number, to be sure. There's a crucial year of development that needs to take place between now and then, though, and plenty can change. When that day comes and Goodell takes the stage to the traditional chorus of boos, maybe college football fans should approach the event with a dif- ferent frame of mind. The next genera- tion of collegiate stars will be keyed in. You should be, too. ■ Pick six T