Blue White Illustrated

September 2022

Penn State Sports Magazine

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5 8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M L ong before he had a scholarship offer, running back London Montgomery was focused on attending Penn State. Montgomery grew up in Scranton, about 150 miles from State College, and had watched as players like Saquon Bark- ley and Miles Sanders developed into stars while playing in the PSU backfield. After rushing for nearly 2,400 yards and 36 touchdowns last season at Scran- ton Prep, Montgomery landed the offer that he wanted most of all. By then, the On3.com four-star prospect already had taken two visits to Penn State — one for a game and another for a junior day in January. Offer in hand, he returned in mid-April for back-to-back visits, checking out a spring practice session on April 15, fol- lowed by a trip to campus for the Blue- White Game a week later. He took an of- ficial visit in June, after which it was clear that coach James Franklin and assistant Ja'Juan Seider had put the Nittany Lions in a strong position. On July 11, Montgomery made it offi- cial, pledging to sign with PSU. "It's definitely a dream come true," he said. "Watching TV, watching Saquon and all that — I always wanted to play in front of 107,000 fans at Penn State." Montgomery made a few other vis- its during his recruitment but didn't see anything to make him reconsider his de- sire to play for the Nittany Lions. "I never had the feeling like I had at Penn State," he said. "I came out of there feeling like home. I'm very close with Coach Seider and Coach Franklin, but it's the whole staff really that I'm close with now. I feel like I can tell those guys any- thing. I also think it's a place where I can succeed and compete." With offensive line coach Phil Traut- wein and members of Penn State's re- cruiting staff pitching in, it was truly a group effort to land Montgomery's com- mitment. Seider, the PSU running backs coach, was the key to his decision. "Coach Seider is a real cool coach," Montgomery said. "I know what kind of personality I'm going to get from him when I go there. He's just a real cool coach. I think I can tell him anything. It's the same with Coach Franklin. They're very relatable." Listed at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Mont- gomery received two dozen scholarship offers. Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and West Virginia all made a push, but two ACC schools — Boston College and Virginia Tech — were strong contenders. "Mainly Boston College," Montgomery said. "I'm really cool with [BC running backs coach] Savon Huggins. … We had a great bond. It's more than football, so that was tough, but I just felt Penn State was best for me." Montgomery is listed as the No. 363 player nationally in the On3 Consensus, as well as the No. 6 prospect in Pennsylvania. He's expected to be the only running back in Penn State's class this year. ■ A 'Dream Come True' For Scranton Standout RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M COMMITMENT PROFILE LONDON MONTGOMERY A four-star prospect in the On3 Consensus, Montgomery grew up watching running backs such as Saquon Barkley become stars at Penn State. PHOTO COURTESY MONTGOMERY FAMILY Assistant coach Ja'Juan Seider finally got his running back for the class of 2023. London Montgomery committed to the Nittany Lions in July, choosing PSU over Virginia Tech and Boston College. Despite rushing for nearly 2,400 yards as a junior, there is surprisingly little film of Montgomery to review. Nevertheless, there is enough to get a feel for the skills that he will be bringing to the Lions in the years to come. STRENGTHS Contact balance: For a smaller runner, Montgomery has incredible balance. He doesn't take many hard hits because he's able to subtly adjust his body positioning and roll off tackles to fall forward or keep his balance and get more yards. Speed: Montgomery doesn't just break tackles; he has the speed to make dangerous things happen once he does. His ability to burst once he cuts downfield is impressive. He also gets to top speed quickly after contact. Patience and vision: Montgomery isn't an impatient speed back who tries to turn the corner on the entire defense every play. He's a savvy runner who picks through traffic and sets up his blocks well. AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT Size: The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Montgomery has a lean frame. While he can probably still gain good weight, he doesn't have the natural thickness to be a complete back who plays through contact as well as he does with speed. Passing game: It would be helpful to know more about Montgomery's abilities in the passing game to build a profile of his potential role in the future. Scranton Prep doesn't throw the ball very often. PROJECTION Platoon RB: Montgomery is a highly valuable recruit with an above-average chance of making an impact at Penn State. His elite speed, contact balance and vision make him a dangerous runner, no matter his size. If he can round out his profile with bona fide receiving skills, he could develop into a multidimensional threat out of the backfield. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N

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