National signing day is almost here for Penn State and the rest of college football.
James Franklin and the Nittany Lions don’t expect much drama, if any, on Wednesday with 25 prospects set to make their verbal commitments official during the early signing period.
Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class is ranked as high as No. 13 nationally by 247 Sports. The Nittany Lions rank third in the current Big Ten behind Ohio State and Michigan — fourth in the new Big Ten if you include 2024 addition Oregon.
Here’s what you need to know about Penn State’s class going into signing day.
Pennsylvania presence
The Nittany Lions have commits from all over the country. They have top players from New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. They dipped into Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and the DMV area. And they have three Wisconsin standouts in the class, a real abnormality.
But the heart of this class is the homegrown talent. Of Penn State’s 25 commits, eight are from Pennsylvania — and all eight are ranked inside the top-15 in the state, per 247 Sports.
Belle Vernon running back Quinton Martin is the headliner; he’s a multi-faceted threat who could make an impact as a freshman. Imhotep’s Tyseer Denmark and Central Catholic’s Peter Gonzalez are promising pieces at wide receiver. Their teammates, Imhotep corner Kenny Woseley and Central Catholic linebacker Anthony Speca, add to the defense. McDowell’s Cooper Cousins, Wyomissing’s Caleb Brewer and Monsignor Bonner’s Mylachi Williams strengthen the trenches. All were in-state stars, and all are staying home.
Quarterback of the future?
This time last year, Ethan Grunkemeyer had one offer: Miami (Ohio). Now, he’s a consensus four-star recruit, ranked as high as the No. 5 quarterback and the No. 84 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle by ESPN and could very well be the QB of the future for Penn State.
Grunkemeyer, a standout at Olentangy (Ohio), has experienced a significant rise after committing to Penn State in May as a three-star recruit. He endured a recruiting process his high school head coach, Wade Bartholomew, called “a marathon, not a sprint.”
It wasn’t until Northwestern offered on April 3 that Grunkemeyer’s recruitment took off. Indiana, Minnesota and Cincinnati offered days later. Then, a week later, former Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich came out to Ohio for a second time to watch Grunkemeyer. He offered after that session, and Grunkemeyer committed to the Nittany Lions on May 20.
Every class has a quarterback, and every quarterback has a story. Grunkemeyer’s is one of patience and perseverance.
Commitment to the trenches
You can never have too many offensive linemen. The Nittany Lions are set to bring in six: Cousins, Brewer, Massachusetts four-star Liam Andrews, Wisconsin four-stars Garrett Sexton and Donovan Harbour and North Carolina three-star Eagan Boyer.
Andrews and Cousins are both ranked inside the top 150 nationally, per 247 Sports. Sexton, a 6-foot-7 former quarterback who started on the offensive line as a junior, has all the raw potential you’d want. Boyer is also 6-foot-7. Harbour is a 320-pounder on the interior. And Brewer, while he might play defensive tackle, could also provide support up front.
New coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said last week that the offensive line is always the most important position group on the roster. Penn State is making a commitment to reflect that.
Wide receiver help
Denmark, a former Oregon commit, has speed to burn. So does New York standout Josiah Brown, who had offers from Alabama and Georgia. Gonzalez, a bigger body at 6-foot-3, rebounded nicely from a 2021 ACL tear that slowed his recruitment. All three are highly-regarded.
Will any of them make an impact as a true freshman? Probably not. They project more as developmental pieces for the future. Penn State knows it needs to hit the portal for wide receiver help in 2024 with pursuits for top talent ongoing.
Making room
Rosters across college football are in a state of flux. There are departures and additions through the portal. There are NFL decisions still to be made. Factoring in the recruiting class, it’s difficult to project how Penn State will get to the 85-scholarship limit before the 2024 season.
But last Friday, Franklin made an interesting point regarding the current state of things: “There’s not really a whole lot of ambiguity within the program. Just because things haven’t been announced to you guys doesn’t mean there’s ambiguity.”
Let’s say this for now: the Nittany Lions will make space, if need be, for a player they want — whether that’s on Wednesday, in the portal or on February signing day.
