Penn State 4-star QB commit Ethan Grunkemeyer: Nittany Lions 'took a chance on me'

Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy four-star quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has continued to improve his stock leading into his senior season of high school football.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Penn State commit excelled at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles over the summer, earning MVP honors on the first day of the event and later a glowing review from On3 Scouting Director Charles Power. He’s also shot up the recruiting rankings and is now the No. 193 overall prospect and No. 13 QB in the 2024 cycle, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

“Ethan Grunkemyer was the most pleasant surprise at the Elite 11 Finals,” Power wrote. “We entered the event having liked what we saw on video from his junior season and previous camps. With that said, the Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy product exceeded expectations. Grunkemeyer finished third in On3’s Top Performers from the event. He was the On3 MVP on Day 1, showing fluid, explosive ability as a passer. He continued to impress on the final two days.”

Grunkemeyer committed to Penn State on May 20 after the Nittany Lions were one of the earliest programs to show interest. The likes of Cincinnati, Minnesota, Indiana and Virginia had also offered, but after multiple visits to Happy Valley, it was all PSU.

“They took a chance on me early and i’m hoping to make it pay off for them,” Grunkemeyer said in a postgame interview with Saturday Glory.

Grunkemeyer taking two trips to State College this fall

Grunkemeyer is planning to take at least a pair of trips back to Penn State in the fall: for the White Out against Iowa on Sept. 23 and the Nittany Lions’ big clash against Michigan on Nov. 11. The signal-caller is already tight with PSU’s current starting QB, Drew Allar, who committed to Penn State as the No. 28 prospect and 3 QB in the 2022 cycle.

Allar played at Medina (Ohio), the same school that Grunkemeyer and Olentangy just drubbed 53-28 on Aug. 25. The combination of relationships with players and the coaching staff has made Grunkemeyer feel more than secure in his decision.

“I think the coaching staff, with the relationships i’ve built with them is huge. I felt super comfortable with them. I’ve heard great things from Drew (Allar) — which I talk to pretty consistently,” Grunkemeyer said. “I’ve heard great things, so once I made that decision I knew it was home.”

Grunkemeyer has an On3 NIL Valuation of $134K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.