Penn State Football: An Audit of James Franklin’s Recruiting Prowess

On Feb. 2, 2022, Penn State coach James Franklin will turn 50 years old.

That day is also second of two National Letter of Intent signing days for the Penn State class of 2022. (The first, and far more important, when high school seniors will officially sign with a school, is Dec. 15, 2021.)

It is also Groundhog Day.

By then, CJF and the Nittany Lions will have the 2021 season — on and off the field — under their belts. If he can hold onto all his current verbal commitments, Franklin may have had his best recruiting season ever. 

Or, at the very least, it will be a Groundhog Day-like repeat of his Class of 2018, which featured two five-stars, 16 three-stars and an average per-recruit rating of 3.826 stars, according to Rivals.com. The Class of 2022 averages 3.792 stars.

Note: All the numbers and rankings that follow are also based on Rivals.com, home planet of Blue White Illustrated. The rosters below are based on which players officially committed to Penn State on signing day(s) and the Class of 2022 verbal commitments to-date.

As it stands now, Franklin’s Class of 2022 features 24 recruits who result in a current national ranking of No. 2. There is certainly going to be movement off of that ranking, as schools like Alabama, Georgia and Clemson land verbal commits – none of that trio has more than 14 high school recruits who have verbally committed, as of Aug. 1. 

Of course, here’s the rub: You not only have to get a player to verbal, you need them to sign. Then, you need them to stay. These days, with NIL, the transfer portal and a talented roster, which then engenders tougher competition for a starting job – you gotta keep ’em.

Take that 2018 class. Please.

Despite its No. 5 national ranking, that group has been a mixed bag on the field. Three uber-talented players have already gone to the NFL, in the first and second rounds: Micah Parsons, Odefe (Jayson) Oweh and Pat Freiermuth. While Parsons and Freiermuth shined brightly on the field — Combine freak Oweh had nary a sack in 2020 — as a trio they only had a combined total of 47 starts at Penn State. (Freiermuth 26, Parsons 13, Oweh 8.) Traditionally, a coach would expect to at least get double that.

(Or, maybe, such expectations are a thing of the past. Think Shane Conlan, the College Football HOFer who lettered for four seasons, and led PSU in tackles in 1984 and ’86. Conlan was an unheralded recruit, discovered by Tom Bradley on the high school basketball court, who stuck around to lead the most experienced Nittany Lion roster to a national title in 1986, after falling an orange short in ’85.)

Of that 2018 class, 11 remain at Penn State for what will be their fourth season of football. Seven others have transferred (30%) and two more never played a down, due to medical issues.

And therein lies the rub:

Franklin signed a total of 137 players from 2014 to 2019. Of that group, an eye-popping 33 went on the NFL in one form or another (24%) – which includes players in NFL camps now. However, even more players transferred, for one reason or another. Total transfers in that time numbered 48, which is 35%. Some left because a star like Saquon Barkey was ahead of then; others got their degree and opted to finish their college careers and eligibility elsewhere (Hello, Juwan; Hello, Tommy).

The jury is out on the Class of 2016 and beyond. But we know this: That NFL number will certainly rise. Of course, so will the transfer number.

So, using Franklin’s first four recruiting classes (2014-2017), since all eligibilities are used up and the results are in, the numbers stack up this way:

— 91 signees

— 30 went to the NFL

— 37 transferred

If you want to extrapolate that, as great as the Class of 2022 is shaping to be, it is way too early to foresee their fate – and that of the Nittany Lions under their time on the field. It is not hard to suggest of the 24 verbals now under the fold after a raucous July that saw 12 commitments, one-third will go to the NFL and one-third will transfer.

Speaking of The Big July, that is traditionally Franklin’s biggest month for securing verbals. That is no surprise, since it’s coming on the heels of PSU football camps, visits both official and unofficial, and the Lasch Bash. Here is a breakdown of rising high school seniors who verballed to CJF (and Bill O’Brien, in 2013) by Aug. 1 and went on to officially sign with PSU:

2022 — 24 (official signing pending)

2021 — 13

2020 — 20

2019 — 13

2018 — 16

2017 — 10

2016 — 14

2015 — 15

2014 (these were players who verballed to O’Brien) — 11

Here is a closer look at Franklin’s recruiting classes at Penn State to-date, according to Rivals.com and understanding that the 2022 group is not a finished product: players could be added and others could de-commit. But, with two dozen onboard and 135 days until the first signing day, it’s pretty solid.

RECRUITING RESULTS, 2014-2022

2014 – Class rank: #24th; 25 signees
Rivals Stars: Average 3.20 / 6 four-stars, 18 three-stars, 1 two-stars
NFL (12) — Troy Apke, Marcus Allen, Saeed Blacknall, Jason Cabinda, Christian Campbell, Mike Gesicki, Chris Godwin, Grant Haley, Trace McSorley, Amani Oruwariye, Nick Scott, De’Andre Thompkins
Transfer (7) — Mark Allen, Duquesne; Noah Beh, Delaware; Torrence Brown, Southern Mississippi; Michael O’Connor, Univ. of British Columbia; Troy Reeder, Delaware (NFL); Antoine White, Albany; Daquan Worley, Duquesne
Medical (2) — Brendan Brosnan, Chance Sorrell
Finished college football career at Penn State (4) — Tarow Barney, Koa Farmer, Johnathan Thomas, Chasz Wright

2015 – Class rank: #15th; 25 signees
Rivals Stars: Average 3.44 / 11 four-stars, 14 three-stars
Transfer (12) — Manny Bowen, Utah; Kamonte Carter, East Mississippi CC, Pitt, Duquesne; Irvin Charles, Indiana (PA), on ‘21 roster; Sterling Jenkins, Duquesne; Juwan Johnson, Oregon (NFL); Daiquan Kelly, transfer, UMass; Jarvis Miller, UMass (NFL); Ayron Monroe, Temple; John Petrishen, Pitt, on ’21 roster; Brandon Polk, James Madison; Andre Robinson, Delaware; Tommy Stevens, transfer to Mississippi State (NFL);
NFL (8) — Saquan Barkley, Ryan Bates, Nick Bowers, Kevin Givens, Steven Gonzalez, Shareef Miller, John Reid, Robert Windsor
Finished college football career at Penn State (3) — Jake Cooper, Paris Palmer, Garrett Taylor 
Medical (2) — Ryan Buchholz, Jonathan Holland

2016 – Class rank: #21; 20 signees
Rivals Stars: Average 3.20 / 6 four-stars, 13 three-stars, 1 two-stars
Transfer (11) — Alex Barbir, Liberty; Danny Dalton, Boston College; Dae’lun Darien, Delaware; Alex Gellerstadt, Virginia; Anthony Johnson, Cincinnati, Duquesne; Ellison Jordan, Bowie State; Daniel Joseph, N.C. State, on ’21 roster; Zech McPhearson, Texas Tech (NFL); Antonio Shelton, Florida, on ’21 roster; Shane Simmons, Marshall; Brenon Thrift, West Virginia
NFL (7) — Cam Brown, Will Fries, Blake Gillikin, Connor McGovern, Michal Menet, Miles Sanders, Shaka Toney
Medical (1) — Jake Zembiec
Finished college football career at Penn State (1) — Tyrell Chavis

2017 – Class rank: #12; 21 signees
Rivals Stars: Average 3.57 / 1 five-star; 10 four-stars, 10 three-stars
At Penn State (8) — Ellis Brooks, Tariq Castro-Fields, Sean Clifford, Fred Hansard, Des Holmes, Mike Miranda, Cam Sullivan-Brown, Jonathan Sutherland
Transfer (6) — Damion Barber, Auston Peay, on ’21 roster; Corey Bolds, Rutgers, not on ’21 roster; DJ Brown, Louisiana Tech, on ’21 roster; Brelin Faison-Walden, Charlotte, not on ’21 roster; Brailyn Franklin, Sam Houston, not on Spring ’21 roster; Mac Hippenhammer, Miami (Ohio)
NFL (3) — KJ Hamler, Yetur Gross-Matos, Lamont Wade
Medical (2) — Journey Brown, Donovan Johnson
Quit football (1) — Robert Martin, after ’17 season
Finished college career at Penn State (1) — CJ Thorpe

2018 – Class rank: #5th; 23 signees
Rivals Stars: Average 3.826 / 2 five-stars, 16 four-stars, 4 three-stars, 1 two-star
At Penn State (11) — Jahan Dotson, Bryce Effner, Daniel George, Aeneas Hawkins, Charlie Katshir, Jesse Luketa, PJ Mustipher, Jake Pinegar, Juice Scruggs, Nick Tarburton, Rasheed Walker
Transfer (7) — Judge Culpepper, Toledo, on ’21 roster; Trent Gordon, Arkansas, on ’21 roster; Isaiah Humphries, Cal, not on ’21 roster; Zach Kuntz, Old Dominion, on ’21 roster; Will Levis, Kentucky, on ’21 roster; Justin Shorter, Florida, in ’21 roster; Ricky Slade, Old Dominion, not on ’21 roster
NFL (3) — Pat Freiermuth, Jayson Oweh, Micah Parsons
Medical (2) — Nana Asiedu, Jordan Miner

2019 – Class rank: #11; 23 signees
Rivals Stars: Average 3.53 / 13 four-stars, 9 three-stars, 1 two-star
At Penn State (19) — Joseph Appiah Darkwa, Hakeem Beamon, Jaquan Brisker, Noah Cain, D’Von Ellies, Keaton Ellis, Devyn Ford, Daequan Hardy, Adisa Isaac, Joey Porter Jr., Ta’Quan Roberson, Tyler Rudolph, Brandon Smith, Brenton Strange, Smith Vilbert, Caedan Wallace, Anthony Whigan, Marquis Wilson, Sal Wormley
Transfer (4) — Lance Dixon, West Virginia, on ’21 roster; John Dunmore, Oregon State, on ’21 roster; Michael Johnson Jr., Florida Atlantic, on ’21 roster; TJ Jones, Alabama-Birmingham, on ’21 roster

2020 – Class rank: #15th; 27 signees
Stars: Average 3.48 / 13 four-stars, 14 three-stars
At Penn State (24) — Cole Brevad, Ji’Ayir Brown, Norval Black, Jimmy Christ, Nick Dawkins, Jaden Dottin, Tyler Elsdon, Olu Fashanu, Zuriah Fisher, Caziah Holmes, Golden Israel-Achuma, Coziah Izzard, Curtis Jacobs, Enzo Jennings, Theo Johnson, Keandre Lambert-Smith, Keyvone Lee, Malick Meiga, Bryce Mostella, Fatorma Mulbah, Ibrahim Traore, Parker Washington, Amin Vanover, Tyler Warren
Transfer (3) — Micah Bowens, Oklahoma; Joseph Johnson III, in portal since April ’21; Brandon Taylor, in portal in September ‘20 after dismissal from team

2021 – Class rank: #26, 17 signees
Stars: Average 3.24 / 7 four-stars, 9 three-stars, 1 zero-star
At Penn State (15) —  Jamari Buddin, Liam Clifford, Jeffrey Davis Jr., Khalil Dinkins, Kalen King, Kobe King, Rodney McGraw, Jaylen Reed, Sander Sahaydak, Landon Tengwell, Davon Towley, Jordan van den Berg, Christian Veilleux, Harrison Wallace, Zakee Wheatley
Quit football (1): Nate Bruce
Signed MLB contract (1) — Lonnie White Jr., Pittsburgh Pirates

2022 — Class rank: 2; 24 verbals
Stars: Average 3.792 / 1 five-star, 13 four-stars, 9 three-stars, 1 two-star
Verbally committed (24) — Drew Allar, Jordan Allen, Kaytron Allen, Kaleb Artis, Alex Bacchetta, Abdul Carter, Jerry Cross, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Cristian Driver, Zane Durant, Mehki Flowers, Anthony Ivey, Tyler Johnson, Maleek McNeil,  Camron Miller, Tyrece Mills, J.B. Nelson, Beau Pribula, Nicholas Singleton, Kaden Saunders, Drew Shelton, Ken Talley, KJ Winston, Keon Wylie