Friday Mailbag: Defensive Backs, 2023 Prospects & More

Blue White Illustrated's Ryan Snyder has started a new Friday feature, opening up his Twitter notifications for fans to ask any recruiting question they'd like. Now, even those who don't subscribe to BWI will get the opportunity to ask questions. With official visits underway, there's plenty to discuss. Check out this week's answers below.

I think this will certainly help schools in recruiting, but at the end of the day, only those who actually do something in the playoffs will really see momentum pick up. It’s not just about making a run for one season. You have to do it twice in three or four years, maybe three times in six years, to really grab the attention of those top prospects, because you know the same six schools who are constantly in the mix currently are still going to be in the mix most years. If you don’t think Alabama, Clemson and a few others will still be playing in the semifinals in five/six years from now, I think you’re going to be disappointed. What this format does allow is for schools in that next tier to at least make a run at crashing the party, and it will happen from time to time. The school that pulls an upset in the quarterfinals, then does it again a year or two later will be the real winner in all of this. Recruits talk about relationships and facilities and all that stuff all the time, but you know what really sells? Winning.

Obviously, visits this summer and into the season are going to have a huge say in how this all plays out, but there are already a few players who I expect the Nittany Lions to be a serious player with, especially along the offensive line. Chase Bisontis, Alex Birchmeier and Antonio Tripp Jr. are three players I could realistically see ending up here. Bisontis will be here on Sunday and the other two were on campus last weekend. Ohio native Luke Montgomery has also spoken really highly of Penn State in the past, although his offer list has blown up over the past six months. Cornerback Shawn Battle from Philadelphia was just on campus last week and I know he’s really high on Penn State. Another cornerback to watch is Lamont Payne from Western Pa. He has a ways to go, but Terry Smith should have a big say in his recruitment. At linebacker, Semaj Bridgeman is showing signs that Penn State will be one of his top schools. He came up last weekend and is expected back again this upcoming week. Pittsburgh native Ta’Mere Robinson should be another player that has the Lions in the mix throughout. I could also see Penn State’s pipeline at McDonogh still going strong with defensive lineman Mason Robinson, in addition to Tripp.

For those of you who don’t follow recruiting regularly, let me start by saying that numbers shift all the time. When we give a projection for a class in March, only about half of those numbers hold true come December, especially with the transfer portal nowadays. Even though it’s June now, the lack of visits still makes this a tricky game. At the moment, I think we could see as many as five additional defensive backs in this class. I say additional because Lackawanna safety Tyrece Mills has already committed. I would lean towards more cornerbacks than safeties, so maybe three corners and two safeties? If they hit on a bunch of corners that they like, maybe four corners and just one more safety? Jaeden Gould could potentially play either position, and you can say that about a few other corners, too. That's the other thing that makes defensive back tricky. These guys are versatile. In the end, it’ll really depend on who commits and when. Every commitment impacts the next one, so even Penn State’s staff couldn’t give you a true answer currently on how they expect it to shake out.

17-year-old Ryan would probably not agree with how I’m going to answer this, but I’m now a 33-year-old dad, so I’ll take the mature route and answer this professionally. Relationships are absolutely key. We talk about that angle more than any other and with good reason. Some coaches are just better at relating with players than others, and those are often the guys you see recognized every February for being the top recruiters. With that said, winning trumps everything else. When we interview players and ask for those key reasons they committed, you rarely hear a player say they’re coming to Penn State, or wherever, because it’s the top program that offered, but truthfully, there are plenty of examples of that being the case. If I was a Div. I prospect (just typing that makes me laugh) I’d say relationships and a winning program. No one wants to lose. Just win baby!

For the most part, I’d say it’s relatively equal, but I do think you can find specific examples where you can argue it’s not, none more than Penn State’s situation at offensive coordinator. Penn State has always been able to land very good quarterback prospects, but to land those handful of elite players, you have to either be a perennial power that’s winning conference championships regularly or have an offense that’s proven to get guys into the NFL. That's pretty much what it comes down to. The constant turnover at that position has not helped Penn State when it comes to landing those four or five quarterbacks we see every year that stand out from the rest. Mike Yurcich relates well with players, so I do think he’ll be an asset on the recruiting trail, but ultimately, I think results will have the biggest say. Let’s start with stability and go from there.

*******

• Talk about this article inside The Lions Den

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue-White Illustrated

• Follow us on Twitter: @BWIonRivals, @NateBauerBWI, @RivalsSnyder, @DavidEckert98

• Follow us on Instagram

• Like us on Facebook