Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1488968
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 4 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M S ince the NCAA introduced an early signing period at college football's highest level in 2017, Penn State hasn't dealt with nearly as much drama as some other schools. That's a credit to coach James Franklin and his staff. Not only do they recruit players who fit the program well, but they're consistent in their pursuit. In keeping with that pattern, this year went mostly as planned, with 22 of Penn State's 23 verbally committed players inking their letters on Dec. 21, the first day of the three-day signing period. The one player who didn't follow through was four-star defensive back Conrad Hussey of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Hussey had com- mitted to the Nittany Lions in April and held firm for more than seven months but ultimately took official visits to Flor- ida State and Miami late in the recruiting cycle. He was still undecided heading into the second day of the signing period. Nevertheless, this year's class was an- other strong one for Penn State. In addi- tion to five-star offensive lineman J'ven Williams, the Lions signed 13 four-star players, as rated by On3. Ohio State, with 18 four-star signees, was the only Big Ten team with more . "We're very, very happy with the class," Franklin said during his signing day press conference. As of Dec. 22, the Nittany Lions ranked No. 14 nationally in the On3 Consensus Team Rankings and were assured of a top-15 finish for the fifth time in the past six years. Their class was second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State. Leading up to signing day, Franklin and his staff finished strong in December, adding four players to the class from Dec. 12-19. Linebacker Kaveion Keys of Rich- mond, Va., was arguably the most no- table addition. Listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Keys had been committed to North Carolina since the summer, but he made a late decision to open up his re- cruitment. Virginia Tech hosted him for an official visit, but Keys knew when he decommitted that he was likely to end up with the Nittany Lions. A four-star tal- ent and the No. 177 prospect and No. 15 linebacker nationally according to On3, Keys committed publicly on Dec. 16. RAISING THE ROOF Penn State brightens its football future with a high-ceiling 2023 recruiting class RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Four-star offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier committed to Penn State in July 2021 and never wavered, in large part because of the relationships he developed with Penn State coaches (left to right) Phil Trautwein, James Franklin and Ja'Juan Seider. PHOTO COURTESY BIRCHMEIER FAMILY