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F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 5 Penn State completed its recruiting class on Feb. 7, adding one player – of- fensive lineman Rasheed Walker – to the 22 who sent their letters of intent during the early signing period in De- cember. The Nittany Lions' class ranks fourth in the country and second in the Big Ten according to Rivals.com, mak- ing it the most highly rated class of James Franklin's tenure at the school. Here's a look at the players who make up that class: NANA ASIEDUAsiedu is one of the top two offensive tackle prospects in the ACC region for the Class of 2018. He's very explosive off the ball, especially in the run game, as he does an excellent job of getting to the second level with his blocks. He also has the athleticism to pull from his leA tackle position and be a lead blocker. Asiedu stands 6-foot-5, which means he will likely be able to add 25 to 30 pounds at the college level. If he can do that while maintain- ing his quick feet off the snap, he will be a big asset to Penn State's offensive line in the coming years. As is usually the case with offensive linemen, Asiedu figures to redshirt as a true freshman this com- ing fall. JUDGE CULPEPPERAn extremely ath- letic defensive line prospect, Culpepper is likely to start out at the three-tech- nique tackle position, but he also has the athleticism to play strong-side de- fensive end. That athleticism was on full display throughout his high school career, as he played tight end all three seasons at Plant. At 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, Culpepper is very similar to redshirt junior defensive line- man Ryan Buchholz, a player who has seen action at both defensive end and defensive tackle. With Culpepper set to enroll early, don't be surprised if he's able to work his way into the rotation within a year or two. JAHAN DOTSONDotson fits perfectly into Penn State's offensive philosophy at the slot wide receiver position. He looks a lot like a young DaeSean Hamil- ton. He runs extremely precise routes, has exceptional hands and accelerates well coming out of his cuts. He doesn't have elite speed, as his 40-yard time is said to be 4.65 seconds. But his route- running technique and quickness com- ing out of cuts make him an exceptional slot receiver prospect. I expect Dotson to be redshirted as a freshman and to make his debut in 2019, when he will likely compete with K.J. Hamler, Mac Hippenhammer and Brandon Polk for playing time. BRYCE EFFNEREffner could be one of the most underrated members of Penn State's Class of 2018. I believe that he's the top offensive line prospect in the greater-Chicago area and quite possibly the No. 1 offensive lineman in all of Illi- nois in 2018. Effner already stands 6- foot-5, 280 pounds, which means he has the frame to play at between 300 and 310 pounds at Penn State. But his development in the weight room may depend on where he plays, as he's ver- satile enough to see action at either tackle or guard at the college level. A three-year starter in high school, Effner has an excellent punch and keeps his feet moving to sustain his blocks. He senior season film showed a lot of im- provement with his pass-blocking technique, which is essential in Penn State's RPO offense. He was physically dominant in his final high school sea- son, but I expect him to redshirt as a freshman at Penn State. PATRICK FREIERMUTHFreiermuth should be a perfect fit for Penn State's RPO offense. He has a great combina- tion of size, physicality and speed, which should allow him to not only stretch the field vertically but also pro- vide protection as a blocker. Freiermuth plays the game with a mean streak. He has excellent punch technique and is al- ready a very polished blocker. As a sen- ior at the Brooks School, he saw action at quarterback and at running back out of the wildcat formation, roles that al- lowed him to showcase the range of his athletic ability. Freiermuth's skill set is exactly what James Franklin is looking for in his tight ends. DANIEL GEORGEGeorge is a physical wide receiver who reminds me of Chris Godwin coming out of high school. To go along with his physical style of play, Nittany Lions' latest recruiting class features high-impact prospects PHIL'S CORNER With Saquon Barkley gone, Slade could po- tentially vie for playing time in the backfield this coming season. Photo courtesy of Rivals.com

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