Early Signing Day: What they're saying about Penn State football's Class of 2022
Penn State Nittany Lions football signed 23 prospects to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.
Penn State’s Class of 2022 ranks seventh in the On3 Consensus as of Thursday afternoon.
Here’s what they’re saying about Penn State’s recruiting class following early signing day.
Ryan Snyder, BWI, Penn State Recruiting: Key Takeaways from the Class of 2022
“I’ve watched Beau Pribula more than any other player in this class. To be exact, it was five games over the past two seasons, plus three camps. This young man is just a winner. Period.
Comparing him to Trace McSorley is kind of lazy, I’ll admit, but there are some things that stand out. Both are excellent overall athletes who genuinely could contribute at other positions if need be. Both are also kind of overlooked coming out of high school. Pribula didn’t win consecutive state championships likes McSorley did, but 30-4 over the course of three seasons at a school like Central York, which has never been a dominant football program, is pretty damn impressive.
Pribula is one of the smartest quarterbacks I’ve watched over the years. Allar certainly has some physical attributes that Pribula doesn’t, but if you think that this is all about Allar and that Pribula is destined to not be much of a factor, I can’t say I’m in the same boat as you. Smart players find their way onto the field. Add in his athleticism and this betting man is certainly not going to bet against Pribula.”
Nate Bauer, BWI, At critical juncture, Penn State Class of ’22 must diverge from prior path: Column
“Penn State has been here before.
Set to welcome the On3 No. 7-ranked recruiting class in the country on Wednesday, the effort will be the Nittany Lions’ best since the Class of 2018.
In every respect, the two groups will be inextricably linked.
The first, for what it represented then and how it panned out. The second, for what it represents now.
That group, ranked fifth nationally, signed concurrently to a second New Year’s Six bowl appearance for Penn State and a combined 22-5 record with two New Year’s Six bowl appearances and a Big Ten title.
Led by five-stars Justin Shorter and Micah Parsons, high four-stars Ricky Slade, Rasheed Walker, P.J. Mustipher, Jayson Oweh, Nana Asiedu, Zack Kuntz, Pat Freiermuth, Jahan Dotson, Nick Tarburton, Daniel George, Jesse Luketa, and Juice Scruggs, each of whom were among the nation’s top 250 recruits in On3’s consensus rankings, the 23-man class represented unlimited potential.
And as Penn State’s then-receivers coach Josh Gattis explained at the time, those prospects were all-in on that notion.
“We sold those guys on a vision, and now we’re able to come in and we’re showing them. Two years in a row undefeated at home. We’ve won a Big Ten Championship. We’re competing on the national stage to position ourselves for national championships,” said Gattis. “So now it’s all about finishing that vision. We’ve shown that the plan works, the vision works. Now we gotta continue to sustain our classes and continue to sustain our roster to compete at that high level.
“We’re excited about this class. We feel this is a complete class full of playmakers. “It’s probably one of the most talented classes that we’ll have the past few years. We’re excited. We’re going to keep at it, keep recruiting and keep developing these young men. So we’re excited about what the future brings for Penn State football.”
That envisioned future never came to fruition though.”
Greg Pickel, BWI, Penn State Class of 2022 report card: Grading the offense by needs filled
“Running Back: A+
Penn State has plenty of bodies (for now) but lots of uncertainty at this position entering the 2022 season and beyond.
The Lions inked On3 Consensus five-star Nick Singleton, who is the top back and nation’s No. 30 overall player, out of Governor Mifflin. He was named the Gatorade national football player of the year on Tuesday.
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Singleton arrives in January with hopes of playing early in a room that at the present moment includes Noah Cain, Keyvone Lee, Devyn Ford, and Caziah Holmes entering the winter. Penn State is fortunate here just like it is at quarterback. Besides a top player at his position in addition to what returns, there is also another four-star coming to town. That’s Kaytron Allen. He had a fine prep career at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and could make his presence known early, too. Many big-time schools, in the Sunshine State and elsewhere, were after his services.
While there will be some jitters in the fan base about being overly optimistic about how things look here, the Class of 2022 is very, very promising. That’s why this grade checks in where it does. The Lions met both need and fit in this cycle.”
Ben Jones, StateCollege.com, Penn State Football’s 2022 Class Is Great, but Allar Might Very Well Be the Program’s Missing Link
“You can talk about the running backs, the defensive ends, the talent at the skill positions and in the trenches. All of those areas will be important to the kind of success Penn State wants to have in the coming years. Football is not a simple game and success is rarely a straightforward journey.
But Penn State has signed solid recruiting classes before, and they’ve all lacked one thing: an elite quarterback.”
Bob Flounders, PennLive, Despite the change at defensive coordinator, Penn State’s James Franklin experiences a smooth 2022 Signing Day
“If Penn State’s 2022 December Signing Day success is any indicator, the program’s transition at defensive coordinator from Brent Pry to Manny Diaz is off to a solid start.”
Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, Penn State recruiting final thoughts: Saquon Barkley on Nicholas Singleton, an evolving QB room, sleeper signees, more
“Penn State’s offensive line needs help. It’s unclear if left tackle Rasheed Walker will be back for another season. There could be movement inside too, with Juice Scruggs potentially moving to center if Mike Miranda does not return for an extra season.
Nelson, a 6-5, 300-pound prospect from Lackawanna College, is the most college-ready of Penn State’s three offensive line signees. Junior college prospects always are brought in to help fill more immediate needs, and the offensive line fits the bill.”
On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power:
“I think this has to be one of the best classes that James Franklin has signed since he’s been to Penn State — I think it’s right up there with his 2019 class in terms of the rankings. I think you can maybe argue, in terms of impact players, once you factor in Drew Allar, this could be James Franklin’s best class in terms of on-field impact and valuing the quarterback position as we all do.”
