Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
Jahan Dotson finished his Penn State career ranked second in school history in both receptions (183) and touchdown catches (25) and fourth in receiving yards (2,757). PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL Short And Sweet Several of its best players didn't linger long in State College, but Penn State's 2018 recruiting class made a lasting impact on the program G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G. P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 10 7 P enn State signed a top-five recruiting class in 2018 accord- ing to the On3 Industry Ranking. In defensive end/line- backer Micah Parsons and wide receiver Justin Shorter, the Nittany Lions welcomed a pair of "Five-Star Plus+" prospects — players who received the highest possible grade from every major recruiting site. And in running back Ricky Slade, they signed a nonunanimous five-star player, along with 12 four-star recruits in a class that ultimately num- bered 23 players. Capitalizing on his team's on-field performance during the 2016 Big Ten championship season and its 11-2 finish the following year, coach James Franklin and his staff were able to assemble their most highly rated class since arriving at Penn State. The group finished fifth nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, and it remains the highest-rated recruiting class of the Franklin era. Looking back, it's fair to say the class lived up to its lofty expec- tations, even if there were some misses, some transfers and a few instances of bad luck along the way, notably the loss of four-star offensive tackle Nana Asiedu and four-star cornerback Jordan Miner to medical conditions that were discovered shortly after they arrived at PSU. Six members of the class — defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, defensive end Nick Tarburton, center Juice Scruggs, offensive tackle Bryce Effner, linebacker Charlie Katshir and kicker Jake Pinegar — were still on Penn State's roster last year, but they've all since departed, meaning that the time has come to assess the group's accomplishments during its tenure in State College (and elsewhere). W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M