Penn State Signing Day Shows Promise of Bright Future
It’s no secret that No. 5 Penn State Football had a magical season. The Nittany Lions hushed the critics and shocked the doubters, falling short only in the final minutes of the Rose Bowl. Despite the bowl game loss, the heart and determination showed by the Blue and White helped to solidify a stellar Fall 2017 recruiting class, all of who signed letters of intent this past week right here in Happy Valley.
The first signee of the day was Sean Clifford, a quarterback from Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Clifford made it official just before 8 a.m., putting a smile on Coach Franklin’s face early on in the day.
After that first signee, the 2017 class came in droves, ready to declare themselves Blue and White pride members.
It should be noted and celebrated that 14 of the 2017 class members, some of whom are early enrollees, are listed as four- and five-star recruits. Many of these members also had offers from Michigan, Alabama, and other powerhouse football schools across the nation.
Among these highly decorated players is defensive back Lamont Wade (Clairton, Pa.), a key recruit for Penn State. Wade is an early enrollee at Penn State and will begin school this spring. Wade was also a two-year captain at Clairton High School, where he led his team to a 14-1 season at Pennsylvania State Championship as a senior.
Wade was also the top recruit in Pennsylvania. He will certainly be a powerhouse come fall 2017, and definitely a player to watch as he grows throughout his college career.
Offensive lineman C.J. Thorpe (Glenshaw, Pa.) from Central Catholic High School will play an integral role this fall as Penn State looks to fill the shoes left by Brian Gaia (Pasadena, Md.) and the slew of graduated and injured offensive linemen during the 2016 season.
When asked about how he feels toward the class of 2017 Head Coach James Franklin said, “ust really proud...we've been recruiting most of these guys for a long time, anywhere from two to three years with most of these guys.”
Franklin continued on to mention, “This morning Skype-ing with them all, just impressive, to be honest with you, how articulate these guys were, how appreciative they were, the type of high school programs they come from, the parents. It was really nice.”
Check out the complete list of signed recruits here to begin learning about some of the standouts who will make their marks beginning in Fall 2017.
The first signee of the day was Sean Clifford, a quarterback from Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Clifford made it official just before 8 a.m., putting a smile on Coach Franklin’s face early on in the day.
After that first signee, the 2017 class came in droves, ready to declare themselves Blue and White pride members.
It should be noted and celebrated that 14 of the 2017 class members, some of whom are early enrollees, are listed as four- and five-star recruits. Many of these members also had offers from Michigan, Alabama, and other powerhouse football schools across the nation.
Among these highly decorated players is defensive back Lamont Wade (Clairton, Pa.), a key recruit for Penn State. Wade is an early enrollee at Penn State and will begin school this spring. Wade was also a two-year captain at Clairton High School, where he led his team to a 14-1 season at Pennsylvania State Championship as a senior.
Wade was also the top recruit in Pennsylvania. He will certainly be a powerhouse come fall 2017, and definitely a player to watch as he grows throughout his college career.
Offensive lineman C.J. Thorpe (Glenshaw, Pa.) from Central Catholic High School will play an integral role this fall as Penn State looks to fill the shoes left by Brian Gaia (Pasadena, Md.) and the slew of graduated and injured offensive linemen during the 2016 season.
When asked about how he feels toward the class of 2017 Head Coach James Franklin said, “
Franklin continued on to mention, “This morning Skype-ing with them all, just impressive, to be honest with you, how articulate these guys were, how appreciative they were, the type of high school programs they come from, the parents. It was really nice.”
Check out the complete list of signed recruits here to begin learning about some of the standouts who will make their marks beginning in Fall 2017.
