This week in recruiting is a collection of thoughts and things of interest from me as a recruiting expert that either didn’t rise to the level of being their own story, or for which I did not have time to make into a story this week.
The Week in recruiting: Penn State to host an epic visit weekend
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Penn State is set to host an epic recruiting weekend
It’s been a relatively quiet week on the college football trail in terms of elite prospects committing or decommitting. But this weekend could be a huge one for Penn State.
Ohio State is coming to town. The weather should be beautiful. It’s a night game with ESPN’s College Gameday in town, and a whiteout in the crowd. It’s one of the best atmospheres in college football.
And make no mistake, Ohio State and Penn State are major rivals on the recruiting trail as well as on the field. Both heavily recruit Pennsylvania, Ohio, the Mid-Atlantic, and Florida. Single-game results rarely sway recruits, but winning can’t hurt.
“We’ve got the game going on,” Franklin said. “We’re gonna have 10 official visitors and their families that need to be picked up at the airport and checked into the hotel, shown everything, academic tours — all that kind of stuff — and the game’s going on.
“On top of that, we’re probably gonna have about 175 recruits on campus unofficially,” he added. “I’d say of that 175, say 60 of them are national recruits with 20 offers or more. Probably all of the best players in the region are gonna be here.”
Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central receiver David Bell is scheduled to be in town. Bell is a 6’2 four-star with a good blend of length and frame. He can really go up and get the football. Bell is close to being a top-100 national prospect.
So is four-star safety Noa Pola-Gates, of Gilbert (Ariz.) Williams High School. Pola-Gates is considered an Alabama lean, but Penn State will take its best shot.
And defensive end Adisa Isaac, of Brooklyn (NY) Canarsie will also be taking his official visit. Isaac is the No. 1 prospect in New York, and a priority for the Nittany Lions.
Huntington (WV) five-star offensive tackle Darnell Wright is also expected. Wright is being recruited by most of the major programs in the nation, including Alabama and Ohio State. Happy Valley is only six hours from Huntington.
Penn State currently has the No. 14 recruiting class, but 14 of its 16 verbal commitments are rated four- or five-stars, which is a great ratio.
Quickly
- Trey Knox, a four-star receiver from Murfreesboro (TN) Blackman will commit on Monday. I expect it to be Arkansas over Tennessee.
- Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy went to Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei in one of the most talented high school contests ever. Mater Dei prevailed on a late score. IMG running back Trey Sanders had a huge game, but Mater Dei 2020 QB Bryce Young was better, leading a perfect final drive for the win.
- I’m not surprised to see QB Trevor Lawrence unseat Kelly Bryant as Clemson’s starting QB. Lawrence is one of the best recruits I have ever seen. He might even be the best QB in his conference as a true freshman.
- Texas picked up a major commitment in Plano (Texas) East Tyler Owens. The four-star is a perfect fit for defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s defense.
- My gambling picks are up for Week 5 of college football.
- Colorado line commit Valentin Senn, from Austria (yes, the country) is playing in the Under Armour All-America Game. That’s really cool.
*All rankings via the 247Sports Composite
