The recruiting lounge above Beaver Stadium and the section of seats behind the Penn State bench will both be full of recruits and their families this fall, and the Nittany Lions' coaching staff is excited about it.
Head coach James Franklin and his assistant will welcome high school football players to town for the first game since 2019 on Saturday when Ball State visits. A good group is expected, and that's not to mention the enormous crowd that will be on hand for the Whiteout game opposite Auburn in two weeks.
The coronavirus pandemic didn't just take away game day visits. It also zapped coaches of the chance to visit high schools and meet with people around recruits and their coaches while also watching workouts and games.
All of that is now back on the table, of course, and both sides of the equation couldn't be happier.
"We're planning to be super busy," corners coach and defensive recruiting coordinator Terry Smith said recently. "We haven't been on the road in over a year, so we want to take advantage of the opportunities this fall.
Penn State did not send anyone out prior to the Wisconsin matchup in Madison, but Friday travels aren't just reserved for home game weekends. Assistants will be out and about before select road games, too.
As it relates to what's going on before this Saturday's showdown with Ball State, Franklin is expected to take in some prep action, as will a couple of other members of his staff.
"We'll manage which weekends that we'll send out coaches out on the road," Smith continued. We're going to have one, two, three, or four coaches out on the road maximizing the amount of days that were allowed out on the road."
The in-person opportunities are invaluable not only from an evaluation standpoint but also an information-gathering one. Franklin has talked often about learning more about a recruit by chatting with guidance counselors, the school janitor, teachers, and other people at a school away from the football program there. It also offers the chance to keep connections strong at places that maybe don't have an FBS player this year but will in the future. Checking in with current commits is key, too.
Then, there is the game day part of it all. The day is already jampacked with final game plan tweaking and preparations for kickoff, but each member of the staff will also take time to chat with recruits on hand before and after each game.
That was a missing part of Penn State's pitch a year ago, and having it back in the toolbox will help the Nittany Lions keep the Class of 2022 together while possibly adding to it in addition to showcasing everything the program and school have to offer to underclassmen and their families.
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