James Franklin bounced around the field level of Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday afternoon with the enthusiasm of a man who might have known what was coming later that day in the form of five-star defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton's commitment.
Coincidentally, two of the three players in Penn State's Big Ten Media Days contingent hailed from Maryland, the state where Dennis-Sutton plays his high school football at McDonogh.
Like any good journalist, Franklin immediately sought out the local angle. Joining a scrum of reporters hovering around Maryland products PJ Mustipher and Tariq Castro-Fields, Franklin had an important question:
"What has it meant coming from Maryland, attending Penn State — the trend that's been started and the guys following you?" he asked Mustipher.
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With a big grin on his face, Mustipher embarked on the kind of response one might normally see between a player and a reporter who have an excellent rapport.
"Well, number one, it means I'm doing the right thing because our coaches want to keep recruiting there," Mustipher said. "It's really been a privilege to be a part of something so much bigger than myself. I feel as though at Penn State it's not 1-2-3-4 — what makes this train go is everything because everybody's so special."
Twenty-one players on Penn State's roster came from high schools in Maryland, from wide receiver Cam Sullivan-Brown to offensive tackle Rasheed Walker.
But there's a more specific pipeline being constructed, too, that Mustipher also proved instrumental in sparking. Four Nittany Lions hail from McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland: Mustipher, linebacker Curtis Jacobs, defensive tackle D'Von Ellies, and offensive lineman Will Knutsson.
Mustipher hosted Dennis-Sutton on his official visit to Happy Valley this June, and, while NCAA regulations prevent Mustipher from speaking about Dennis-Sutton specifically, he was happy to passionately explain why Penn State is the right place for McDonogh prospects.
"I've hosted a couple of guys from McDonogh, so I definitely want them to come here man," he said. "I feel like it's a pipeline and one I've kind of started. I like to take credit for it. Rightfully so, right? But I definitely want to see a lot more McDonogh guys, I think it's really helped us as a team. We've got starters who are McDonogh guys who contribute and play at a high level, so why not continue?
"For McDonogh guys to keep coming here, I want them to because I want to experience what I've experienced these past couple years."
Asked if he was especially thrilled to be a McDonogh product on Thursday in particular, with Dennis-Sutton's announcement coming that evening, Mustipher chuckled — perhaps knowingly.
"I guess we'll see," he said.
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