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With the dead period in full swing, there really isn’t much in the way of recruiting news these days which means it’s a perfectly good time to take a look ahead to what’s on the horizon for Penn State.
JULY 23: SALEEM WORMLEY’S DECISION
The Nittany Lions will find out the decision of Saleem Wormley next Monday as the four-star offensive guard will be choosing between Penn State, Rutgers, and Notre Dame. If the 247Sports Crystal Ball is to be believed, it seems highly likely that James Franklin will be sending out a #WeAre...Better in the near future.
If Wormley does end up picking Penn State, he’d join Caedan Wallace on the offensive line class, giving the Nittany Lions two of the top 15 guards in the country, and just adding to the semi-ridiculous run they’ve had on the interior the last few years. Following up Michal Menet, Connor McGovern, CJ Thorpe, Mike Miranda, and Juice Scruggs with a Top 100 kid in Wallace and a fellow four-star in Wormley is ~elite~ recruiting.
With Wallace and Wormley locked in, Penn State could move the bulk of its attention to offensive tackle, with a host of guys — Jakai Moore, Anthony Whigan (JUCO), Walter Rouse, and Zach Franks — still as realistic options. Obviously, Moore is at the top of the list, but Whigan continues to be intriguing as a JUCO who could push for playing time in 2019 or 2020.
JULY 28: LASCH BASH 2K18
Usually in the middle of July, this year’s Lasch Bash got pushed back because of the new dead period. But fear not, as it will still be a principal event. While I don’t think we’ll see quite the fireworks we did last year — three commitments came that Saturday and Sunday — the potential for another crazy weekend is always there.
AUGUST 1: MICHAEL JOHNSON JR’S DECISION
Oregon four-star QB Michael Johnson Jr. will be announcing in just over two weeks on August 1, and like Wormley, this one is trending heavily in Penn State’s favor. Miami, Florida State, NC State, and Oregon State will be the other finalists, but unless there is a drastic change of heart, expect another #WeAre...Better tweet from Coach Franklin on the first day of August.
I’ll have more thoughts on the two-quarterback class at a later date, but one would imagine that the Nittany Lions were clear with Ta’Quan Roberson from the get-go about the likelihood that he wouldn’t be the only quarterback in the class. I mean, after all, Penn State pushed hard for Garrett Shrader and Taisun Phommachanh, so this isn’t a new development for Roberson. Still, should Johnson Jr. choose Penn State, there has to be an odd dynamic between the two.