The Penn State football program will eye a chase at the National Championship in 2018, but without some of its key pieces from 2017. Which recruits will commit and replace them?
The 2017 college football season seemed to have “College Football Playoff” written all over it for Penn State. However, a loss to Ohio State, along with a second defeat, derailed these hopes for the Nittany Lions. They still played in a bowl game, but it hardly met the lofty expectations.
To recuperate, Penn State will attempt to add new players in the latest round of recruiting, with National Signing Day to lock down commitments for the 2018 season. It should make for an interesting culmination to the program’s recruiting process on Thursday.
According to 247Sports.com, entering National Signing Day, PSU has the No. 4 class in the nation. This includes three five-star recruits and a handful of four-star players. Let’s see who head coach James Franklin received a commitment from so far:
Weak-side defensive end Micah Parsons is the crown jewel of this class. He’s the No. 5 overall player from the class of 2018 and might make an immediate impact on Penn State’s defensive line, going head-to-head with the massive offensive-line fronts of the Big Ten.
At wide receiver, there’s five-star player Justin Shorter. If Franklin gives Shorter the necessary playing time, he may become one of quarterback Trace McSorely’s top targets in the 2018 college football season.
As for the rest of the class, names like Jayson Oweh, PJ Mustipher and Jahan Dotson, all of whom are four-star recruits, can make an impact in the fall. That especially goes for Oweh, who can join Parsons in a potential defensive line rotation.
It’s difficult to argue with what Penn State has done before National Signing Day gets underway. This class can compete with Ohio State’s star-studded group and lead to another stacked roster in Happy Valley. How much further can it go, though?
Next: National Signing Day: Predictions for top 25 uncommitted recruits
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