It doesn’t take a recruiting expert to understand Penn State’s primary focus in the early stages of its 2016 recruiting class.
Of the 10 commits, four of them are offensive linemen. Watch any of Penn State’s 2014-15 season and it’s clear that the offensive front is a work in progress.
That means an increased demand for developing current players and recruiting good ones. Depth alone is an asset Penn State hasn’t had much of lately. Simply getting warm bodies on the roster at each position is a challenge in its own right.
That is what makes Penn State’s early success on the recruiting trail impressive so far this summer. It’s not just the ability to recruit well, but to recruit positions of need successfully. James Franklin and his staff haven’t won every battle, and they will lose some in the future, but for the most part it has been a staff going out and addressing its needs.
And it would be one thing if Penn State was just signing linemen. There are hundreds of them to go around. Simply picking up 15 offensive linemen doesn’t equal success, but picking up a handful of talented ones certainly helps the cause.
For example; according to Scout.com, class headliner and lineman Michal Menet is a five-star product and the top-rated recruit in the entire state of Pennsylvania.
Take a short drive to New Jersey and Will Fries is the second best offensive guard in the state and the fourth best in the eastern region. Alex Gellerstedt is the third best offensive tackle in Ohio and Connor McGovern is the best offensive guard in Pennsylvania and 12th best in the nation.
In turn Penn State has put together a recruiting class that isn’t overly flashy but has become extremely fruitful, focusing on the program’s needs. Couple that with six talented players who won’t be playing on the line and you have yet another nationally-recognized recruiting class in the making.
Even more importantly, Franklin seems capable of producing that kind of success at any position. Of the 10 committed players, eight of them are rated as the top prospect at their position in their respective states. None of the recruits are rated lower than the third best option in their state at that position.
If Penn State can continue to recruit that efficiently moving forward, the only obstacle in the way of creating a talent rich roster is time.
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