Blue White Illustrated

W hile their future team was putting together a Big Ten championship season under third-year coach James Franklin, the members of Penn State's 2017 recruiting class were scat- tered across the country, working toward titles of their own. Some of those players helped bring home conference and even state championships, while others didn't get that far. One prospect missed the 2016 season entirely with a knee injury. But whether on the 8eld or in the weight room, all of the prospects in the Nittany Lions' upcoming class helped set the stage for their college careers. Here's a look at how they and their teams fared this past fall: OFFENSE JOURNEY BROWN A:er starting the season 0-2, Meadville (Pa.) won 11 con- secutive games in the regular season and playo9s before falling in the PIAA Class 5A quarter8nals. Brown had an excellent season, rushing for 2,791 yards in 14 games. He averaged 12.8 yards per carry and scored 45 rushing touchdowns. His career stats are impressive, too, as he rushed for 7,027 yards and scored 103 touchdowns on the ground. As a junior, Brown set a Pennsylvania record by rush- ing for 722 yards in a 107-90 victory over DuBois. He also scored 10 touchdowns in that game. For his senior season, Brown earned All-Conference and All-State honors. He's considered a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. SEAN CLIFFORD Cli9ord- missed half of the season due to two minor injuries, but the quarterback was healthy in time for the playo9s and led a St. Xavier (Ohio) team that had 8nished the regular season with a 5-5 record all the way to the OHSAA Division I champi- onship. With St. Xavier trailing 10-0 at hal:ime, Cli9ord or- chestrated a second-half comeback, leading the Bombers to a 27- 20 double-overtime victory. For the sea- son, Cli9ord completed 56.2 percent of his passes for 1,426 yards, with nine touchdown passes and three intercep- tions. He also rushed for 560 yards and 12 touchdowns. Cli9ord was named an Under Armour All-American but was forced to miss the game due to a labrum tear that he su9ered in the state champi- onship game. He is a four-star prospect and a member of the Rivals250 for 2017, coming in at No. 138 overall. He's the sev- enth-ranked pro-style quarterback na- tionally and the 8:h-ranked prospect in Ohio. K.J. HAMLER A wide receiver from De- troit, Hamler transferred to IMG Acad- emy in Bradenton, Fla., for his senior year. However, he didn't get to play for the THE LATE SHOW Clif- ford missed much of his senior season due to injuries, but he came on strong in the playoffs, leading St. Xavier (Ohio) High to a state championship. Photo courtesy of Ri- vals.com PSU prospects enjoy strong senior seasons | O F F E N S E

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