Penn State Football: Nittany Lions Add 27 Prospects During Early Signing Day

Sign, sealed and delivered, Penn State officially added the services of 27 recruits during Early Signing Day, marking the initial completion of James Franklin’s seventh recruiting class in State College.

‘I think overall we were able to really sign a complete class,’ Franklin said on Wednesday. ‘We like to sign a player at each position every single year so you don’t get out of whack in terms of your scholarship numbers and your distribution by position as well as by year.

‘I think we did a good job of that. I think you guys all know I’ve been scarred in my past about O-line and D-line depth, and we’ve continued to make that a focus, and we’re in a pretty healthy spot right now after when we first got here and the situation we walked into. So I’m pleased with that.’

Overall Penn State’s latest haul includes 10 different positions with 15 players on the offensive side of the ball and 12 on the defensive side. The class spans 12 states, Washington D.C. and, for an international flavor, Ontario. The group is headlined by four-star outside linebacker Curtis Jacobs and tight end Theo Johnson.

In total the Nittany Lions will add 11 players rated at the four-star level according to the 247 Network ratings. And in a slight change from years past, a good number of the newest Nittany Lions will be on campus early, with a chance to develop even more than summer enrollees prior to Penn State’s 2020 season.

‘Probably the biggest difference in this class than years past is the spike of mid-semester graduates,’ Franklin added. ‘I think that will continue to be a trend across the country. In college football, we’ve typically been between 4 and 6 guys a year, and I think this year we have 11.

‘So that’s going to create some real good opportunities for us for spring ball. That will also create some really good opportunities for competition. I think that also obviously increases the chance of being able to come in and compete for a job. Those guys now will be learning and adjusting during the spring and having a chance to really compete during training camp. So excited about that.’

Wednesday’s group is ranked 13th in the nation by 247 Sports and  is the fourth-straight to finish in the Top 15 nationally, coming in as the third-best class in the Big Ten behind Ohio State (third) and Michigan (12th)

James Franklin and his staff can add to the class during the next few months prior to Feb. 5 and the traditional Signing Day, but how much space remains on the 85 man roster is something that won’t be known for a few more weeks.

‘We’re still waiting to hear on some NFL guys, what their plans are,’ Franklin said. ‘A lot of them have communicated, we probably have more guys coming back than maybe we anticipated before the year started, which is great, which is great. We’ve got guys that had NFL grades that could have left early, and they’re staying, and I think that’s a tremendous statement because they like what’s going on. They’re happy. And we have unfinished business.

‘On top of that, they’re going to be able to hopefully better their situation as well. So it’s really a win-win for everybody when handled the right way. But I do. I think it’s probably more challenging than it’s ever been, not just at Penn State, but anywhere, and being aggressive and trying to get to that 85. That’s where I said I think there’s going to be some rule changes and things like that.’

Penn State’s entire 2020 class is listed below.

• Norval Black WR | Germantown, Maryland | Northwest High School/Lackawanna College | 6-1, 170

• Micah Bowens QB | Las Vegas, Nevada | Bishop Gorman High School | 5-11, 190

• Cole Brevard DT | Carmel, Indiana | Carmel High School | 6-3, 305

• Ji’Ayir Brown S | Trenton, New Jersey | Trenton Central High School/Lackawanna College | 5-11, 205

• Jimmy Christ OL | Sterling, Virginia | Dominion High School | 6-7, 300

• Nick Dawkins OL | Allentown, Pennsylvania | Parkland High School | 6-4, 305

• Jaden Dottin WR | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Suffield Academy (Conn.) | 6-2, 170

• Tyler Elsdon LB | Frackville, Pennsylvania | North Schuylkill High School | 6-2, 230

• Olu Fashanu OL | Waldorf, Maryland | Gonzaga College High School | 6-6, 315

• Zuriah Fisher LB | Aliquippa, Pennsylvania | Aliquippa High School | 6-3, 255

• Caziah Holmes RB | Titusville, Florida | Cocoa High School | 5-11, 190

• Golden Israel-Achumba OL | Bowie, Maryland | DeMatha Catholic High School | 6-4, 325

• Coziah Izzard DE | Columbia, Maryland | DeMatha Catholic High School | 6-3, 285

• Curtis Jacobs LB | Glen Burnie, Maryland | McDonogh School | 6-1, 220

• Enzo Jennings S | Detroit, Michigan | Oak Park High School | 6-1, 185

• Joseph Johnson III CB | Richmond, Virginia | Life Christian Academy | 6-2, 170

• Theo Johnson TE | Windsor, Ontario | Holy Names Catholic High School | 6-6, 245

• KeAndre Lambert-Smith WR | Norfolk, Virginia | Maury High School | 6-1, 180

• Keyvone Lee RB | St. Petersburg, Florida | American Collegiate Academy | 6-0, 220

• Malick Meiga WR | Saint Jerome, Quebec | Cegep du Vieux | 6-4, 195

• Bryce Mostella DE | Kentwood, Mich. | East Kentwood High School | 6-6, 240

• Fatorma Mulbah DT | Harrisburg, Pa. | Susquehanna Township High School | 6-3, 275

• Brandon Taylor DE | Lima, Ohio | Lima Senior High School | 6-2, 275

• Ibrahim Traore OL | Bronx, New York | Frederick Douglass Academy VII | 6-5, 300

• Amin Vanover DE | Newark, New Jersey | St. Joseph’s Regional High School | 6-4, 270

• Tyler Warren TE | Mechanicsville, Virginia | Atlee High School | 6-6, 235

• Parker Washington WR | Sugar Land, Texas | William B. Travis High School | 5-10, 200