Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/717693
community, help the community out. Give back in the ways you can and try to understand everybody. But when I get on that 3eld, the switch is coming on. You're not nice anymore." ANALYSIS Faison-Walden's commit- ment was a nice surprise for Nittany Lion fans. While we always knew that he liked Penn State's coaching sta4, most notably Brent Pry and Terry Smith, Faison- Walden didn't travel to University Park until the weekend of the Lasch Bash bar- becue, July 15-16. Because of that, it was tough to get an accurate feel for where PSU truly stood. Fortunately for Penn State, he and his family fell in love with the school in- stantly. Faison-Walden committed to James Franklin privately before return- ing home. He then made his public commitment in front of family and friends in Greensboro a few days later on July 20. Faison-Walden is expected to grow into an outside linebacker. BRAILYN FRANKLIN POS LB HT 6-2 WT 200 RATING ★★★ HOME Haymarket, Va. SCHOOL Battlefield ADDITIONAL OFFERS Cincinnati, Kansas, Marshall, Maryland, Old Dominion, Pur- due, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia Tech QUOTABLE Franklin on what fans can expect from him: "Penn State is getting a guy who is going to stay true to his word and 3ght and basically give it his all, a guy who is going to study as much as possible, a guy who is going to be there to help his team out. Honestly, I'm the type of guy who actually cares for his team. And re- ally likes to lead, a big-time leader." ANALYSIS Penn State emerged as Franklin's favorite following an uno5cial visit on May 21, but he didn't o5cially pick up an o4er from head coach James Franklin until June 15. Franklin and his family then spent the weekend of July 15- 16 in University Park, attending the Lasch Bash barbecue. Following that visit, it was clear that Franklin's commitment was only a matter of time, but he waited until Aug. 2 to make it o5cial. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Franklin has experience at both wide receiver and cor- nerback. He's expected to grow into an outside linebacker, but he could see reps at safety early in his career. MAC HIPPENHAMMER POS WR HT 6-0 WT 170 RATING ★★★ HOME Fort Wayne, Ind. SCHOOL Snider ADDITIONAL OFFERS Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Eastern CLASS OF 2017 NAME POS HT WT RATING HOME SCHOOL Damion Barber DE 6-3 245 ★★★ Harrisburg, Pa. Harrisburg D.J. Brown CB 5-10 165 ★★★ Fairburn, Ga. Creekside Sean Clifford QB 6-2 207 ★★★★ Cincinnati, Ohio St. Xavier Brelin Faison-Walden LB 6-1 200 ★★★★ Greensboro, N.C. Grimsley Brailyn Franklin LB 6-2 200 ★★★ Haymarket, Va. Battlefield Mac Hippenhammer WR 6-0 170 ★★★ Fort Wayne, Ind. Snider Desmond Holmes OL 6-4 320 ★★★ Springfield, Pa. Cardinal O'Hara Robert Martin OL 6-5 260 ★★★ Montvale, N.J. St. Joseph's Yetur Matos DE 6-5 230 ★★★★ Fredericksburg, Va. Chancellor Michael Miranda OL 6-4 285 ★★★ Stow, Ohio Stow-Munroe Falls Derrek Pitts Saf. 6-1 180 ★★★★ Charleston, W.Va. South Charleston Dylan Rivers LB 6-3 220 ★★★ Stephens City, Va. Sherando Cameron Sullivan-Brown WR 6-1 185 ★★★ Laurel, Md. St. Vincent Pallotti Jonathan Sutherland Saf. 6-0 193 ★★★★ Alexandria, Va. Episcopal C.J. Thorpe OL 6-4 310 ★★★★ Pittsburgh, Pa. Central Catholic CLASS OF 2018 NAME POS HT WT RATING HOME SCHOOL Chris Bleich OT 6-5 308 ★★★ Plymouth, Pa. Wyoming Valley West Patrick Freiermuth TE 6-5 230 ★★★★ North Andover, Mass. Brooks School Micah Parsons DE 6-3 235 ★★★★ Harrisburg, Pa. Central Dauphin Justin Shorter WR 6-3 195 ★★★★ Monmouth Junction, N.J. South Brunswick * As of Aug. 21 VERBAL COMMITMENTS*