Penn State assistant recruiting coordinator Alan Zemaitis shares unique thoughts about 3 Lions signees

Penn State signed 10 Pennsylvania natives in its Class of 2022.

It was one of the Lions’ best in-state performances of the James Franklin era. Some of that is simply random. After all, there must be enough FBS-level players in the Keystone State for Penn State to sign that many.

However, the program has also long focused on signing as many top players in its home state as possible. That has and always will be a goal, even if the numbers will be bigger in some years than others. Penn State will always recruit nationally too, of course, but keeping Pa., players home is always a top priority.

“It’s huge. When I first got hired here, that was one of the first things that Coach Franklin made sure that he emphasized to us all, not just the recruiting staff, is we got to make sure that we are the border of Pennsylvania,” Penn State assistant recruiting coordinator Alan Zemaitis said on the school-produced “Signing Day Special.”

“Pennsylvania plays some of the best football in the country. We got to make sure that talent stays within our program and not go anywhere else. The thing about recruiting is, generally speaking, the student or the prospect doesn’t go far from home. So we got to make sure that we continue on that trend going forward. When I look at the ]23 class, and when I look at the ’24, the ’25 class, there’s a lot of talent in Pennsylvania. We got to make sure we keep that in house.”

Zemaitis, of course, starred at Penn State before a short-lived pro career. He joined the Lions’ recruiting department back in March and had a big part in them signing a top-10 Class of 2022. On the aforementioned show, Zemaitis touched on three of the team’s defensive signees.

A big comparison for Penn State signee Dani Dennis-Sutton

A four-star defensive end from Owing Mills, Md., McDonogh, ‘DDS’ has drawn rave reviews throughout the recruiting process. Penn State coach James Franklin expects the 6-foot-5, 255-pound prospect to contribute early. Here is Zemaitis’ take:

“I couldn’t believe his physical stature,” he said. “And it all came full circle when I seen him in the blue and white, when we did our photo shoot, when he was dressed in all pads. I couldn’t believe that he’s still in high school. That he’s only a 17-year-old kid. He just looked like a grown man out there. He looks like he’s been in our program. And then when it comes to the tape, I mean, it speaks for itself.

“He’s got incredible pass rush ability. He already comes equipped with a toolbox in terms of his pass rush. He can bend. He’s extremely explosive, great with his hands, and then he can bend off the edge, which is something that we need on our team.

“Every single year we need to keep adding pass rushers. But the most unique thing I believe about his game is, you can literally put him anywhere on the d-line, similar to guys like JJ Watt when he was in his prime. You literally can put him inside, put him outside, and I feel like he’s going to be able to get the job done.”

Ken Talley, Keon Wylie bring versatility

Show host Mitch Gerber also asked Zemaitis about two of the class’ more versatile players in four-star edge Talley and three-star linebacker Wylie.

Zemaitis on Talley:

“He’s extremely explosive, and athletic, and quick twitch. If you look at his pedigree, you’re going to find out that his mom was an all city champ in the 100 meter dash in the city of [Philadelphia], which is not a small city. And then you got his father that was one of the fastest guys that come out of Philadelphia. He had, like a 4×100 record, that could not be broken for many years. H was, along with Ken Talley’s mom, a 100 and 200 meter champ. His pedigree can flat out run and then you put a frame like that on legs that can run like that, those are the type of players we’re looking for. And, again, the common thread of versatility.

“We can plug and play him in a variety of different positions. Linebacker’s one of them he can play. He can play on the edge. He can play inside, on the D-line. There’s so many things that those three players can do for us here at Penn State. Manny Diaz can can have fun drawing up different defenses for these guys in the future.”

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Zemaitis on Wylie:

“It’s kind of a common thread within this class. Super dynamic, has positioned flex. The great thing about him is, if he was applying for a job here at Penn State, and you took a look at his resume, you’re going to see a guy that looks like a linebacker, but he’s going to possess d-end qualities. He’s going to be able to rush the passer.

“The one thing I loved watching Michael Parsons, when he was playing here at Penn State is, he can play the linebacker position as good as anybody in the country. But, then when you put him in a pass rushing situation, he instantly becomes the best player in the country, the best player on the field. That’s what I see in Keon Wylie. I think he’s got some of those traits. I think we’re just scratching the surface with him. I think the sky’s the limit. When we get them in our program, get him in our culture, and get him within Manny Diaz’s scheme, I think he’s going to be making a lot of plays in the next four years. A lot.”