Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
M A R C H 2 0 2 4 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P L A Y E R B I O S / / / / / / / saw their recruitments start to pick up following their respective junior sea- sons. And once they grabbed the atten- tion of coaches and scouts, their stock skyrocketed. Grunkemeyer had camped at Penn State in 2021 and '22, but it was the prog- ress he showed during his junior season that garnered the attention of former of- fensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. Fro m a te c h n i q u e p e rs p e c t ive , Grunkemeyer made major strides when he started working with private quar- terbacks coach Brad Maendler after his sophomore campaign. Maendler is the same coach who helped put Allar on the map. Last April, during the spring evalu- ation period, Yurcich traveled to Olen- tangy High School to watch Grunke- meyer work out. Grunkemeyer had moved up the staff's board quite a bit, but the coaches were unsure if they would offer in the spring or potentially ask him to attend one of PSU's on-cam- pus camps in June. By the time his workout was over, Yur- cich had his answer. Penn State extended its offer just a few days later. A Sudden Rise Offer in hand, Grunkemeyer and his parents followed up with a visit to Penn State on May 12. Even though he planned on returning to State College for the Elite 11 Regional Camp a week later, he didn't want to waste any time, knowing that Penn State was trying to lock down its quarterback of the future. Grunkemeyer saw all he needed to see on that trip and made his commitment official on May 20. The following day, he validated Yurcich's lofty appraisal with his performance at the Elite 11 camp. Not only did he earn MVP honors, he left town with an invitation to the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles in mid-June. It was that showing against some of the nation's best that opened everyone's eyes to Grunkemeyer's potential. "Grunkemeyer was perhaps the most pleasant surprise at the Elite 11 Finals," On3 scouting director Charles Power wrote. "The Penn State pledge flashed arguably the most explosive arm action at the event. From early on in Day 1, the ball jumped out of Grunkemeyer's hand. He easily drove the ball downfield on a line — as well as anyone. The Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy product was the On3 MVP on Day 1 with a very im- pressive day in drill work. He backed that up with a strong showing during his pro day, flashing loose, coordinated movements to go with his plus arm." At the time of Grunkemeyer's com- mitment, he was listed 41st at his position in the On3 Industry Rank- ing, which combines the grades from all four major sites into a cumulative score. On July 10, On3 upgraded him from a midrange three-star prospect to the nation's 10th-ranked quarterback. Soon after, 247Sports followed suit, with ESPN and Rivals eventually nam- ing him a four-star prospect as well later in the year. Grunkemeyer only strengthened his stature this past season. In addition to throwing for 3,517 yards and 39 touch- downs, he proved to be a winner, lead- ing Olentangy to an 11-2 record, its best season in more than a decade. "His leadership is second to none," Olentangy head coach Wade Bar- tholomew said. "He cares for his team- mates, encourages everyone to become their best and is always striving to make the team better." Firmly Committed When James Franklin decided to fire Yurcich in November, fans immediately began to wonder how it could impact Grunkemeyer's commitment. However, he quickly erased any doubt. "I told them right away that I'm still comfortable with them and that I'm committed to the program, Coach Franklin and the rest of the people there," Grunkemeyer said. "So, there wasn't too much change going on. I don't see anything ever really changing between me and them. I still love Penn State and want to be there." Grunkemeyer officially enrolled on Jan. 8 after participating in the Under Armour All-America Game the prior week. With Allar set to return, as well as re d s h i r t so p h o m o re Bea u P r i b u l a and redshirt freshman Jaxon Smolik, Grunkemeyer won't be pressured into playing right away. However, when his opportunity does arrive, there's reason for fans to be excited. "I think he's just a really fluid, natural passer," Power said. "You don't have to really squint to see the projectable arm talent from him on Friday nights and then see how that could cross over to college and potentially the NFL. He's just an easy passer, and I think seeing the improve- ment in his production as a senior has been really encouraging." — Ryan Snyder A stellar performance at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles last summer transformed Grunkemeyer into one of the nation's most coveted quarterback recruits. He had already committed to Penn State at that point. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER "His leadership is second to none. He cares for his teammates, encourages everyone to become their best and is always striving to make the team better." O L E N T A N G Y C O A C H W A D E B A R T H O L O M E W O N G R U N K E M E Y E R