Penn State Football: Grading the Nittany Lions 2019 recruiting class

The Nittany Lions have been on the threshold of greatness for the past two seasons, just to be derailed by the big brother of the Big Ten, Ohio State. But this year, Penn State has crafted the second-ranked recruiting class in the Big Ten and is out for blood.

After a near-upset at the hands of Appalachian State, the skepticism over whether Penn State could survive the departure of Saquon Barkley had already begun. The Nittany Lions lost another classic thriller to Ohio State and later dropped a game to Michigan State. For the rest of the season, Penn State would struggle to win games convincingly and was blown right out of Ann Arbor 42-7.

To top off the disappointing season, Penn State lost their bowl game against Kentucky, 27-24.

Dating back to 2017, Penn State has lacked the ability to close games, so James Franklin and company set out to find playmakers. Among those playmakers are a pair of four-star running backs, Devyn Ford (Stafford, VA) and Noah Cain (IMG Academy, FL). Ford is an explosive athlete capable of lining up in the slot and catching passes. Cain comes in as a north-south runner who breaks through tackles like tissue paper.

The major piece needed to be filled this year is the quarterback position, as Trace McSorley declared for the Draft this year. Penn State will likely start veteran backup Tommy Stevens in 2019, but also signed two four-star dual-threat quarterbacks Taquan Roberson (Wayne, NJ) and Michael Johnson Jr. (Eugene, OR). Unlikely to compete for the starting role barring injury to Stevens, both recruits will give the Nittany Lions stability moving forward.

The defensive side of the ball is the most notable with this class, though, as five-star linebacker Brandon Smith (Mineral, VA) signed his National Letter of Intent during the early signing period. Joining Smith in the front seven are four-stars Adisa Isaac (Brooklyn, NY), Lance Dixon (West Bloomfield, MI), D’Von Ellies (Owings Mills, MD), and Hakeem Beamon (Midlothian, VA).

Franklin has managed to bring in another solid class that ranks tenth nationally and second in the Big Ten, just behind Michigan. The Nittany Lions continue their tradition of having a strong defense and run game with this class.

The right amount of playmakers will keep Penn State relevant, and they might have just found them.

Grade: B+