Blue White Illustrated

C ollege football recruiting can be a stressful time for prospects, but when you throw in a coaching move late in the process, it can open up a whole new world of questions and second thoughts. The late departures in Penn State's Class of 2016 weren't solely due to coaching changes, but the loss of assistants Bob Shoop and Herb Hand did help persuade a few players to look elsewhere. However, the class was also built around players who based their decisions on more than just football. O5ensive lineman Michal Menet was one of those players. Penn State, Menet said, "is just an amaz- ing place. For someone in my position, Penn State o5ers everything I could ever want when it comes to football. They have the tradition, they have the fans. It's a great 4t. "But they also have world-class aca- demics and a culture that really embraces that. It's not just about making us the best football players we can be. It's about making us the best men we can be. That's what I was looking for." While Menet would be the 4rst to admit that the school sold itself, his connection to the coaching sta5 did play a major role in his decision. A Rivals.com four-star prospect from Birdsboro, Pa., he had a strong relationship with Hand, and that was a major reason why he was so surprised when he heard that his would-be o5ensive line coach was headed to Auburn. "I was totally caught o5-guard with Coach Hand. I was shocked," Menet said. "Probably about two or three weeks before that, he came to my house for an in-home visit and told me that he had no plans to go anywhere, at least not in the immediate future. Of course, I wish him the best. I understand that this is a business, but I was a little bummed out when Coach [James] Franklin called me to tell me that." But Menet quickly refocused. "As soon as I learned that [Hand was leaving], my mind completely switched to who Coach Franklin would bring in," he said. "Just knowing Coach Franklin and his character, I knew he would never hire someone that he didn't think was either better or just as good." Franklin ultimately brought in former Minnesota o5ensive coordinator Matt Limegrover to take over the o5ensive line. While Menet never wavered, despite in- terest from multiple top programs, he was anxious to see what his new position coach had to o5er. He wasn't disappointed. "I instantly clicked with Coach Limegrover," Menet said. "Everything he told me the 4rst time we met, I felt really good about. Of course, we've only become closer and closer as the months have gone on. I'm really excited to have him here. I know he's only going to help us build this program back to where it belongs." With Menet set to enroll in less than three months a6er winning 4rst-team All-State honors three consecutive seasons at Exeter Township Senior High, he's wast- ed little time preparing for his 4rst year at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. In fact, head strength coach Dwight Galt is already working his magic on Menet. "I've been working so hard in the gym. I'm already up to 287. I'm probably adding about a pound a week. I've been hitting the weights as hard as I ever have. "Basically, once I signed with Penn State, they gave me a complete, 10-week pro- gram, as well as some nutritional info. I love what they have me working on right now. I'm getting stronger by the day, so I think that, physically, I'll be ready to show people what I can do." He also already has a plan for how he'll approach his 4rst full semester on campus. "Academics will be really important," Menet said. "I want to try and start it o5 right. It's going to be a pretty big adjust- ment, but I'm ready to handle it. I know it's not going to be nearly as structured. I know that the professors are basically going to assign me work and it's on me to make sure I get it done. I know I'm ready for that, but what's great about Penn State is that, if I do need any help for whatever, I know I'll have plenty of help. "Of course, I also want to play. I under- stand that it's very tough, especially for an o5ensive lineman. At the same time, do I think it's completely out of the ques- tion? No, de4nitely not." ■ Menet looking to excel in class and on field | CLICK HERE to see video of Menet in action. Rivals.com THE MENET FILE STATS Helped Exeter Township amass 2,669 yards rushing and 865 yards passing during the 2015 regular season... Fin- ished with 75 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two blocked punts as a defensive lineman HONORS Named a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 5 guard in the country, the No. 87 prospect overall and the No. 3 prospect in Pennsylvania... Earned first-team Class AAAA All-State honors following his sophomore, junior and senior seasons... Named the Berks Inter-County Foot- ball Conference O:ensive and Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2014 and '15, and the MVP in 2015

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