Penn State Recruiting Mailbag: Which 2022 prospects will benefit from enrolling early?

The Penn State football coaching staff will return to State College tonight after two weeks on the road.

James Franklin and his remaining assistants, as well as recruiting coordinator Kenny Sanders, who replaced Brent Pry, have been crisscrossing the country checking up on the nation’s top recruits in every class. From South Florida to Southern California, to as far north as Wisconsin and as south as Texas, they’ve literally been just about everywhere.

But will it result in additional recruits? We’ll discuss that, early enrollees and the PIAA state championship games in Hershey this weekend.

Penn State fans, subscribe to On3 today for just $1 for a yearly subscription to BWI

Who is the next Penn State commitment in all likelihood – Moore or Wesolak or Barham or none? @TDsTakeComenter

Penn State hasn’t been pursuing DJ Wesolak for months now. They took a look at him early in the season, and were even considering an official visit at one point, but as they watched more film, plus Wesolak wanting to play linebacker instead of defensive end, they decided to focus elsewhere.

St. Frances prospects Jaishawn Barham and Derrick Moore are both players that Penn State has interest in, but as I noted in last week’s mailbag, I don’t think they’ll be signing with the Nittany Lions. There’s a lot of talk that Barham is leaning towards South Carolina, and he’ll announce a commitment at 3 p.m. tomorrow.

Moore always felt like a long shot. He’s wrapping up an official visit to Ole Miss and will then travel to Michigan for one final official before the dead period starts. USC is also in the mix, as the former OU commit is still talking with Lincoln Riley.

So, as of Dec. 10, I really don’t see any of these guys ending up in State College. I will say that we know Penn State is pursuing Notre Dame offensive line commit Ty Chan. Phil Trautwein watched him play basketball Wednesday night, and there’s talk that he may not sign his letter of intent with the Irish next week.

He’s probably the one to watch the closest, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing him sign with Penn State or anything like that next week. It’s more so to see if he holds off on signing, and rather waits until February. If he does, Penn State will be in the mix, but there are a lot of other schools interested, too.

Of the Penn State early enrollees, who is benefiting the most not named Allar or Pribula by doing so? My pick is Nelson with him being a JUCO and in that O-line room. – Poncho570

JB Nelson is definitely a good pick. Penn State is really happy with his progression this season. I know our scouts agree that he’s looked good this year, too. On3 is still sorting out junior college rankings as the site continues to grow, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he earns a four-star rating from On3, too.

We’ve seen in the past that the Lackawanna offensive linemen need a little time to progress in the weight room, so those extra months should be very beneficial. Nelson will be a guard for the Nittany Lions.

I think running back Nick Singleton is already physically developed enough to contribute early, but going through spring practice should really help him become comfortable with what’s expected at this level. I have no doubts that he’ll put in the work in every aspect.

One other player I’ll note is wide receiver Kaden Saunders. We’ve seen Penn State give freshmen a chance in the past at this position. He’s one of the more explosive wideouts they’ve added in recent years, and the depth at that position remains questionable. Penn State is pursuing wide receivers in the transfer portal, too, so they clearly feel as if they need some players to come in and contribute immediately. Saunders needs to add some muscle to his frame, which he will this spring. Everything else I’ve seen from him suggests that he can absolutely make an impact early.

Are there any players you’re looking forward to seeing play this weekend in Hershey? – @RyanCFurness

It’s a pretty deep group of Penn State prospects playing in Hershey this year.

The 5A game Friday evening has five Imhotep players who hold a scholarship offer from the Nittany Lions. I did see Imhotep play DeMatha earlier this year, but a few players like cornerback Ken Woseley did not play in that game, so I’m looking forward to seeing him. Woseley is up over a dozen offers now, including Penn State. We’re going to be talking about him a lot in the years ahead. Of course, Penn State commit Keon Wylie also plays for Tep, so getting another opportunity to watch him is pretty high on the list. 2024 DL Jahsear Whittington and 2023 safety Rahmir Stewart are also important prospects for Penn State moving forward.

For the 6A game, I actually haven’t seen St. Joseph’s Prep in person this year. Schedules just never aligned right, but that squad has five Penn State offerees. Most fans know linebacker Josiah Trotter and edge rusher James Heard Jr. by now, but there are also three very good up-and-coming sophomores in wide receiver David Washington, cornerback Omillo Agard and defensive tackle Richard James.

I also haven’t seen offensive lineman Jven Williams play in person yet. He and his Wyomissing teammates will play Saturday afternoon. Williams’ stock has really taken off this season, as he’s now a top 100 prospect in the On3 Consensus and top 50 by On3’s scouts. Is he a guard? Is he a tackle? At 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, he’s kind of a tweener, so getting a better feel for his long-term potential is pretty high on the list, too.

In your experience talking to recruits, what’s the MOST important thing to the “majority” of recruits? Is it on field success of the team, ability to develop into NFL talent, coaching relationship, “facilities” lol? What is number 1? – @dgreder22

Winning. Without a doubt.

Obviously, this isn’t a black and white topic. If you asked all 25 of Penn State’s commits, you’ll get a handful of different answers, but if you produce on the field, you have a built in edge on most schools from the start. That’s key.

You got to start off strong in recruiting or you’ll never get a chance with the top prospects. That’s why you see so many “offers” go out to underclassmen. Winning helps give you that opportunity.

From there, how well the coaches connect with a player and his family will oftentimes be the difference, but if you’re consistently finishing below .500, it’s very hard to get a foot in the door. There’s a reason why Alabama and Ohio State have been as consistent as they have over the past decade.

Their success gives the an opportunity to, at very least, have a handful of conversations with the very best prospects across the country. Not all of them will be interested two months in. On the flip side, there are also players who had no interest in Ohio State growing up, but just because they win, their staff can start building a relationship and that opens the door for everything.

Penn State right now can’t just pick up the phone and get any recruit they want to show interest back. Consistently winning championships would change all that.