National Signing Day 2016: Penn State football recruiting class

The Penn State Nittany Lions welcome a new crop of talented players to campus, announcing the 2016 Penn State football recruiting class on National Signing Day.

Penn State head coach James Franklin has a reputation as a top-flight recruiter, and the most recent crop of signees certainly lives up to that reputation. With five-star running back Miles Sanders and eight four-star prospects among the 19 players headed to State College, the 2016 Penn State recruiting class ranks No. 14 in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports.

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Sanders – the No. 1 running back recruit in the country and the top-rated player from Pennsylvania – is the obvious headliner. And, while 5-foot-11, 199-pound Pittsburgh native is likely to compete for carries as a freshman, he’s not the only player expected to have an early impact.

Among the most highly decorated players in this year’s class are early enrollee center Connor McGovern, Michael Menet, who comes in as the top-rated guard prospect in the country, and 6-foot-4, 221-pound wide receiver Shane Simmons, who ranked No. 4 among all receivers and is a top 50 national recruit.

Joining McGovern on campus this spring are three-star quarterback Jake Zembiec, 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end Danny Dalton, and 6-foot-7, 275-pound offensive lineman Alex Gellerstedt.

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Overall, six of Penn State’s signees hail from the Keystone State, including four of the top 10 in-state prospects. Interestingly enough, the Nittany Lions also netted the No. 1 recruit from three other states: New York (Zembiec), Massachusetts (Dalton), and Maryland (Simmons).

Complete 2016 Penn State Football Recruiting Class:

Note: All rankings mentioned come from 247Sports unless otherwise noted.