Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1430714
Penn State's recruiting class appears to be holding firm despite all the rumors surrounding head coach James Franklin potentially leaving in the offseason for openings at LSU or USC. Following four losses in five games, that talk has died down, but throughout the weeks of uncertainty, the good and the bad, the core of this year's class hasn't wavered. As long as Franklin is in charge of the pro- gram come Dec. 15, it should be a good day for the Nittany Lions. With that said, a few currently commit- ted players who come from outside of Penn State's normal recruiting territory have taken visits elsewhere in recent weeks, giving the staff something to monitor. Back on Nov. 6, defensive tackle Zane Durant, a four-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus, decided to take an unofficial visit to Miami for its game against Georgia Tech. Manny Diaz and his staff were originally considered the team to beat for the Orlando native back in the summer before he committed to the Nittany Lions. That's what made this visit notable. In an interview with BWI, Durant's high school head coach, Anthony Paradiso, sug- gested that the visit precautionary — a chance to check out another school in case Franklin were to leave the program. "Right now, he's still planning to be at Penn State. That really hasn't changed," Par- adiso said. "If people want him, they have to recruit him hard, and Miami has been doing that since the summer. In this day, you never know what's going to happen. A coach can leave, things change quickly, and then the kid is back to ground zero. We've had plenty of kids in that position before at this school." He wasn't the only commit in the Class of 2021 to take a visit elsewhere. Running back Kaytron Allen, who's originally from Norfolk, Va., and now plays at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., went to Florida State for its rivalry game against Miami on Nov. 13. As of mid-November, it was unclear where exactly he stood. Allen actually took an official visit, meaning it was an all-expenses-paid trip by the Seminoles. Penn State also had one player — cornerback Jordan Allen — decommit in October. A native of Lafayette, La., Allen visited LSU earlier this season and then decided to take an official visit to Ole Miss Oct. 23-24. We're un- der the impression that Franklin and his staff preferred that visit not take place, and both sides ultimately decided it would be best to part ways. With Penn State being fairly deep at defensive back, saving that scholar- ship for a potential transfer portal addition feels more likely than a direct replacement in the class of 2022. As for which high school prospects could still join this class, linebacker Jaishawn Barham remains the staff's top priority. A four-star recruit according to the On3 Con- sensus, Barham is believed to be down to Penn State, Maryland and South Carolina. Both Penn State and South Carolina hosted the Baltimore native for official visits in Sep- tember, while Maryland has hosted him for two unofficial visits, one at the end of July and another Oct. 30 for the game against Indiana. Now that offensive tackle prospect Aamil Wagner, from Huber Heights, Ohio, has de- cided to commit to Notre Dame over Penn State and Kentucky, the staff is considering whether to extend an invitation for an offi- cial visit to offensive tackle Julian Armella of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Armella, a four-star, top-150 prospect ac- cording to the On3 Consensus, appears to be a long shot for the Nittany Lions, with pro- grams like Alabama, Florida and Florida State likely ahead of them. He took an official visit to Alabama Nov. 6-7 and was expected to do the same at Florida on the weekend of Nov. 26-27. As of mid-November, Penn State was interested in hosting Armella for an official visit for its final home game against Rutgers, but it was unclear whether that visit would take place. The Nittany Lions rank No. 8 nationally in the On3 Consensus Team Rankings, which are weighted to only count the average number of com- mitments across all FBS schools. As of Nov. 14, that number was 15. This is used as a more accurate way to project where the class will actually finish, taking away the advantage that Penn State held over the past few months by simply having more players committed than everyone else. Currently, the Nittany Lions' class is ranked fourth by both 247sports and Rivals, but as other schools grow their classes, Penn State is expected to drop in those rankings to where it is currently ranked at On3. — Ryan Snyder 5 4 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Running back Kaytron Allen has been verbally committed to Penn State since the summer, but he recently took an official visit to Florida State. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Few Committed Players Wavering Ahead Of Signing Period ing a day with offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and the entire staff back in July. He's said on multiple occasions that his relationship with Yurcich is one of the best he's built so far. However, whenever you're recruiting a player of his ability, it won't be easy. Davis has also taken multiple visits to Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Ten- nessee. Among the 2023 visitors, Penn State was able to host three prospects from one of the best high school programs in Florida, American Heritage, which is located in Fort Lauderdale. Running back Mark Fletcher and defensive backs Damari Brown and Daemon Fagan all hold scholarship offers from the staff. Fletcher and Fagan have also earned four-star ratings already. Brown remains unranked but is expected to be a four- star player after an impressive junior season. "Oh man, I loved the atmosphere there. Their stadium is crazy, their crowd is crazy," Fagan said. "Their fans are into everything up there, and the White Out looked real good. I was happy I got to see what Penn State's atmosphere is like. It's a real big stadium they've got."