Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/541265
P enn State wrapped up its summer camps on July 19, but before shi:ing its focus to preseason preparation, the coaching sta9 host- ed another notable recruiting event: the Lasch Bash barbecue, which took place on July 18. An invitation-only event, the Lasch Bash was started by Bill O'Brien three years ago and has since developed into one of the biggest days on the Nittany Lions' recruiting calendar. This year, James Franklin and his sta9 were expecting to welcome about 30 of the region's top 2016 and 2017 prospects, plus their families. They were also expecting most of their currently committed prospects to make the trip. Now, before you begin picturing Franklin and his assistants in cooking aprons, it should be noted that the event is catered and that the recruits and their families are required to pay. So no, Herb Hand isn't trying to win over prospects with the same skills that earned him an invitation to the Food Network's "Chopped." Instead, he and the rest of the sta9 use this opportunity to introduce some of their top remaining prospects to the players who are already committed. A:er all, the recruits themselves are sometimes the best recruiters. "I think it will be really good for me to get around some of the other re- cruits," said Hunter Johnson, a 8ve- star quarterback in the Class of 2017. "I know they're going to have some of Laid-back vibe belies significance of Lasch Bash Penn State for a while. I just really wanted to make the commitment. It was good. We were talking about it, and it was kind of stressful because of what was happen- ing, but it was all good in the end." Penn State wasn't 8nished reinforcing its defensive front with the addition of Dwumfour, Colon and Jordan, as end Daniel Joseph of Lake Forest, Ill., also made a commitment before the end of June. "There were a lot of factors that played into it," Joseph said. "They just have a great environment there. I really like the direction they're headed. The coaches, the players – they all have big goals, and I really thought that I would 8t in there." Joseph, who stands 6-3, 240 pounds, was down to Michigan and Penn State before making his commitment. He made his 8rst and only visit to University Park on June 20, just 10 days before he an- nounced for the Nittany Lions. Although he is expected to start his career at de- fensive end, he could potentially develop into a tackle. Special teams coordinator Charles Hu9 also picked up two excellent additions, the 8rst of whom was punter Blake Gillikin. A three-star prospect from Atlanta, Gillikin is considered one of the nation's top 8ve specialists by multiple outlets that focus speci8cally on kicking. He picked up six o9ers before making his commitment, the most notable of which was from his home-state school, Georgia. But he liked what he saw during his visit to Penn State, and on the heels of that trip, the Bulldogs weren't able to persuade him to stay home. "I felt comfortable when I visited," Gillikin said. "My dad got a good feeling, too. I really never considered playing close to home as a major factor in my decision. I actually had a conversation with my dad about how it's good to kind of get outside your comfort zone and go to other places and see new things. That's what he did. He went to Chapel Hill for his undergrad [degree] and then decided to go up to Northwestern for graduate school. He said he could have gone a lot of places in the Southeast but decided to venture o9 and see a new place and experience new things. I think that's a major reason why I chose Penn State." The sta9 also picked up a commitment on July 10 from Quinn Nordin of Rockford, Mich. The nation's top-ranked kicker, Nordin had more than 10 verbal o9ers heading into July, which is very impressive for a kicker. Most schools don't hand out scholarships to specialists until late in the process, once they have a better under- standing of how their class is shaping up. Prior to his commitment, Nordin made six visits to Penn State and eventually chose the Nittany Lions over Michigan. "Coach Franklin is a unique man," Nordin said. "He's a guy who has done great things for me and my family. I want to play for him. He's a great guy, and I have nothing but good things to say about him and the program. It's a great family and a great group of people at Penn State." ■ Tim Owen contributed to this report. BIG DECISION The nation's top kicking prospect, Nordin visited Penn State six times before choosing the Nit- tany Lions over Michigan. "I have nothing but good things to say about [James Franklin] and the program," he said following his com- mitment. Photo by Tim Owen