Blue White Illustrated

Georgia, Iowa, Louisville, LSU, Mary- land, Michigan, Michigan State, Mis- souri, North Carolina, Ohio State, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Toledo, West Virginia, Wisconsin THE LATEST (May 4) Young returned to Penn State for three visits this spring, the most recent of which was for the Blue-White Game. He said that he en- joyed spending time with the other committed players during his most re- cent visit. It's become clear that the Nittany Lions are the team to beat here. He continues to say that he would like to visit some Southern schools this summer, but even if he does, we think it's doubtful that Young will go far from home for college. Both Josh Gattis and Tim Banks stopped at Imhotep Charter on April 24, the first day they could hit the road during the evaluation period. Penn State's Class of 2018 is far from complete, and even for those who have already committed, there's still another a decision to be made. Three prospects in the Nittany Lions' class appear to be on pace to graduate early from high school, which would give them the option of enrolling early at Penn State. In February, linebacker Jesse Luketa of Mercyhurst Prep in Erie, Pa., announced shortly aCer his commitment that he planned to graduate early, and two other prospects – four-star tight end Zack Kuntz of Camp Hill, Pa., and three-star safety Isaiah Humphries of Sachse, Texas – announced in May that they, too, expect to begin their Penn State ca- reers in January. "I've always had it in the back of my mind to graduate early, mainly because I've seen friends of my brothers do it in the past and it worked out great for them," Kuntz said. "I've taken extra credits each year so I could put myself in a position where I could enroll early if I wanted to. "Since I committed, I've spoken to the coaching staff about the possibility of early enrollment, but it's something I talked about month aCer month with my family. We felt it would benefit me to fol- low through and go early." Humphries has a similar view. He said he began taking high school classes when he was in middle school. About a year ago, he began planning an early gradua- tion in the hope of enrolling in college in January. "I feel like if I go there early, I'll be able learn the defense, get my body right and get classes out of the way," he said. "During the season then, things won't be as cluttered for me as they will be for the guys who are just coming in. Plus, if I go early, I'll be able to get my degree faster." Like Kuntz and Humphries, Luketa said his decision to enroll early was motivated by a desire to ease the academic transi- tion from high school to college. But while his classwork was the focus, he also sees the move benefiting his game on the field. "I feel like it'll be a huge factor for my development because I get to jumpstart my transition from the high school level to the collegiate level," Luketa said. "Not only will it be easier for me to adjust to all the schoolwork in the off-season, but I'll also begin working with the team in the weight room. That will help me get an understanding of what to expect come camp. "It will also allow me to soak in infor- mation from veterans like [Jason] Cabinda and [Manny] Bowen. Of course, I get to spend a lot of quality time with Coach [Brent] Pry, too." By the time December's signing period arrives, Luketa, Kuntz and Humphries will likely be joined by one or two other prospects in Penn State's class. While the majority of the team's verbally commit- ted players have already confirmed that they won't enroll early, defensive end Nick Tarburton is still considering his options. "This came up in early May, aCer Coach Pry and Coach [Sean] Spencer came down to my school," said Tarburton, who attends Pennridge High in Perkasie, Pa. "There's a pretty good chance I will [en- roll early]." The Nittany Lions are expected to sign close to 25 players in the Class of 2018. Early enrollees can only be backdated to previous classes if the current class (2018) goes over the limit of 25 scholar- ships. For now, that appears to be un- likely. J U N E 9 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 12 At least three recruits planning to enroll in January R Y A N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M Humphries has been taking high school classes since he was in middle school. He's planning to graduate early and enroll in col- lege in January. Photo courtesy of Rivals.com

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