Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/617289
ter all, recruits and their families de- serve to be left alone during the Christ- mas season. However, it's also a way for the NCAA to level the playing field. If not for the dead period, teams that don't qualify for a bowl game would have a major edge over those that are busy practicing. Once the dead period ends, there will still be another two and a half weeks of visits, but it's the first contact period, the one that just concluded, that was the most grueling. Why? Because in addition to visiting with the final 10 or so undecided prospects, the staff also paid in-home visits to the players who had already committed. With so many decommitments these days, making sure there aren't any late surprises is more important than ever. And that re- quires diligence. It's why running back Miles Sanders and kicker Quinn Nordin, both of whom have visited other schools this season, received multiple home visits from Penn State assistant coaches. This stretch is also very important when it comes to the Class of 2017. Now that the high school season is finished throughout the majority of the mid-At- lantic, Penn State has met with the coaches of at least 40 of the staff's top targets next year. Following those talks, the assistants were also able to gather complete game film, as well as updated transcripts. But maybe the most unique facet of the Nov. 29-Dec. 13 contact period is that it's the staff's first opportunity to start building relationships with prospects who may be unfamiliar with Penn State. Whether it's a rising senior who burst onto the scene in the previous few months, or a junior or sophomore who rapidly moved up the ranks, this period tends to see the coaching staff venture outside of its customary recruiting base. For example, graduate assistant Sam Williams, who was added to the travel list following the decision to part ways with John Donovan, was in California on Dec. 8 and Las Vegas the following day. He was in the Bay Area to check up on two elite tight end prospects in the Class of 2017, Jimmy Jagers and Tucker Fisk. He then went to the Los Angeles area to learn more about another tight end, Colby Parkinson, before heading to Bishop Gorman in Vegas. Gorman pro- duces Division I prospects year in, year out, but the player to remember is de- fensive tackle Haskell Garrett, who's in the Class of 2017. Of course, now that the dead period is in effect, there's still no time for R&R, as Franklin and his staff are focused on beating Georgia on Jan. 2. But they'll be back at it Jan. 14, and I can all but guar- antee they won't leave any stone un- turned. At least they'll have plenty of frequent flyer miles for that vacation, whenever it may finally come. ■