Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1507572
5 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M an invitation to the Elite 11 Finals in June, and he turned in an eye-opening performance in Los Angeles. He was the MVP on Day 1 and finished No. 3 in On3's rankings. Soon afterward, he was upgraded to four-star status in the On3 Industry Ranking. The improvement Grunkemeyer dis- played at the Elite 11 camp has carried over into his senior season. In the game against Medina, Olen- tangy relied on a heavy rushing attack, piling up 250 yards on 50 carries. Be- cause of that, Grunkemeyer's stat line was a bit subdued. He finished the night completing 16 of 23 attempts for 180 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 inter- ception. But even though his numbers were less gaudy than in the win over Whit- mer, Grunkemeyer impressed with his composed performance leading Olen- tangy's offense. "Compared to the last couple of years, I'd say taking care of the ball is a big point of emphasis for me," he said. "I had a pick in this game, and I know that's going to happen at times, but that's probably the biggest emphasis for me. "Outside of that, [it's a matter of] just taking all the little details that I learned in the offseason and putting them to work. I really learned this offseason that if you put in the work, it'll translate over to the field." Focused On Season Grunkemeyer works with quarterback trainer Brad Maendler, who helped de- velop Allar into the No. 3 signal-caller in the 2022 class. "I think one of the biggest things I've really learned and improved is my back foot and the velocity I can generate from that," Grunkemeyer said. "That's been a pretty big thing for me. I'm much more relaxed when I'm trying to throw it now. You don't have to throw every ball 100 miles per hour. [Maendler] has really shown me that I can let my arm and hips do the work for me." Now listed as the nation's No. 193 overall prospect, No. 10 quarterback and No. 8 player in Ohio in the On3 In- dustry Ranking, Grunkemeyer has put his recruitment behind him to focus en- tirely on his season. The Braves contin- ued their hot streak in Week 3, defeating Westerville South 31-14 on Sept. 2 to remain unbeaten. With the early signing period less than three months away, Grunkemeyer has made it clear that his commitment to the Nittany Lions is firm. "I've really shut down my entire re- cruitment," he said. "If anyone would try to text me, it's a no-response kind of deal. I do that for the coaching staff. I want to make sure they understand the respect I have for them and my commit- ment to Penn State. I don't want them to have to keep recruiting at my position because they're concerned I may change my mind. I make sure they understand that so we're 100 percent committed to each other." With 24 players committed as of early September, Penn State's 2024 class is nearly complete. Grunkemeyer said he's open to speaking with recruits if the coaches want him to, but for now, of- fensive coordinator Mike Yurcich would prefer that he focus on his senior season and individual development. "For the most part, our class is filled out," Grunkemeyer said. "We may take one more, but I think we're pretty filled up on offense unless someone else jumps up the board. They've been tell- ing us to just focus on our season and then try to close out the class so we can make it one of the best in the country." Grunkemeyer plans to return to State College at the end of September for the White Out game against Iowa. He said he's looking forward to seeing his future teammates again. "Between the official visit, camp and the Lasch Bash, I feel like our whole class has become pretty tight," he said. "We have a big [group] chat. Everyone is asking about how each other's games went. But I do keep in contact with the entire offensive line. I stay in touch with the receivers a good bit. Also, [tight end] Luke Reynolds is another one I talk with a lot. I just feel like as a whole, we com- municate really well. I'm excited to get on campus with those guys." In the meantime, he'll be eagerly watching Allar lead the Nittany Lion offense this season. "We text back and forth a good bit," Grunkemeyer said. "He actually texted me about [the Medina game]. He said we didn't have to drop 50 points on his team like that. "But he's been so helpful throughout the recruiting process, especially with our recruitments being so similar. He's just been awesome." ■ Co lle ge co a c h es b e ga n p ay i n g c lose a tte n t i o n to Grunkemeyer during the spring evaluation period. He picked up more than 20 offers and committed to the Nittany Lions in May. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER "I've really shut down my entire recruitment. If anyone would try to text me, it's a no-response kind of deal. I do that for the coaching staff. I want to make sure they understand the respect I have for them and my commitment to Penn State." G R U N K E M E Y E R