Blue White Illustrated

S ometimes a team's best recruiters are the recruits themselves. That has cer- tainly been the case at Penn State, with recruits such as Adam Breneman, Christian Hackenberg and De'Andre Thompkins reaching out to uncommitted prospects in hope of persuading them to sign with the Nittany Lions. James Franklin and his sta7 might be among the best in the business, but they're happy to get a little help, and this year's class has provided more than a little. This past year, fans have seen the per- sistent recruiting of prospects such as of- fensive lineman Steven Gonzalez and run- ning back Saquon Barkely, but even those two haven't quite had the same impact as o7ensive lineman Sterling Jenkins. A8er committing to Penn State in May, the Pittsburgh native and Baldwin High standout made it clear he was going to do everything in his power to help build the Lions' future. However, unlike many prospects who put in work on the recruit- ing trail, Jenkins didn't grow up as a fan of his chosen team. In fact, there was a point in his recruitment when he wanted to play for one of Penn State's top rivals. "In the beginning, I actually really want- ed to go to Michigan," Jenkins said. "I al- ways liked that school and what they've done. It's a great school, but when I went to the Penn State-Michigan game two years ago, that's when things began to change for me." Penn State rallied past the Wolverines that night, winning 43-40 in quadruple- overtime. It was one of the most exciting games in school history, and Jenkins' in- terest in the Nittany Lions remained strong even as other schools pursued him, in- cluding Ohio State. When the Lions hired James Franklin and brought in his sta7 from Vanderbilt, Jenkins' interest inten- si5ed. One thing that's unique about the current sta7 – and is largely responsible for its success – is that the Lions attempt to introduce their prospects to the entire sta7, not just one or two members. "When I look back on it, that was really important to me," Jenkins said. "At most schools, I had one coach recruiting me and I got to know my position coach and the head coach, too. When I would call Penn State, I'd talk to one coach for a little bit, then they would hand the phone to someone else and then maybe I would talk to Franklin. There were times where I would talk to three or four coaches every time I called. "Knowing them and their personalities, it showed me the energy that everyone has on this sta7. It's not just Coach Franklin. Everyone just has this energy that I know I'm going to really feed o7 of." Jenkins is already taking classes at PSU, having joined fellow lineman Paris Palmer and quarterback Tommy Stevens as January enrollees. Over the next few months, he will be focused on getting o7 to a solid start academically. But he also wants to show the sta7 and his teammates that he's ready to compete. That will start with early- morning workouts this winter, but that shouldn't be a major adjustment for the 6-foot-8, 308-pound o7ensive tackle. "During the o7-season of my junior year, I started waking up at 4 a.m. to go up to the school and work out," Jenkins said. "Guys weren't doing anything like that at the time, so that was a big thing for me. My teammates and my coaches really took notice of that. It really paid o7 in the o7-season, too. "I know [that at Penn State], everyone will be working hard and pushing it to the next level, so I feel like that will help me. I really just want to soak everything in this 5rst semester. There's so much that I can learn from everyone – the players, the coaches, everyone. That's the most impor- tant thing for me early on." ■ THE JENKINS FILE HONORS Named a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 5 prospect in Pennsylvania and the No. 209 prospect nationally. Also ranked 22nd at o%ensive tackle... Invited to play in the UnderAr- mour All-American Game Penn State made big impression on Jenkins | Analytical approach to game pays dividends for Stevens | CLICK HERE to see video of Jenkins in action. I f there were a college course titled Phi- losophy of Football Evolution, Tommy Stevens surely would pass it with 6ying colors. He could probably teach it. Although he's just begun taking classes at Penn State, when the freshman quar- terback from Indianapolis talks about modern o7ensive strategies – such as his high school team's, or what was seen in the national championship game earlier this month, or even what James Franklin is in the process of implementing – it sounds as if he's studied the game for years. With o7enses shi8ing toward spread- out formations and speed, Stevens points

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