1/8/2024 football Edit

Penn State set to welcome early enrollees on Monday

Dylan Callaghan-Croley • Happy Valley Insider

Editor

Penn State on Monday will officially welcome 16 early enrollees from their 2024 recruiting class to the program. Leaving just nine members of the class set to enroll in the summer.

NOT A RIVALS SUBSCRIBER? JOIN TODAY AND GET 30 DAYS FREE! | TRANSFER PORTAL THREAD | THE LIONS DEN

Of the 16 early enrollees, seven will be members of Penn State's offense while nine will be future Nittany Lion defenders. The full list of early enrollees are DL Liam Andrews, DB Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, OL Eagan Boyer, WR Josiah Brown, DL De'Andre Cook, OL Cooper Cousins, DL T.A. Cunningham, DE Xavier Gilliam, QB Ethan Grunkemeyer, DE Jaylen Harvey, LB Kari Jackson, RB Quinton Martin Jr., DB Jon Mitchell, TE Luke Reynolds, OL Garrett Sexton, and S Vaboue Toure.

You can find full player profiles and Excerpts from our Early Signing Period Central

The Process: Andrews recruitment was the rare occasion where a player taking a bunch of visits after seemingly trending away from their early leaders actually helped that school. In the summer of 2022, Penn State appeared to be the leader for Andrews. Then, that fall and into the winter he visited a bunch of schools other than Penn State. Well, those visits seemed to remind Andrews and his camp why they were so high on the Nittany Lions. He took an April unofficial visit to Penn State, the Nittany Lions received one of his four June official visits, and then Andrews committed to the Nittany Lions in July.

His recruitment also saw a position change. Andrews began his recruitment as an offensive lineman, then following his junior year he started to have a desire to play defensive tackle at the collegiate level. This also impacted his recruitment, leading to the work of Deion Barnes playing a large role in Andrews choosing the Nittany Lions.

What Penn State is getting in Andrews: Andrews has all the tools needed to be a very good defensive tackle at the Power 5 level. He is a high-motor player who plays very physically and violent on the defensive line. He bends well, is very explosive, sheds blocks well, and finds the ball carrier well. There is still a lot of untapped potential on the defensive line for Andrews, as well as some sky-high potential. Some of his techniques will need to be defined more in college, but good coaching can do that and Andres is a hard-working, very coachable player. Andrews could be a player who makes an impact early in their Penn State career while developing into a multi-year starter and one of the best defensive tackles in the Big Ten.

The Process: Penn State had its eye on Belgrave-Shorter for quite a bit before offering him in January of last year but once the offer came from the Nittany Lions, things moved quickly. The Jacksonville native would make a visit in early April and committed to the Nittany Lions just over a week later.

What Penn State is getting in Belgrave-Shorter: In my opinion, there may not be a more underrated player in this class. Belgrave-Shorter should arrive in Happy Valley ready to compete for playing time. As we discussed with his teammate Jon Mitchell, the cornerback room will have playing time available and Belgrave-Shorter could also compete as a key cog on special teams. Regardless of how 2024 shakes out, Belgrave-Shorter should develop into a multi-year starter for Penn State.

The Process: Throughout the winter and into the spring Eagan Boyer's recruitment started to gain steam. This included a visit to Penn State on April 1st. This visit would prove to be vital, as he would turn around and commit to Penn State a little over three weeks later on April 25th. Like Sexton, Boyer would then spend his summer camping for the Penn State staff working with Trautwein. Both offensive tackles already being that committed to working with their future offensive line coach to improve is a very good sign for their future.

What Penn State is getting in Boyer: Boyer and Sexton could very easily prove to be the best offensive tackle duo Franklin has signed in a class at Penn State. Like Sexton, Boyer is a project but the potential is sky high. That said, he is a bigger project with more questions than Sexton. Like Sexton, the size, length, etc. is all there for Boyer. It will all hinge on how he responds to the strength and conditioning program, as well as Phil Trautwein's coaching.

The Process: Brown is in a tough position in which he suffered a significant knee injury this season and therefore dropped quite a bit. That being said, the offer sheet should tell all you need to know about the New York native. Penn State has been involved with Brown for quite a while offering him in March of 2022 and they remained a consistent presence from that point on. Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Florida Tate, Florida, and Alabama would all offer as well. He took official visits to Rutgers, Georgia, and Penn State before committing to the Nittany Lions.

What Penn State is getting in Brown: An explosive wide receiver, Brown recently tore multiple ligaments in his knee which will keep him out of action through next season in all likelihood. But once the New York native returns, the Nittany Lions could be getting a special talent in Brown. The three-star wide receiver has a compact frame and has the ability to add even more mass to his frame without likely sacrificing too much of his explosiveness or athleticism. He shows to be a quality route runner and can make the tough catches in traffic. However, with someone who possesses the athleticism and agility of Brown, when he has the ball in space is where he's most dangerous, allowing him to put his skillset to the best use.

The Process: Cook picked up an offer from the Nittany Lions in April while on an unofficial visit. He would visit the Nittany Lions on an official visit in June and a few weeks later committed to the program over offers from Rutgers, North Carolina, Boston College, and others including Oklahoma and Alabama.

What Penn State is getting in Cook: Cook is explosive off the ball. He is relentless with a great motor and never gives up on a play. Cook uses his hands well and has a great first step when firing out his stance. While Cook's technique could use some work, he is a violent player and extremely physical on the field.

The Process: The longest-standing commitment in the 2024 recruiting class, Cousins has been the leader of this recruiting class for Penn State since he committed nearly two years ago. Cousins built strong relationships very early on in his recruitment with James Franklin and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein.

What Penn State is getting in Cousins: While listed as an offensive tackle, Cousins is likely going to start as a center for the Nittany Lions. The Erie native has elite size for a center at 6-foot-6 and 290-300 pounds and possesses elite strength to go along with that size. He's a road grader when it comes to his run blocking and he's also shown a super pass blocking skillet as well. Shows plus athleticism for his size as well which should allow him to do whatever Penn State asks him to do at center, most importantly for a center, he shows a high football IQ and is known to be a terrific student off the field as well being a natural leader. Cousins will have the opportunity to crack Penn State's offensive line rotation, if not be a starter, early on in his career. He'll enroll on campus in January.

The Process: No matter where Cunningham has lived over the last few years whether it was Southern California, Miami, or Georgia, Penn State has been in on the 6-foot-6 defensive tackle for quite some time and was a continuous presence in his recruitment. From early on in his recruitment, it was clear that Penn State was going to be a huge presence in his recruitment but there were questions if, at the time, the Nittany Lions were going to be able to land the then Southern California prospect. They then would have to replace John Scott with Deion Barnes, which could've had a significant impact. Credit to Deion Barnes, it did have a significant impact but a positive one. Ultimately following an official visit in June, Cunningham would choose Penn State over other finalists of Miami, Texas A&M, Michigan, and Oklahoma.

What Penn State is getting in Cunningham:

This is the big question. Quite frankly, Cunningham hasn't played a ton of football over the last few years for various reasons. That being said, there are few prospects in this recruiting cycle overall that probably possess the raw ceiling that Cunningham does. He has elite size, and the rest of his measurables are reportedly quite solid as well. But the lack of football being played has led to questions about where he is in his recruitment. If all goes well in his development, Cunningham has a chance to be a dominant playmaker in the middle for Penn State.

The Process: Gilliam began rising up the ranks last offseason, picking up a bunch of offers in January and February including from the Nittany Lions. He would take an official visit in early June and commit just two days later, ending his recruitment. North Carolina State, Duke, and Virginia Tech were Penn State's primary competitors in this recruitment.

What Penn State is getting in Gilliam: Gilliam has snaps at both edge and interior defensive line, however, his highest potential might be on the interior. s. He going to bring a lot of explosiveness to the table with tremendous upside. He has an explosive first step and has great short-area burst and quickness and closes on the quarterback when he’s in pursuit. He has a high motor and plays every snap with maximum effort. He'll be a strong fit into the Nittany Lions defensive tackle room at the next level if that's where he does play but he does have the potential to stay at defensive end as well. He will be an early enrollee for the Nittany Lions.

The Process: This time last year, Grunkemeyer was a virtual unknown. A year later, he's one of the top quarterbacks in the entire country and is someone that we believe could easily outplay his ranking when it's all said and done. in the spring as Penn State looked to find their quarterback, Grunkemeyer was a quarterback that was on their radar at the time for over a year but one they came back around on and took a long look at. They quickly then identified the Olentangy signal caller as their top target in the spring and quickly made a push to get him apart of their 2024 recruiting class, leading to him committing to the Nittany Lions in May.

What Penn State is getting in Grunkemeyer: Mike Yurcich may have had his shortcomings as an offensive coordinator but he surely could identify quarterback talent. While he may not have the size of Drew Allar, Grunkemeyer is a well-built quarterback prospect with a strong arm and has shown superb accuracy throughout his senior season. His decision-making and ability to read the field quickly is impressive for a young quarterback. The ball comes out of his arm with a zip and the scary part for opposing defenses is that the Ohio native may just be scratching the surface. Grunkemeyer prospects to a future multi-year state for Penn State especially if he continues his development. He completed 66.3% of his passes this season for 3,517 yards and 39 touchdowns while throwing nine interceptions.

The Process: This was a long, winding commitment that had many twists and turns. While Harvey didn't commit to Penn State until this past October, we had FutureCasted the four-star defensive end all the way back in October of last year when at the time it appeared the Nittany Lions were in a good spot to land his commitment. He would, however, take his time in his recruitment. He took official visits to Penn State, Florida, USC, and Maryland. During the summer months, it appeared that perhaps USC had taken the lead in his recruitment. Penn State, however, would continue to chip away in the recruitment including getting him on campus for the Nittany Lions' White Out win against Iowa. A few weeks later, Harvey would finally announce his commitment, choosing the Nittany Lions.

What Penn State is getting in Harvey: Harvey is a player who does not get talked about enough in this class. Maybe it's because he was on the radar for so long, that his recruitment was an exhausting one for fans in many ways, and a combination of the two. However, he probably should be discussed more. He has very good explosiveness, burst, and speed off the edge. He's coming in with pretty good size already as well. It would not be a shocker to see Harvey work his way into burning his redshirt next fall the way Jameial Lyons did this past season. Beyond that, Harvey should be a big contributor for the Nittany Lions as a feared pass rusher in the Big Ten for multiple seasons.

The Process: The West Bloomfield (MI) native committed to the Nittany Lions in February over Cincinnati, UCF, Missouri, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Stanford among other offers, totaling over 20 prior to his commitment.

What Penn State is getting in Jackson: The Nittany Lions are adding a highly instinctive linebacker to their linebacker room. Should mesh well with new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Tom Allen. Has shown the ability to be an asset in all facets of the game. May not be the most athletic linebacker in the room but his instincts should allow him to be a quality piece of the Nittany Lions' linebacker rotation in the future at the least.

The Process: Martin's recruitment probably felt like a longer process than it actually was. Due to being on the radar so early in his high school career, it felt like Martin had been around forever as a recruit. In all reality, he ended his recruitment relatively early by committing to Penn State on June 9th. This came after the Nittany Lions long appeared to be the favorites for the elite in-state product.

What Penn State is getting in Martin: Is Martin a running back? A wide receiver? A gadget do-it-all type in the mold of a Deebo Samuel? That is a bit up in the air right now. Martin will begin his Nittany Lions career as a running back but appears to be a player that could be used all over the field in Andy Kotelnicki's offense and find plenty of success in doing so. It would not be a surprise at all to see Martin on the field, even if it's just on special teams, next fall. Regardless of position, Martin has All-Big Ten potential at Penn State.

The Process: Early in the cycle Terry Smith identified Jon Mitchell as one of his top targets for the cycle. Following a visit to Penn State at the end of March, Mitchell quickly turned around and ended his recruitment with an April 1st commitment to the Nittany Lions. Mitchell took an official visit to Penn State in June, and that was it for visits. Despite a late push from Notre Dame, Mitchell's recruitment, especially by Florida crootin' standards, was very quiet. An all-around tremendous job by Smith, James Franklin, and the Penn State staff.

What Penn State is getting in Mitchell: Mitchell had a very strong senior season at Mandarin High School. He already looked like a player capable of playing early and his senior season only further solidified that. Penn State's cornerback room will be pretty wide open in the fall and Mitchell comes to campus pretty game ready. Between the bottom of the cornerback rotation and special teams, Mitchell could very possibly find his way onto the field next fall.

The Process: When Reynolds committed to the Nittany Lions it did raise some eyebrows. At the time, the Nittany Lions were one of just 12 Power 5 offers, and no other "big time" Power 5 schools had yet offered. Well, to the credit of the coaching staff, they saw the potential in Reynolds and took his commitment four days after they offered him during a March visit. After that, Reynolds was locked in with the Nittany Lions and spent the spring/summer dominating the camp circuit as he quickly ascended to being one of the top tight end recruits in the country.

What Penn State is getting in Reynolds: There are few players in this class with a ceiling as high as Reynolds. He has a big frame, plus athleticism, is a good route runner, and is an elite pass catcher. He has all of the tools needed to be the next great tight end to come out of Penn State. Reynolds may not see the field a ton next fall due to the current depth of the tight end room and his need to add some muscle to his frame, but he should make an impact early in college career while becoming one of the best tight ends in all of college football.

The Process: At the end of March, Sexton took a visit to Penn State. After taking a few other visits in April, the Wisconsin native was ready to end his recruitment. He ended it by committing to the Nittany Lions on April 24th. After this, he was nothing but solid to Penn State. Following his commitment, he officially visited Penn State in June and camped multiple times over the summer for the staff. He also returned for the White Out Game against Iowa in September.

What Penn State is getting in Sexton: Sexton is a bit of a project, but his ceiling is SKY high. If Sexton puts it all together, he could prove to be the best offensive tackle not named Olu Fashanu that Penn State has had at Penn State. He has the length, athleticism, and footwork needed to be a multi-year starter at left tackle and at a high level. Getting Sexton into Chuck Losey's strength and conditioning program will be the first vital step in him reaching his potential at Penn State.

The Process: Toure was a frequent visitor to Penn State over his recruitment but it wasn't an easy recruitment for the Nittany Lions to win. The New Jersey native was also considering Kentucky, Ohio State, and others in his recruitment before the Nittany Lions were able to earn his commitment in June.

What Penn State is getting in Toure: Highly-productive safety for Irvington who has shown the ability to be good in pass coverage but also play downhill against the run where he likes to be a big hitter. Described as the "definition of a hard nose football player" by his head coach Smoke Pierre. Should fit very well into Penn State's safety room and could provide some versatility as well.