Penn State to host high-profile QB recruit this weekend

Penn State has hosted upward of 150 recruits for its annual ‘Whiteout’ game at Beaver Stadium since James Franklin became the school’s coach in 2014.

This year will be no exception.

The recruiting lounge in the upper level of the 107,000-seat venue and the section of stands where prospects sit in will be packed with recruits and their families plus current commits for Saturday’s primetime date with Michigan.

One of them will be Garrett Nussmeier, a four-star Class of 2021 quarterback recruit from Texas who is one of the Lions’ top targets at the position in the next cycle.

“The son of Dallas Cowboys coach and former Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, Garrett brings a very high football IQ to the position,” Rivals wrote in a March evaluation.

“He moves exceptionally well and can sling it with accuracy on the run. In the pocket, he delivered accurate passes with some zip on the ball.”

Nussmeier and his family recently took in LSU’s triumph over Florida, showing just how high profile of a recruit the 6-foot-1, 171-pound junior is. Multiple other Power-5 schools also have offered, and while 247Sports calls him the No. 343 player in the next class and No. 15 quarterback, Rivals has a much higher opinion, as it lists him at No. 61 and No. 7, respectively.

Penn State’s top QB targets in the Class of 2021 include five-star Caleb Williams from Washington, D.C., along with Nussmeier, Maryland four-star Christian Veilleux, and Colorado standout Jake Rubley. It’s difficult to envision the Lions taking more than one of those players, considering how young its quarterback room is, but anything is possible as Franklin and offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne try to sustain the quality depth they’ve built on offense.

Overall, Penn State has just one Class of 2021 commit: Jacksonville, Fla., four-star tight end Nick Elksnis, who committed in August.

As for the Whiteout weekend recruiting crowd in general, Theo Johnson, a four-star tight end from Canada, headlines the Class of 2020 visitor list, and the underclassmen rundown will be star-studded, too.

“We’ve got a chance to do something really special on Saturday that everybody had an impact in, and I think that’s what makes it so special,” Franklin said Tuesday.

“It’s the players. It’s the coaches. It’s the staff. But it’s the fans. The fans can have a significant impact on what happens on the field and how that environment impacts our future, as well.”