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of 2018, Freiermuth is an excellent all- around tight end. Unlike many of the na- tion's top tight end prospects, he regularly plays with his hand in the dirt, so blocking is one of his strengths. JUSTIN SHORTER POS WR HT 6-3 WT 195 RATING ★★★★ HOME Monmouth Junction, N.J. SCHOOL South Brunswick ADDITIONAL OFFERS Boston College, Duke, Indiana, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Northwestern, Mississippi, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin QUOTABLE Shorter's father, J.D. Shorter, on his son's 6rst visit to Penn State: "It was one of the best overall vis- its we've taken. Between the academic support that they have for players, their brand new facilities and the tradition that the program has, Penn State really im- pressed us. I also just feel like James Franklin really has Justin's best interest at heart. I feel like he'll treat Justin the same way he treats his own daughters. We all feel very comfortable with him and his sta7." ANALYSIS Shorter still has two full high school seasons remaining, but he's al- ready emerged as a nationally recognized prospect, having earned a unanimous four-star rating and a spot in the first Ri- vals100 for next year's cycle. Following his first unofficial visit to Penn State on July 23, Shorter and his father made a second trip just 10 days later, but even after the latter visit, his commitment on Aug. 6 was a surprise to many. J.D. Shorter said academics played a major role in his son's decision, as he plans to major in engineering. As is the case with every junior prospect who commits this early in the process, other schools won't be letting up on Shorter. But his character and maturity are well beyond most players his age. Penn State appears to have found a great overall prospect. ■ J ust six weeks ago, it looked as if James Franklin and his assistants were going to have to put in overtime this fall. Heading into the Lasch Bash barbecue, Penn State had only eight verbal com- mitments for its Class of 2017. Even with this year's class expected to contain fewer than 20 prospects, that would have le8 a lot of additional work for a coaching sta7 that knows it needs to produce on the 6eld this coming season. Now, with the 2016 regular season having arrived, the Nittany Lions' re- cruiting class looks much as previous classes did at this point in the cycle: more than three-quarters complete. In fact, following seven verbal commit- ments in July and August, Penn State's Class of 2017 is nearly 6nished. While the numbers are subject to change if the team sees more transfers than expected in the winter, I'm cur- rently expecting the Nittany Lions to take between 17 and 19 players. That leaves only a handful of scholarships for the dozen or more prospects who are still considering Penn State. When you look over what the sta7 has done so far, there aren't many positions that clearly need work. With the addi- tion of Brelin Faison-Walden and Brailyn Franklin, Penn State will be 6ne even if it doesn't add another linebacker. The sta7 is also 6nished along the o7ensive line a8er earning a commitment from Desmond Holmes. And wide receiver is another position that looks much better following commitments from Cameron Sullivan-Brown and Mac Hippenham- mer. Because of the coaches' recent recruit- ing successes, it appears as though Penn State will look to 6nish o7 its class by pursuing the best prospects available, regardless of position. Defensive back Lamont Wade recently announced that he will make his decision in December, and he's one prospect whom we know the sta7 will wait for. Detroit cornerback Donovan Johnson is another prospect who is very highly regarded by the coaches. I'm under the impression that the Nittany Lions would happily wel- come both of them to the class if they committed tomorrow, despite the fact that the secondary is already a strength. If Penn State is able to land just one of those two, which I believe is likely, the 6nal few scholarships could go any- where, as the Nittany Lions are still pur- suing multiple prospects at wide receiver, tight end, defensive tackle and linebacker. Look for them to prioritize talent over positions of need from here on out. ■ PSU likely to round out class with best available athletes Rivals.com LAMONT WADE

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