Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/741084
W ith the second half of the season now upon us, it's become clear that wins on the -eld are more im- portant than ever. Head coach James Franklin is well aware of this reality, but he also understands where the current roster stands. He hinted at potential shortcomings to media throughout the o.-season, and sure enough, many of those concerns have come to fruition over the -rst six games. But for the first time in Franklin's tenure at Penn State, wins are also a major talking point on the recruiting trail. Everyone is keeping a close eye on the results this season, from five-star safety Lamont Wade and his father, who have openly admitted that job se- curity is one of their main talking points with the coaching staff during visits, to the 18 seniors and juniors who have already committed to Penn State. The preoccupation with on-field re- sults is much greater than it's been in previous years. Following tough losses to rivals Pitt and Michigan, several prospects ex- pressed some concerns. Penn State lost one of its verbally committed players on Oct. 3, as four-star safety Derrek Pitts announced on Twitter that he was plan- ning to open up his recruitment. In addition, linebacker Brelin Faison- Walden visited Ann Arbor for Michi- gan's game against Wisconsin, and while he remains committed, he also went to North Carolina State for its game against Notre Dame a week later. Defensive back D.J. Brown is another 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 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 Oct. 16 V E R B A L C O M M I T M E N T S * On-field results are key to Penn State's recruiting efforts