Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
2 0 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 4 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / tackle to center, the latter position being wide open following Hunter Nourzad's graduation. "I think he could play all five spots, and there's tremendous value in guys like that," Franklin said. "He's got a nasty streak, and he doesn't look like a high school kid. He's a lean 6-6, 320 pounds, which is unusual." Looking deeper into the future, the Lions are excited about the potential of four-star quarterback Ethan Grunke- meyer of Lewis Center, Ohio. Grunke- meyer went on a rocket ride shortly after committing to Penn State last May, rising from No. 41 among quar- terbacks nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking to No. 9 after a stellar show- ing at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Ange- les. There followed a sudden surge of interest among college coaches, but Grunkemeyer didn't waver, nor did he get cold feet in November when Penn State fired the coach who had been recruiting him, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. "Any text I got [from a rival coach], I just responded by saying that I'm still locked in with Penn State," Grunkemeyer told BWI shortly after Yurcich's exit. "I said that I appreciate them reaching out, but I'm keeping my word and I'm still 100 percent locked in. "I'm happy with where I'm at right now and always want to stick with my word, which I made back in the summer. That's how I handled it with everyone." A Transparent Approach Grunkemeyer's signing was part of a drama-free December for Penn State on the recruiting front. All 25 of PSU's ver- bally committed players inked their letters on the first day of the early signing period. That was no small accomplishment given NIL's destabilizing effects, and also that PSU had lost both its offensive and defensive coordinators in the weeks leading up to signing day. Perhaps even more impressive: Penn State lost only one player over the course of the entire re- cruiting cycle. Three-star offensive line- man Deryc Plazz rescinded his pledge 11 days after committing last June. Other than Plazz, every recruit who committed to Penn State ended up signing. The Lions' staff sees that success rate as a reflection of their transparent approach. To hear Franklin tell it, the unvarnished truth has a way of weeding out prospects who might not be the right fit. "We are an under-promise, over-de- liver program, and I think sometimes we lose kids because we don't sell them on a fantasy," he said. "We sell them on the reality. I think when you sell young men and their families on the reality, then I have a better chance of holding them ac- countable to what the expectations are once they get here, and that trust is es- tablished. And then once they get here, you're able to build on that trust and that relationship. Belle Vernon running back Quinton Martin Jr. was rated as the No. 3 prospect in Pennsylvania during the 2024 cycle and could find his way onto the field as a true freshman this coming fall. PHOTO COURTESY QUINTON MARTIN JR. Offensive lineman Nolan Rucci opted to return to his home state after spending the first three years of his college career at Wisconsin. A former five-star prospect from Lititz, Pa., Rucci will be a redshirt junior for the Nittany Lions in 2024. PHOTO COURTESY WISCONSIN ATHLETICS