Blue White Illustrated

January 2017

Penn State Sports Magazine

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LAST WORD T I M O W E N | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M enn State had just routed Michigan State at Beaver Stadium in its regu- lar-season finale, and for this par- ticular recruit, there was no reason to wait any longer. His family's team was a league champion, and although signing day for his class was more than 14 months away, there wasn't a better time to jump on board. "I never experienced anything like that before," he said. "I didn't think it was going to be a blowout like it was, but it was awesome. After the game I got to see them hold the Big Ten trophy up in the locker room, and put all the roses in their mouths, so that was awe- some." Wait… roses? Weren't they still a week away? Not in 2008. Not when linebacker Mike Hull gave his verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions, and not when he gave the above quote to Blue White Illustrated just after announcing his decision. The rationale, however, still applies today. Growing up the son of a letterman, Hull had always been a PSU fan. But as he developed into a four-star prospect and other teams came calling, the atten- tion gave him temporary pause. It wasn't until that game against the Spartans, in which Penn State proved to the college football world that it was once again ca- pable of competing for championships, that Hull's decision was simplified. Now, as Penn State preps for another cross-country trip to Pasadena, Calif., it's happening all over again. After his team reached the top 10 for the first time since that 2009 Rose Bowl, head coach James Franklin was asked how the program's steady rise this season might impact his recruiting ef- forts going forward. It will have a bene- fit, he said, but the fruits of the winning streak won't necessarily be reaped im- mediately. "Having this type of year, it's kind of like the [prospect] who has a great sen- ior year," Franklin said. "Seventy-five percent of the recruiting process is done based off a junior or sophomore year. So it will have an effect. How significant the effect is? I don't know. I think it will show up more in years to come, espe- cially in the '18 class." For the Class of 2017, which is set to sign its letters of intent about a month from now, the work had mostly been done beforehand. As of mid-December, Penn State had secured 17 verbal com- mitments, only three of which came after it made its impressive return to the top 10. But Franklin is poised to finish strong, just as Joe Paterno and his staff did in 2009. That year, the Lions earned com- mitments from future All-Big Ten se- lections Gerald Hodges, Jordan Hill and John Urschel after the regular season. And that was just the beginning. Penn State's on-field success during the 2008 season, in which it finished 11-2 and went to the Rose Bowl, had its biggest impact in the next cycle. Hull was the first player to join the Class of 2010. Eleven four-star prospects followed him, and by the time all the letters had been signed, Penn State had the highest-ranked recruiting class in the Big Ten. Franklin is set to sign a stellar group of athletes in February 2017. As of mid- December, he had the 14th-best class in the country according to Rivals.com, and that was before five-star Lamont Wade publicized his decision. If the current trajectory of the junior class continues, even larger waves will hit shore in February 2018. "[Seniors] are calling us and showing more interest and things like that, but I think where [this season's success] will have its biggest impact is in '18," Franklin said. "The '17 class is pretty much done." And the '18 class is off and running. In the December rankings from Rivals, Penn State was the only team to have three 2018 prospects ranked among the top 100, including five-star Micah Par- sons from Harrisburg, Pa., who is ranked No. 13 overall. Five of PSU's six committed prospects are ranked among the top 110, a claim that no other pro- gram could make. The next-closest, Florida State and USC, have four repre- sentatives in the Rivals250. If they weren't already doing so, re- cruits are paying attention to Penn State again. That's what an 11-win Rose Bowl season can do. Even four-star legacy recruits, who once considered other winning pro- grams, are back in the fold. Eight years and one day after Hull made his commitment to the Lions, an- other blue-chip recruit from Pennsyl- vania announced, despite his signing day being more than 14 months away. Right before a 45-12 blowout against Michigan State, Rivals100 tight end Zack Kuntz declared for Penn State over offers from Michigan, Ohio State and Stanford. Kuntz's brothers had come be- fore him, so he was plenty familiar with what the university had to offer, like Hull was. But it was the steady progress shown throughout the season en route to a conference title that sealed the deal. "It's no joke that they're on the rise," Kuntz said. "With them being a top team in the nation again, it makes that decision easier. With all the momentum they have going for them right now, I wanted to jump on board." He's not the only one. ■ Back to the future P

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