Penn State Football: Top 5 recruiting targets for 2019

Penn State football will look to carry this year’s momentum to another top five class in 2019 after signing their best class ever in 2018.

Penn State is coming off their best recruiting class ever. They finished fifth in the nation and the class was loaded with elite talent, including two players in the top ten overall. Now the Nittany Lions will look to use the momentum from this class in building their 2019 class.

There is no doubt of James Franklin‘s recruiting prowess. Since arriving in 2014, he has delivered three classes in the top 20 per 247 Sports. While only part of the equation, getting blue chip recruits is a must for building championship programs. If Franklin is to win another Big Ten championship and possibly lead the Lions to their first College Football Playoff appearance, he must keep recruiting at a high level. Not only must he keep up with the gold standard in the Big Ten at Ohio State, he must also be on par with other big programs such as Alabama, Georgia and Clemson.

So far in the 2019 process, Franklin only has two commits, both three-star recruits. One is dual-threat quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson out of New Jersey and the other is local State College cornerback Keaton Ellis. There is plenty of time between now and the early signing period in December this year to gain commitments.

Coaches never get a break when it comes to recruiting, so we will take an early look at Penn State’s top targets in 2019. Even with it being early, take note that not one of the players currently at the top of Penn State’s recruiting board is from Pennsylvania. Franklin is really hitting all the recruiting hot beds and taking it to a national level.