Penn State Football: 3 storylines to follow this fall

1. The hot recruiting trail

As of late James Franklin and his staff have been hot on the recruiting trail. The question now is can they keep it up?

Fourth of July weekend this year was full of fireworks and not just in the sky. The Nittany Lions picked up five recruits over the long holiday weekend and then followed it up with their best commitment yet of the 2022 class, top-100 running back Nicholas Singleton. Per 247 Sports, the Nittany Lions currently hold the third-best class in this year’s cycle. You will notice a certain team in Ohio has the top spot.

Looking at the list from 247 Sports, one would notice some big programs sitting outside the top 10, particularly Alabama and Clemson. The Crimson Tide are just outside at 11th but the Tigers are much further down, ranking 32nd. These two teams are sure to make their recruiting moves later in the summer and into the fall.

Penn State’s best recruiting class under Franklin was in 2018 where they finished sixth in the nation. That class included now Dallas Cowboy Micah Parsons.

Securing a top-five class would be a huge boon for Franklin and the Nittany Lions. They sit in a good position this summer with the 2022 early signing period about five months away in December. What Penn football State does this season on the field will go a long way in determining how their recruiting class finishes in the end.