VISITORS TO CAMPUS

While there is currently a recruiting dead period due to the coronaviurs pandemic, recruits can still visit college campuses. They just can not interact with coaching staffs. This is something we have seen on Penn State’s campus during the now five month long recruiting shutdown.

In the past week, two top offensive line targets took one of these visits to campus. We will start the 2021 offensive lineman that visited - Nolan Rucci.

As many of you know, Rucci is a five-star in-state legacy recruit. The son of former Nittany Lion and NFL offensive lineman Todd Rucci, Nolan’s recruitment appears to be coming down to the Nittany Lions and Wisconsin, where his older brother Hayden plays.

This was Rucci’s first time on campus since before the shutdown started. While he could not interact with Nittany Lion coaches and still has not met new offensive line coach Phil Trautwein in person, getting him back on campus was big for the Nittany Lions.

Rucci is one of the most important recruits James Franklin has pursued during his tenure in Happy Valley. Rucci plays a premium position, is a five-star talent, an in-state recruit, and a legacy player. Combine all of that with some recent struggles with Pennsylvania’s best talent, and this is a recruitment Penn State MUST find a way to win.

Another in-state offensive line recruit was also on campus. This recruit was 2022 four-star offensive tackle Drew Shelton.

This was Shelton’s first visit to campus. While, like Rucci, Shelton could not meet with any coaches or players on the visit, getting him on campus and in State College is still a positive for Penn State. As 2022 recruiting unfolds, Shelton will likely be one of Penn State’s top offensive line targets.

NEW OFFERS

It seems like this is said nearly every cycle, but in 2022 defensive end will be an important position for Penn State on the recruiting trail. Over the weekend the Nittany Lion coaching staff extended an offer to Isaac Hamm, growing the defensive end board.

Hamm is a four-star prospect from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Since picking up the offer, Hamm has pinned his Tweet about the offer at the top of his Twitter page. So, it certainly appears that Hamm is interested in the Nittany Lions and is intrigued by the offer.

Penn State already has momentum in Wisconsin in the 2022 cycle with four-star tight end Jerry Cross already being in their class. Now it appears they will at least get a legitimate look from Hamm moving forward.

On Monday, Penn State extended an offer in the region prospect. This prospect is cornerback Avery Powell.

Powell attends St. Peters Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey. Penn State is one of 20 Power 5 offers Powell has picked up since May 1st. So, it is safe to say be is blowing up into being one of the top cornerbacks in the region for 2022.

ZOOM CALL WITH TOP 2022 TARGET

In the coronavirus recruiting era, Zoom calls are as important as anything. The Penn State staff knows this, and, last week, they had a Zoom call with four-star in-state talent Mehki Flowers.

Flowers is one of the best players in Pennsylvania in the 2022 cycle. Flowers attends Steelton-Highspire High School outside of Harrisburg, and is close friends with Penn State quarterback commit Beau Pribula and wide receiver lean Anthony Ivey. Additionally, both 247Spors crystal ball predictions that have been logged for Flowers are in favor of the Nittany Lions.

While Flowers is listed as a wide receiver by recruiting services, he could play safety at the collegiate level as well. To be honest, safety, in my opinion, is his best position at the collegiate level. Regardless of what position Flowers plays in college, all signs are that he will be great at it.