Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703041
P enn State was expected to host many of its top prospects in the 2017, '18 and '19 recruiting classes for the Lasch Bash barbecue July 16. Easily the biggest recruiting event of the summer, the Lasch Bash is similar to a junior day. Prospects tour the football fa- cilities and campus and also meet with position coaches and academic advisors. But as the name implies, the players and their families also attend a late-a8ernoon barbecue with the coaching sta6. Heading into the event, which took place a8er BWI's print deadline, there were a few Class of prospects who were being scrutinized as potential additions to the Class of 2017. One of those prospects was three-star wide receiver Cameron Sullivan-Brown. A native of Laurel, Md., Sullivan-Brown took his 5rst uno7cial visit to Penn State in April, leaving campus with an o6er that day. About a month later, he narrowed his list to 5ve schools: Penn State, Duke, Maryland, Syracuse and West Virginia. Of those 5ve, Maryland was looking like Penn State's top competitor. As of this writing, Sullivan-Brown was aiming to make a decision in August, but it appeared that the Nittany Lions were his favorites heading into the Lasch Bash. With Penn State needing at least two wide receivers in the Class of 2017, it was looking like the sta6 was ready to put a full-court press on Sullivan-Brown. Another three-star player who has emerged in recent months is linebacker Brailyn Franklin of Haymarket, Va. Like Sullivan-Brown, Franklin landed an o6er from PSU while on campus for a visit May 21. He then announced roughly a week before the Lasch Bash that he was aiming to make a decision around July 30, so even if he le8 PSU without making a commit- ment, he's inching closer to his decision. The coaches were also expecting to play host to many of the top 2017 prospects they've been pursuing for more than a year now, including 5ve-star cornerback Lamont Wade. Following visits to Alabama and Mississippi State, Wade was back in Uni- versity Park with his Clairton teammates for Penn State's LionStrong seven-on- seven tournament June 18. It was his 58h visit with the Nittany Lion coaching sta6 since February, making the Lasch Bash his sixth trip to PSU in the past 5ve months. Another notable prospect who was ex- pected to attend the event was wide receiver Evidence Njoku, who recently made the decision to transfer to Wayne Hills High School in Wayne, N.J. A three-star prospect, Njoku is the brother of current Miami (Fla.) wide receiver David Njoku. Because of the family connection, the Hur- ricanes are expected to be serious players, but the visit for the Lasch Bash was Njoku's third to University Park, more than he's taken to any school since February. The Class of 2018 was also expected to be well represented. As of early July, BWI had con5rmed 10 rising juniors who were expected to make the trip and had already earned scholarship o6ers from the sta6. Of those players, cornerback Jornell Manns of Mans5eld, Ohio, looked to be the most likely candidate to join defensive end Micah Parsons and o6ensive lineman Chris Bleich in the Lions' 2018 class. Manns doesn't appear to be in a hurry, but he's also made it clear that Penn State is, by far, his top school at the moment. "Me and my family know that I can't rush into anything," he said, "but I really like Penn State a lot." ■ Lasch Bash highlights summer recruiting season | VERBALLY COMMITTED 2017 PLAYERS NAME POS HT WT RATING HOME SCHOOL Damion Barber DE 6-3 245 ★★★ Harrisburg, Pa. Harrisburg D.J. Brown DB 5-10 165 ★★★ Fairburn, Ga. Creekside Robert Martin OL 6-5 260 ★★★ Montvale, N.J. St. Joseph's Michael Miranda OL 6-4 285 ★★★ Stow, Ohio Stow-Munroe Falls Dylan Rivers LB 6-3 220 ★★★ Stephens City, Va. Sherando C.J. Thorpe OL 6-4 310 ★★★★ Pittsburgh, Pa. Central Catholic VERBALLY COMMITTED 2018 PLAYER Micah Parsons DE 6-3 235 ★★★★★ Harrisburg, Pa. Central Dauphin UNCOMMITTED 2017 PROSPECTS Tariq Castro-Fields CB 6-2 173 ★★★ Upper Marlboro, Md. Riverdale Baptist Elijah Conliffe DT 6-4 263 ★★★ Hampton, Va. Hampton Danny Davis WR 6-2 180 ★★★★ Springfield, Ohio Springfield Brelin Faison-Walden LB 6-1 190 ★★★★ Greensboro, N.C. Grimsley Brailyn Franklin LB 6-4 200 ★★★ Haymarket, Va. Battlefield Mac Hippenhammer WR 6-0 170 ★★★ Fort Wayne, Ind. Snider Donovan Johnson CB 5-10 169 ★★★★ Detroit, Mich. Class Tech Scott Nelson Saf. 6-2 180 ★★★ Detroit, Mich. U. of Detroit Jesuit High Evidence Njoku WR 6-4 195 ★★★ Wayne, N.J. Wayne Hills Derek Pitts Saf. 6-1 180 ★★★★ Charleston, W.Va. South Charleston Cameron Sullivan-Brown WR 6-1 185 ★★★ Laurel, Md. St. Vincent Pallotti Lamont Wade DB 5-9 182 ★★★★★ Clairton, Pa. Clariton * Anticipated as of July 10 to be attending LASCH BASH ATTENDEES* For daily and breaking news updates on PSU recruiting, including the Lasch Bash, visit bwi.rivals.com.