Blue White Illustrated

P enn State's 2015 season didn't start o4 as smoothly as most fans were ex- pecting, but from a recruiting perspec- tive, James Franklin and his assistants continue to prove that they're among the best in the nation at connecting with prospects and their families. As of mid-September, the Nittany Li- ons' Class of 2016 was ranked eighth overall by Rivals.com, ahead of the classes at Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Oregon. With four months to go until signing day, it's likely that the sta4 will once again end up with a top-15 class, maybe even a top-10 class if they're able to 3nish strong. As of this writing, there were indications that they'll do just that. In addition to the coaching sta4, which has exhibited a tremendous ability to connect with recruits, Nittany Nation has done its part to convince prospects that the future is bright in University Park. That was never more evident than on Sept. 19, when Penn State played host to Rutgers for the 3rst "Stripe Out" game at Beaver Stadium. With roughly 50 of the region's top prospects in attendance, the stadium was a sight to see, but it was the passion from the crowd, most notably the stu- dent section, that really grabbed players' attention. However, while the idea of a Stripe Out may have been new, night games at Beaver Stadium, no matter what color T-shirt the fans are wearing, have long been one of Penn State's greatest recruiting tools. Future Nittany Lion o4ensive lineman Connor McGovern summed it up well. "The atmosphere at a Penn State night game is unlike any other game," he said. "You can't even hear yourself think. I went to the Ohio State game last year and I was blown away by how much the fans and students got into the game. Even though I wasn't a PSU fan at that time, I couldn't help myself from jump- ing in and cheering with their fans. I have never played in front of a crowd like that before, but you can see how the en- thusiasm inside Beaver Stadium can change the momentum of a game. "That night, PSU should have beaten Ohio State, largely because of the crowd's support of the team. I couldn't even hear the people talking next to me, so I can't even imagine how Ohio State's linemen felt. A night game at Beaver Stadium brings out the best in Nittany Nation." Although fans may be expecting more from the coaching sta4 when it comes to on-3eld results, that's not how the ma- jority of these prospects are looking at the situation. I'm sure there were a few raised eyebrows when those players saw the Temple box score, but they're also well aware of the challenges that Penn State has been facing. Remember, most of them have been talking to the coaches regularly for more than a year now, some for more than two years. They under- stand the limitations that are scattered throughout the depth chart. The recruits have been around the program more than anyone who doesn't call the Lasch Building their o5ce. That's why events like the Stripe Out are so important for Penn State. For now, the reality of the situation is that results on the 3eld matter much more to fans than they do to recruits. The future players of this program are still focused on all the other things Penn State o4ers, like the education and the social life. Penn State has a product that few other schools in the region can match, and that alone buys this sta4 plenty of time, at least, from a recruiting perspective. A year or two from now, when the depth chart is 3lled with players who were recruited by Franklin's sta4, fol- lowers of the program – fans and re- cruits alike – will be able to start judging the complete picture. That's when losses to teams like Temple will really impact the Nittany Lions. ■ Recruits focused on long-term outlook A new Penn State football book by Lou Prato with a forward by Adam Taliaferro The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions Published by Triumph Books (soft cover) Order now at Price: $14.95 plus shipping Autographed copies of Lou's book We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions are still available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-272-1853. Price: $19.95 plus tax where applicable and shipping

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