Blue White Illustrated

that I haven't seen," Menet said. "It was important for my mom to get up there, and it was her 6rst time. We met with Coach Franklin and Coach [Herb] Hand. We just talked about where they see the program going and how I would 6t into that very well. I also talked with the commits, so that was really good to get their perspectives about Penn State." Menet's mother was making her 6rst visit to any of the colleges her son is considering. In the coming months, she will likely make a few more visits before Michal chooses a school this summer. Her presence on the recent trip is another sign that the Nittany Lions are 6rmly in his top two or three. Defensive lineman Karamo Dioubate of Philadelphia visited on back-to- back weekends in March. Before those two visits, he took trips to Rutgers and Temple, and he was also at Penn State's game against Michigan State last No- vember. He still has a long way to go with his recruitment, but the fact that Penn State has now secured three visits from Dioubate indicates that the Nit- tany Lions are in a strong position. Most of their nearby rivals have yet to get him on campus even once, and it appears as though he's looking to stay close to home. So, who will be the next prospect to verbally commit? Cornerback Damar Hamlin of Pittsburgh Central Catholic is one strong possibility. In recent weeks, he's visited Notre Dame, Pitt and Penn State. His visit to South Bend reportedly went very well, but the Nit- tany Lions appear to be in his top three. He's stated a few times that he would like to 6nish his recruitment before the end of the current school year. The sta7's next big recruiting week- end will take place April 18, the date of the Blue-White Game. As of early April, it was still too soon to say with any con6dence how many prospects will be in attendance, but it would not be surprising if at least 50 of the region's top 2016 and 2017 prospects are on hand to watch the Nittany Lions wrap up spring practice. ■ S igning day may still be 10 months away, but March and April are crucial months in the recruiting calendar. Now that the coaching sta7 has had enough time to evaluate and extend of- fers to what I consider its Plan A prospects, getting them on campus for uno8cial visits during spring practice is critical to their chances of getting a commitment. Many of these prospects have already been on campus, some of them multiple times. However, of the prospects who hold a Penn State schol- arship o7er at this point in the process, most have only visited for games in the fall. Those visits may end up being some of the most memorable, but they also provide just a small glimpse of what it's truly like to be a Penn State football player. Springtime visits tend to be critical for a few reasons. One of those reasons is that prospects want to see the team practice. For programs like Penn State that expect to be in a bowl game every season, there should be at least 90 practices through- out the year. Practice is a big part of every player's college experience, and that's why prospects and their parents 6nd such visits to be an essential part of the deci- sion-making process. They can learn about how the sta7 communicates with players and how it conducts the practice itself. Franklin and his assistants take a unique approach when it comes to showing prospects how the Lions prac- tice. Most schools allow recruits to come onto the 6eld while the team is stretch- ing, but then usher them to the sideline or bleachers. At Penn State, the recruits stand right next to their potential posi- tion coach throughout the majority of practice. I heard from dozens of prospects last year who loved this ap- proach, and it's been the same this year. "Being there, not just for practice, but literally right next to Coach [Sean] Spencer, that was one of the coolest things I've gotten to do so far, on any vis- it," Rivals250 defensive tackle Karamo Dioubate said a9er visiting in March. "I wasn't just watching him interact with his players and interact with the other coach- es. I was listening to how he talks to them. "It gave me something to remember when I see other schools. I feel like I really know what it's like to be coached by him." In addition to checking out practice, prospects have an opportunity to tour campus and explore downtown State College. This year, the 6rst few weeks of spring weren't very seasonable, but Penn State fans know all too well what central Pennsylvania is like in February, which is when many of these prospects visited for junior day. During those visits, the play- ers became familiar with the Lasch Building, Holuba Hall and study rooms. But they didn't spend much time outside of the football complex, and that's why the March and April visits are so critical. Like any incoming college student, these players aren't going to attend a school they're not comfortable with. Over the years, plenty of prospects have taken Penn State o7 their list in part be- cause State College just isn't for them; others love the college-town feel. But none of them will gain that sense of fa- miliarity if they don't see the campus for themselves. As far as the coaching sta7 is concerned, there's no better time to see the town than in the spring. By next February, the sta7 will have played host to a series of key recruiting weekends. Whether it's the Lasch Bash barbecue in July or the White Out game this coming fall, there will be a number of important dates that will dictate how successful the Class of 2016 will be. So don't underestimate the signi6cance of these March and April trips. Penn State isn't going to get its top prospects back for o8cial visits in the fall if it doesn't spark their interest in the spring. ■ Spring visits can pay big dividends

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