Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/717693
P enn State was expecting good results following its Lasch Bash barbecue, but even the most optimistic fans probably didn't anticipate the surge of re- cruiting news that they were about to see. Going into the weekend of July 15-16, James Franklin and his assistants were ex- pected to receive commitments from a few players, as linebacker Brailyn Franklin and wide receiver Cameron Sullivan- Brown had hinted that the Nittany Lions were in a good position. But what ensued was a three-week stretch during which the sta6 earned nine verbal commit- ments, seven coming from prospects in the Class of 2017, bringing Penn State's total to 15. Of those seven, the sta6 brought in three players with a four-star rating: line- backer Brelin Faison-Walden, as well as two safeties, Derrek Pitts and Jonathan Sutherland. The coaching sta6 also 5n- ished up its work along the o6ensive front, as tackle Desmond Holmes became the fourth and 5nal o6ensive line prospect in the upcoming class. The Class of 2018 commitments – receiver Justin Shorter and tight end Patrick Freier- muth – are also major successes for the Nittany Lions. Below is a breakdown of Penn State's most recent recruiting haul. BRELIN FAISON-WALDEN POS LB HT 6-1 WT 200 RATING ★★★★ HOME Greensboro, N.C. SCHOOL Grimsley ADDITIONAL OFFERS Alabama, Califor- nia, Clemson, Duke, East Carolina, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest QUOTABLE Faison-Walden on what fans can expect from him: "I'm a totally di6er- ent person o6 the 5eld than I am on the 5eld. I think on the 5eld you have to turn that switch on. It's not Mr. Nice Guy any- more. It's strictly business. It's strictly the game. On the 5eld, you know, there's going to be hooting and hollering, hitting each other and everything. O6 the 5eld, you have to care for everybody. You have to show your interest in the kids and the Summer additions bolster class C L A S S O F 2 0 1 7 F O O T B A L L R E C R U I T I N G Seven 2017 recruits and two 2018 prospects announce for Nittany Lions | NEWEST LION Pitts surprised some observers by choosing the Nit- tany Lions over West Virginia. Photo courtesy of Rivals.com