Blue White Illustrated

RECRUITING Franklin lands three recruits RYA N   S N Y D E R   &   T i M   OW E N   It was his first day on the job, and James Franklin had already landed his first recruits for Penn State. In fact, just a few hours after his introductory press conference, the new Nittany Lion head coach was on the phone, convincing two recruits who were formerly committed to Vanderbilt to follow his lead to Happy Valley. As of this writing, Franklin had secured verbal commitments from defensive end Lloyd Tubman and offensive linemen Chance Sorrell and Brendan Brosnan. Brosnan was also committed to him at Vandy. Franklin also lost a verbal commitment from four-star defensive tackle Thomas Holley, who flipped to Florida after the announcement of Larry Johnson's departure. Tubman, a 6-foot-3, 228-pound threestar prospect from Louisville, Ky., was the first recruit Franklin flipped. "I think he called at like 9 [Saturday night], Tubman recalled. "I just remem" ber that I was watching the NFL playoff game. Coach Franklin called me saying that he's just checking back in with me, that he wanted to keep in contact with me because we both have such a strong connection with each other. ... "Then he let me know that if I was interested in working with him still, that I could have an opportunity there at Penn State. He didn't push me or anything, but just let me know that his vision is still the same – his vision for the future and for me. I told him then that I was with him 100 percent." Franklin's next phone call was to Sorrell, a 6-6 265-pound three-star offensive tackle prospect who spent most of his high school career as a tight end. A native of Middletown, Ohio, Sorrell had committed to Vandy in June, because of his relationship with their head coach. When Franklin asked Sorrell to follow him to State College, it wasn't a complicated a decision. Sorrell was watching television in the family room when a new Pennsylvania number called his phone. J A N U A R Y | BLUE WHITE ILLUSTRATED PENN STATE COMMITMENTS* NAME Marcus Allen Mark Allen Troy Apke Tarow Barney Noah Beh Brendan Brosnan Jason Cabinda Mike Gesicki Chris Godwin Michael O'Connor Donte Raymond Troy Reeder Chance Sorrell Nick Scott Johnathan Thomas Lloyd Tubman DeAndre Thompkins Troy Vincent Jr. Antoine White Daquan Worley Chasz Wright POS Saf. RB WR DL OL OL LB TE WR QB LB LB OT Ath. RB DE Ath. DB DT DB OL HT 6-1 5-7 6-2 6-1 6-5 6-6 6-2 6-6 6-2 6-4 6-0 6-3 6-6 5-11 5-11 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-1 5-10 6-7 WT 187 185 175 290 250 274 220 215 192 226 200 232 263 180 215 228 171 181 267 175 268 HOME Upper Marlboro, Md. Hyattsville, Md. Mt. Lebanon, Pa. Gainesville, Fla. Scranton, Pa. Park Ridge, Ill. Flemington, N.J. Manahawkin, N.J. Middletown, Del. Bradenton, Fla. Rahway, N.J. Wilmington, Del. Middletown, Ohio Fairfax, Va. Danvers, Mass. Louisville, Ky. Swansboro, N.C. Baltimore, Md. Millville, N.J. Coatesville, Pa. Woodbridge, Va. SCHOOL Wise DeMatha Mt. Lebanon NW Mississippi C.C. Scranton Prep Maine South Hunterdon Central Southern Regional Middletown IMG Academy Rahway Salesianum School Middletown Fairfax St. John's Prep Seneca Swansboro Gilman Millville Coatesville Milford Academy * As of Jan. 15 **Junior college prospect "Me, my mom and my dad pretty much stopped everything, turned the TV off and all went into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen table," Sorrell said. "Coach Franklin asked how I was doing. Of course, he had been really busy with everything that's going on. But he said, 'We have a few scholarships here. … We'd love to have you and we're offering you a scholarship here to Penn State. ' "A second after that, me, my mom and my dad were like, 'Yeah, we'll commit to you right now over the phone. " ' Unlike Tubman, who has yet to see Happy Valley, Sorrell had traveled to Penn State once before for an unofficial basketball visit in September 2009. Although he visited as a young hoops recruit, Sorrell was still able to take in the Beaver Stadium atmosphere. The fifthranked Nittany Lions were hosting Iowa that day, and while they lost, 21-10, Sorrell was impressed with what he saw. "We watched some of the basketball 1 5 , 2 0 1 3 3 practice and then we actually got to see 'College Gameday, " he recalled. "It was ' incredible walking into the stadium and seeing that atmosphere. " On Jan. 14, Franklin added his third recruit since in four days when Brosnan flipped from the Commodores to Penn State. For Brosnan, a native of Park Ridge, Ill., it was a more difficult decision to back away from his commitment. But as his coach at Maine South, Dave Inserra, pointed out, "Brendan and his family believe in what James Franklin is doing. " "Brendan did struggle with the decision, Inserra added. "Academically, he's " a great student, so it was a tough decision to leave such a great school like Vanderbilt. But the combination of what Penn State has to offer – both academically and as a football program – was just too good for him to pass up. " Following Holley's departure, PSU currently stands at 21 verbal commitments. BWI expects Franklin to sign either 23 or 24 players in 2014. B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

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