Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/752868
everyone was there. They had all of the coaches and administration there. Lam- ont met with a few of the coaches then that a/ernoon. He also met with some academic advisors, so it was a busy day. "We also met with Coach Franklin one- on-one before heading out to dinner with a few coaches Sunday night. We went up to Champs Sports Bar and ate with a few of their coaches. We didn't head out of town until [Monday] morning. We actu- ally ate breakfast with a few coaches one more time at the Wa.e Shop before heading back to the hotel and leaving town." Wade added that Franklin made it clear how highly Penn State's coaching sta- has prioritized his son's recruitment. "He pointed out everything they're doing and how they're progressing," Carlton Wade said. "I'll say this: Penn State fans have one heck of a coach. Even if Lamont doesn't end up there, I want to go back there for games down the road, because he's made a major impact on me and my family in the time we've gotten to know him. Their whole sta- is incredible. They're just great people. I hope Penn State fans understand that." Wade's most recent visit is expected to have a major impact on his decision, which he's planning to reveal on Dec. 17. But an even bigger factor is likely to be Penn State's progress on the ,eld. The game against Iowa that the Wades at- tended was the Nittany Lions' ,/h con- secutive victory, and it illustrated how far the program has come in its three years under Franklin. "It's de,nitely impacted things," Carl- ton Wade said. "Winning has a big impact on every recruit's decision; Lamont is no di-erent. Of course, we're looking for a school that o-ers great academics and can really prepare him for life, but at the same time, he wants to play in big games and really enjoy his experience as a col- lege football player. "For Penn State, speci,cally, we've been watching Coach Franklin from the very beginning, so to see where they started from and where they are now, it's very impressive. Looking ahead, they have a great chance to be a top-10 team 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 OL 6-5 300 ★★★ Plymouth, Pa. Wyoming Valley West Patrick Freiermuth TE 6-5 230 ★★★★ North Andover, Mass. Brooks School Micah Parsons DE 6-3 235 ★★★★ Harrisburg, Pa. Harrisburg Justin Shorter WR 6-3 195 ★★★★ Monmouth Junction, N.J. South Brunswick * As of Nov. 13 V E R B A L C O M M I T M E N T S *