Blue White Illustrated

P enn State fans were expecting good news following the sta:'s Lasch Bash barbecue on July 15. Since it started a few years back, the Nittany Lions have averaged two commitments either the day of the event or in the days that follow. But even the most optimistic fans weren't expecting the surge that fol- lowed this year's Lasch Bash, as James Franklin and his sta: landed 9ve commit- ments in a four-day span, with all of those players having made the trip to University Park for the barbecue. But those in attendance weren't the only players to join the Class of 2018 over the past seven weeks, as Penn State has added 10 new prospects to its class since the start of July, nearly doubling its total to 23 commitments. The sta: also con- tinued their success outside of the region, as two Florida prospects – defensive back Jordan Miner and defensive tackle Judge Culpepper – both committed in the weeks leading up to the Lasch Bash. Miner, who plays at Wiregrass High School in Wesley Chapel, announced his commitment on July 6. A four-star prospect, he earned just shy of 30 schol- arship o:ers and took his 9rst and only visit to Penn State June 2-3. He narrowed his list to four schools: Penn State, Mary- land, North Carolina and Tennessee, all of which he visited in the months leading up to his commitment. John Miner, Jordan's father, said it was the combination of academics and ath- letics that stood out. "That was some- thing Jordan and our family really liked," he said. "Academically, Penn State is one of the top schools in the entire country, but they're also a team that's in the hunt for a national championship. We see Penn State as a team that, at the very least, will be in the Top 25 discussion over the years to come. So, with that combination, that's something that Jordan and our family really liked." Culpepper, a four-star defensive tackle from Plant High School in Tampa, is the son of former NFL defensive tackle Brad Culpepper. He earned nearly 40 scholar- ship o:ers over the past two years but didn't begin seriously considering Penn State until April, when he and his family spent two days on campus to watch spring practice. Because he was unable to attend the Lasch Bash, Culpepper re- turned with his family for his second un- o;cial visit July 12-13. A

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