2021 COMMITS RECEIVE RANKINGS BOOST

Earlier this fall, wide receiver commit Liam Clifford was bumped to four-star status by 247Sports. Now, three more Nittany Lion commits have joined him in receiving a bump to four-star status due to their play as high school seniors. These three players are cornerback Kalen King, tight end Khalil Dinkins and offensive lineman Nate Bruce. Linebacker Jamari Buddin, who was already a four-star prospect, also receieved a small ratings boost.

In addition to these three earning a fourth star, wide receiever commit Lonnie White earned a huge boost. White is now inside the top-100 according to 247Sports, checking in as the 71st player nationally. This gives the Nittany Lions a pair of top-100 commits with White and offensive lineman Landon Tengwall.

There is no denying that the 2021 recruiting cycle has not gone as well as James Franklin and his staff hoped for. That said, things are not as ugly as some fans, myself included, have painted them as.

Putting Sander Sahaydak aside as kicker ratings are not equal, seven of Penn State’s 13 commitments now carry a four-star rankings according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, still giving them a 50+ percent Blue Chip Ratio for this class.

Penn State’s class now ranks 23rd nationally according to both 247Sports and the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Their average player rating of 0.8884 is the 17th best in the country. Again, not where Penn State wants to be, and not where their previous three recruiting classes have been, but certainly not a complete disaster, either.

It does, however, make it vital that CJF and company put together another top tier, bordering on elite class for 2022. Thankfully, all the early signs point to that being the case. Fingers crossed

NEW 2021 WIDE RECEIEVER OFFER

As the Nittany Lion coaching staff continues to look to add another wide receiver to their 2021 recruiting class new offers continue to go out. The latest 2021 wide receiver offer was extended to Harrison Wallace.

Wallace attends Pike Road High School in Pike Road, Alabama. The 6-foot-1, 180 pound Wallace brings good size to the table and can go get the ball. Recently minted a four-star prospect by 247Sports, Wallace is currently committed to Duke. Wallace’s name is one for Nittany Lion fans to monitor between now and next month’s early signing period.

2021 TARGETS BACK ON THE MARKET

A pair of recently offered players in the 2021 cycle are back on the market after de-committing from the schools they were committed to. These two players are offensive tackle Austin Uke, who was committed to Holy Cross, and running back Deshun Murrell who was committed to UCLA.

Both Uke and Murrell are ranked as four-star players by 247Sports. As we covered in last week’s B&H, Uke is a player whose recruitment has recently started to blow up. This is further justified by his new four-star ranking. Penn State wants to add another offensive tackle in this class, and Uke appears to be interested in the Nittany Lions.

As for Murrell, his huge senior season led to his bump to four-star status. Penn State does not have a running back in their 2021 class, but are looking to add one. Murrell appears to be the top target at this point and has done a virtual visit with the staff. Now that he has officially de-committed from UCLA, the Nittany Lions might be the new leaders for Murrell.