Blue White Illustrated

P enn State picked up three commit- ments in mid-December and early January, including a pledge from the sta:'s top overall prospect in the Class of 2017, defensive back Lamont Wade. A 9ve-star player from Clairton, Pa., Wade earned 34 total scholarship o:ers. Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, North Car- olina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin were just a few of the top programs that pursued him. Because he planned to enroll in January, Wade took his o;cial visits during the season. He ul- timately used four of his 9ve allotted vis- its, checking out Penn State, Tennessee, UCLA and West Virginia. Although the Nittany Lions were thought to be the team to beat, it wasn't until Dec. 17, in front of friends and family at a graduation party, that Wade decided to make his decision public. "They have good academics and they just won the Big Ten championship," he said on the night of his commitment. "I've known those coaches over there for a long time and I like them a lot. I think they'll be able to develop me and take care of me. I can get on the 9eld and make an impact on o:ense, defense and special teams." Wade's commitment grabbed most of the attention, but he wasn't the only re- cent addition to the Class of 2017, as the sta: also landed running back Journey Brown of Meadville, Pa. Brown's com- mitment caught many observers o:- guard, but he had been on the sta:'s radar since the summer when he camped at Penn State. He then visited twice this past season for the games against Ohio State and Michigan State. A three-star prospect according to Ri- vals.com, Brown capped an excellent ca- reer with his best season, rushing for 2,791 yards and 45 touchdowns as a sen- ior. For his career, he totaled an eye- catching 7,027 yards and scored 103 rushing touchdowns. A member of the Pennsylvania Sports Writers' All-State team, he helped lead Meadville to an 11-3 9nish and an appearance in the PIAA Class 5A quarter9nals in 2016. Brown received national attention dur- ing his junior year a

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