Penn State continues to rise in On3 Team Rankings following Quinton Martin's commitment
If there was any doubt that Penn State was picking up momentum on the recruiting trail, that can now be laid to rest. Following a commitment from three-star tight end Luke Reynolds on March 25, head coach James Franklin and his staff have now added two of their top 10 prospects in the Class of 2024.
Florida cornerback Jon Mitchell, who ranks No. 61 nationally in the On300, was the first to make a move last Saturday. Now, the Nittany Lions have added their second-straight Top 100 prospect just six days later in running back Quinton Martin.
The addition of Martin gives Penn State seven commitments now in the Class of 2024. Four of those players hold a four-star rating in the On3 Industry Rating, which is a major reason why the class has jumped substantially in recent weeks, going from No. 19 nationally just two weeks ago to No. 12 now following Martin’s commitment.
Ranked No. 99 nationally according to On3, Martin ranks in the top 100 nationally by all four major sites. Because of that, the On3 Industry Rating rates him substantially higher at No. 41 nationally. On3’s Charles Power discussed Martin’s rating recently with BWI. He made it clear that positional flexibility is one of the key reasons why he doesn’t rate higher. As he continues to progress, that’ll likely change.
Related: Penn State picks up another Top 100 commitment from Quinton Martin
“Quinton Martin is a phenomenal high school football player,” Power said. “He was ranked high early just based on how good of a player he is when you put the ball in his hands. The question we have moving forward is just what position does he project and what’s his ceiling there? Right now, we view him as a safety or linebacker body type playing running back. He’s a little taller, doesn’t have that conventional running back build. So, it’s going to be very interesting to see where he ends up playing in college. I think that’ll play a big role in where he shakes out in the end.
“If you’re comparing him to all the other athletes, there’s more ambiguity projecting him at a position than just about anyone. Most of the other athletes are a bit more defined. So, that’s the main thing there. Once we get a better feel for where he’s truly going to play, it’ll help us figure out where he shakes out. There’s no doubt that he’s a special athlete.”
This past fall, Belle Vernon head coach Matt Humbert discussed Martin’s strengths. In an interview last October, he said that Penn State’s newest commit could play offense or defense.
“His instincts and vision, without a doubt,” Humbert said, when asked what separated Martin from other players. “In some of the inside and outside runs that we have, I mean, he just has such good vision. If you really look last year, about midway through, some of the different ways that he was able to manipulate his body in a tight window is pretty impressive. The speed and all that stuff, that’s self-explanatory, but I think the way that he kind of operates in close proximity is something that’s very impressive.”
Penn State hosted eight four-star prospects on campus Friday. They’re expected to host another deep list of recruits to finish off the spring next weekend for the Blue-White Game.
