Penn State picks up quarterback commitment from Ohio native Ethan Grunkemeyer
Penn State has picked up another key addition to its Class of 2024 with quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer wrapping up his recruitment Saturday. Listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Grunkemeyer earned an offer from offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on April 20. He then visited with the coaching staff last Friday before returning for a second visit this weekend.
“I think Coach Yurcich does a really good job with his quarterbacks,” Grunkemeyer said recently in an interview with On3’s Chad Simmons. “I think I can go there and get really developed as a quarterback, on and off the field with film, as well as cleaning up technique and everything.”
A native of Lewis Center, Ohio, Grunkemeyer was no stranger to State College leading into last weekend’s visit. After camping with the staff in July 2021, the Olentangy High School prospect came back twice in 2022, attending a spring practice in April, then camping again last summer.
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However, before he came to Penn State as a recruit, Grunkemeyer and his family traveled to State College in 2016 to see a game many fans will never forget.
“Obviously, as a kid growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I grew up watching the Big Ten a ton. Of course, I’ve seen the White Out a ton,” he said. “I’ve actually been to a White Out game. I actually came the year that Penn State beat Ohio State on that blocked kick. That was a crazy experience and one that I’ll never forget.”
Grunkemeyer currently holds an 89 overall rating by On3, making him a high three-star prospect. He’s the 23rd-ranked quarterback nationally and No. 13 in the state of Ohio.
He totaled 23 scholarship offers overall, with both Boston College and Virginia extending an offer since Penn State. Cincinnati, Michigan State, Minnesota and Virginia all hosted Grunkemeyer for visits earlier this year. He had been steadily speaking with Clemson about a potential visit and offer in the coming weeks but decided Saturday to wrap up his recruitment.
“I think I really fit in with their culture and their personalities,” Grunkemeyer said. “They have a lot of good quarterback minds in their room. Coach [Danny] O’Brien and Coach Yurcich both played the position and are really good coaches. I feel like I really fit in and can learn a lot from them.”
