Penn State Football: 3 thoughts on Nittany Lions incredible 2022 class

James Franklin and Penn State football are putting together an incredible 2022 recruiting class and here’s a breakdown with more good news on the way. 

Penn State football isn’t going to have the top-ranked recruiting class in 2022 when it’s all said and done. However, with all things considered, James Franklin’s class could wind up being the most impressive of any this cycle.

And that’s not just in the Big Ten, that’s on a national scale. That’s how well Penn State football is recruiting right now and following the commitment of yet another four-star recruit on Thursday, the Nittany Lions have 22 commitments and a whopping 13 four-star prospects (via 247 composite), as well as 13 ranked in ESPN’s top 300. It’s also No. 2 in the team rankings.

Now, that’s not to say Penn State’s class is going to be better than Ohio State, which currently holds the No.1 ranking. The Buckeyes have tons of elite commitments and a five-star quarterback. But at the same time, they always do, so is it really a surprise?

Frankly, anything other than being ranked first in the Big Ten would be a disappointment for Ohio State. Penn State, on the other hand, is fresh off the most difficult cycle of Franklin’s tenure (outside the first year) on the trail.

The Nittany Lions ranked 21st a year ago and signed just five four-star prospects in a class of 16. That’s only 31 percent on the blue-chip ratio (percentage of recruits that are four or five stars). Right now, Penn State is at 61 percent in 2022 and what’s even more impressive is that 16 of the 22 commits are ranked in the top 500.

And starting with a look at the newest commitment, as well as a look at who else could join the class really soon, here are some extended thoughts on the Nittany Lions and 2022 recruiting.