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Penn State’s surge back onto the national stage figures to pay the biggest recruiting dividends down the road. But there’s still a few months left in the 2017 cycle and still a few scholarships left to give.
“It’s having an effect, I think, with visits and things like that,” coach James Franklin said of the Nittany Lions’ seven-game winning streak and No. 7 ranking. “Guys calling us and showing more interest and things like that. But I think where it will have its biggest impact is in ‘18. Because the ‘17 class is pretty much done. We’ve got a few spots left.”
As it is, two high-profile senior defensive linemen announced on Twitter that they will be heading to Happy Valley for official visits this weekend — Maryland’s Josh Kaindoh and New Jersey’s Fred Hansard.
Kaindoh is rated as a five-star recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings, checking in as the No. 26 overall prospect in the country and the No. 2 strong-side defensive end. The 6-foot-6 pass rusher verbally committed to Maryland in the spring but has since taken an official visit to Florida State before scheduling this trip to Penn State.
A Baltimore native, Kaindoh played his senior season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Hansard is a 6-3, 310-pound tackle from the Hun School in Princeton, N.J. He has a verbal commitment to Florida and is rated in the top 200 overall nationally and the No. 11 defensive tackle.
With only a handful of seniors on this year’s roster, Penn State has a limited number of scholarships that will open up in the offseason. As it is, the Lions have 14 players pledged to the class, led by Ohio quarterback Sean Clifford.
Penn State is also a finalist for the No. 2 prospect in Pennsylvania, Clairton defensive back Lamont Wade, who has set a date of Dec. 17 to announce his choice.
As Franklin said, the Lions are already off to a strong start for the 2018 class. They have commitments from four top-300 recruits, including Wyoming Valley West offensive lineman Chris Bleich and Harrisburg defensive end Micah Parsons, the No. 5 overall prospect in the country among juniors.
“Seventy-five percent of the recruiting process is done based off the junior or sophomore years,” Franklin said. “So (winning) will have an effect. How significant the effect is, I don’t know. I think it will show up more in years to come, especially in the ‘18 class.”
Moorhead recognized
Penn State has gotten immediate results from the hire of Joe Moorhead as offensive coordinator. The former Fordham head coach has helped boost the Lions’ offense by 12.6 points (23.2 to 35.8) and 68.2 yards per game (348.4 to 426.6) from last season.
This week, Moorhead was nominated for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach. He is one of 40 to be recognized out of roughly 1,500 assistants working for FBS programs.
Moorhead is one of six Big Ten assistants to be nominated along with Indiana’s Tom Allen, Nebraska’s Trent Bray, Michigan’s Don Brown, Ohio State’s Kerry Coombs and Wisconsin’s Justin Wilcox.
Palmer’s goodbye
Paris Palmer’s Penn State career ended early because of a knee injury suffered two weeks ago at Indiana.
On Thanksgiving, the senior tackle reflected on his two years with the Lions after transferring from Lackawanna College.
“I am thankful today for being a part of this team, school and organization,” Palmer wrote on Twitter. “I have always felt part of something bigger than myself here.”
The North Carolina native will be honored during senior day ceremonies before Saturday’s game against Michigan State.
Palmer, Von Walker and Nyeem Wartman-White are all seniors who will not be able to play because of season-ending knee injuries.
“I see big things for Penn State, deservedly so, and I will miss the support and love I have received from everyone, especially our fans,” Palmer wrote. “As I transition into my next phase in life, I will always remember and have deep admiration and pride for Penn State.”
