Blue White Illustrated

I t may appear as though James Franklin and his coaching staff are downshift- ing as the signing date for the Class of 2015 grows nearer, but in reality, that's far from the case. The way recruiting works these days, no player is truly committed until he signs his letter of intent in February. As they go about assembling their classes, coaches also have to work to keep them together. It's become more and more evident that committed players are going to explore their op- tions, just as quarterback Brandon Wimbush did when he announced that he would attend Notre Dame rather than Penn State, the school to which he had originally committed. Defen- sive tackle Adam McLean is also plan- ning to take all five of his official visits, although he remains committed to Penn State. Those two aren't the only ones who have had second thoughts at one point or another. Jonathan Holland of Po- tomac, Md. – who recently made it clear on Twitter that he will be switch- ing his position in college from defen- sive end to tight end – looked around earlier in the year. In September, Hol- land was very close to visiting both Florida State and Iowa. All the arrangements had been made, but a few days before his trip to Iowa City, Holland had a conversation with Franklin. After they talked, the senior prospect changed his mind. He reaf- firmed his commitment, and both Holland and his father said in October that the only visit they plan on taking is to Penn State in January. Crisis averted. Offensive guard Steven Gonzalez of Union City, N.J., also gave indications that he was getting cold feet when he mentioned in October that he was con- sidering visits to other schools. Gonza- lez had earned some elite offers prior to committing in March, but it was Ohio State that piqued his interest. The Buckeyes and others have continued to press both Gonzalez and his high school coach for one last official visit, but as of early November, he made it clear that he was no longer considering visits aside from the one he'll take to University Park in January. So, why all the second-guessing? The only thing I can say is that Penn State fans might as well get used to it. No matter how successful Franklin and his assistants may be on the recruiting trail, this trend has been on the rise, espe- cially for programs that begin recruiting prospects extremely early. With Franklin in charge, Penn State absolute- ly fits into that category. Penn State has received verbal com- mitments from two players who aren't even high school seniors. In addition, the Nittany Lions have extended schol- arship offers to nine players who are just now finishing their sophomore seasons. Basically, this is the new normal – not just in the Southeastern Conference, but at pretty much every school that has been successful lately. It may seem silly that players are backing out of commitments to some of the nation's top programs, but it's important to em- phasize that these changes of heart are byproducts of the system that's been created. If you're accepting commitments from players who are months and in some cases years away from starting their senior seasons, some of them are naturally going to have second thoughts when they begin receiving of- fers from 20 or more big-time college programs. Those players get to spend 48 hours on campus when they make their official visits. And did I mention that everything is free? It can be very difficult to hold onto committed play- ers, and that's especially true for a school like Penn State that has had one hand tied behind its back the past few years. As far as the Nittany Lions are con- cerned, the playing field is starting to look a lot more level, but don't be sur- prised if this trend continues. It hap- pens at schools all across the nation, and in all likelihood, it will only increase in the coming years. ■ Changes of heart are becoming more commonplace

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