Recruit Rewind: Detailing QB Ethan Grunkemeyer's path to Penn State

Spring break is wrapping up at Penn State, which means we’re just days away from the start of spring practice on March 12. But until we get to that point, we’re looking back at the Nittany Lions’ Class of 2024. Today, we’ll recap quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer’s path to Penn State.

Ethan Grunkeyer
Quarterback
6-2, 200
Olentangy
Lewis Center, Ohio

Rankings	Stars	National	Position	State
On3 Industry	****	107	9	4
On3	****	117	10	5
ESPN	****	76	5	4
Rivals	****	233	15	10
247Sports	****	103	8	3

Statistics

• Holds school record for career passing yards (8,401) and touchdowns (80)
• Threw for 3,517 yards and 39 touchdowns his senior season
• Threw for 2,649 yards and 25 touchdowns his junor season 

Notable

• Three-year letterman
• First-team all-state in 2023
• Under Armour All-American

Recruitment

• Committed to Penn State on May 20, 2023
• Recruited by Mike Yurcich & Andy Kotelnicki
• Picked Penn State over Cincinnati and Minnesota
• Officially visited on June 9, 2023

Projection: With Drew Allar and Beau Pribula both still having two years of eligibility or more, plus redshirt freshman Jaxon Smolik, there’s no reason not to redshirt Grunkemyer in 2024. He comes into the program highly thought of, however, so it’ll be interesting to see where he stacks up following his first year on campus.

Olentangy head coach Wade Bartholomew: “Ethan is a great football player but an elite young man. His leadership is second to none. He cares for his teammates, encourages everyone to become their best and is always striving to make the team better. As a quarterback, he is relentless in his preparation, taking game planning and practicing as seriously as the games. Ethan made a huge impact on our program in the four years he was here and will be missed.” 

Get to know Penn State QB Ethan Grunkemeyer

It’s hard not to compare Ethan Grunkemeyer’s recruitment to current Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. While Grunkemeyer didn’t quite reach five-star status like Allar did, so many other key points surrounding his recruitment are eerily similar to Allar, beginning with the fact that they’re both from Ohio.

While Allar grew up outside of Akron, Grunkemeyer was raised in the heart of Buckeye country, growing up about 20 minutes north of Ohio State’s campus in Lewis Center. Just like Allar, he admittedly grew up supporting the Buckeyes, too. He and his parents were actually inside Beaver Stadium in 2016 when Penn State upset Ohio State and went on to win the Big Ten Championship. Little did he know at the time that the team he was rooting against that night would go on to be the school he would play for just under a decade later.

“Obviously, as a kid growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I grew up watching the Big Ten a ton. Of course, I’ve seen the White Out a ton,” Grunkemeyer said last spring when he earned an offer from Penn State. “I’ve actually been to a White Out game. I actually came the year that Penn State beat Ohio State on that blocked kick. That was a crazy experience and one that I’ll never forget.”

While Allar picked up an offer from Penn State a few months earlier in the process than Grunkemeyer did, both of them didn’t see their recruitments explode until after their junior seasons. But once they did grab the attention of coaches and scouts, their stock rocketed.

Grunkemeyer had camped at Penn State in both 2021 and 2022, but the progress he made during his 2022 season is what grabbed the attention of former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.

Link: Penn State football sets 2024 summer camp schedule

From a technique perspective, Grunkemyer made major strides when he started working with quarterback coach Brad Maendler after his sophomore season. And yes, if the name sounds familiar, that’s because Maendler is the same trainer who helped put Allar on the map. 

It was last April when the spring evaluation period began that Yurcich traveled to Olentangy High School to watch Grunkemeyer work out. By this point, Grunkemeyer had moved up the staff’s board quite a bit, but they were unsure if they would offer in the spring or potentially ask him to camp for a third time in June.

By the time his workout was finished, Yurcich had his answer, offering Grunkemeyer just a few days later. Once that was official, Grunkemeyer and his parents followed that up with a visit to Penn State a few weeks later on May 12.

Despite knowing that he would be returning to State College for the Elite 11 Regional Camp just a week after that, Grunkemeyer didn’t want to waste any time knowing that Penn State was trying to lock down its quarterback of the future. He also had just a handful of Power Five scholarship offers at the time. Between Cincinnati, Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Virginia, the Nittany Lions were easily the most prestige program.

Link: 2025 recruits we’re monitoring closely for future PSU RPM predictions

That first trip ended up being all Grunkemeyer needed to see, as he would end up announcing his commitment when he returned to campus a week later on May 20. Ironically, it was his performance at the Elite 11 regional camp the following day that put his rapid rise at On3 and every major recruiting site into motion. Not only did Grunkemeyer earn MVP honors that day, but he also left town with an invite to the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles in mid-June. 

It was that showing against some of the nation’s best out in LA that opened everyone’s eyes to Grunkemeyer’s potential.

“Grunkemyer was perhaps the most pleasant surprise at the Elite 11 Finals,” wrote On3 Scouting Director Charles Power following the event. “The Penn State pledge flashed arguably the most explosive arm action at the event. From early on in Day 1, the ball jumped out of Grunkemeyer’s hand. He easily drove the ball downfield on a line – as well as anyone. The Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy product was the On3 MVP on Day 1 with a very impressive day in drill work. He backed that up with a strong showing during his pro day, flashing loose, coordinated movements to go with his plus arm.”

At the time of Grunkemeyer’s commitment, he was ranked No. 41 at his position in On3’s Industry Rankings, which combines all four major sites for a cumulative grade. On3 immediately moved him from a mid-range three-star to the nation’s 10th-ranked quarterback on July 10. 247Sports followed soon after that and he eventually earned four-star status at all four major sites.

Link: Four-star prospect from down south locks in Penn State visit date

Grunkemeyer only strengthened his stature this past season. In addition to throwing for 3,517 yards and 39 touchdowns, he also proved to be a winner, leading Olentangy to its best season in over a decade.

“Just going through his senior year, I think he showed the improvement you would want to see from a guy who looked as good as he did during the offseason camp circuit,” said Power. 

When James Franklin decided to fire Yurcich in November, fans immediately began to wonder how it could impact Grunkemeyer. However, he quickly erased any fears that he’d open up his recruitment.

“I told them right away that I’m still comfortable with them and that I’m committed to the program, Coach Franklin and the rest of the people there,” Grunkemeyer said back on Nov. 17. “So, there wasn’t too much change going on. I don’t see anything ever really changing between me and them. I still love Penn State and want to be there.”

Grunkemeyer officially enrolled at Penn State in January after participating in the Under Armour All-America Game the prior week. With Allar set to return, as well as Beau Pribula and Jaxon Smolik, he won’t be pressured into playing right away. 

However, when his opportunity does arrive, there’s reason for fans to be excited.

“I think he’s just a really fluid, natural passer,” Power said. “You don’t have to really squint to see the projectable arm talent from him on Friday nights and then see how that could cross over to college and potentially the NFL. He’s just an easy passer, and I think seeing the improvement in his production as a senior has been really encouraging.”