Which Penn State coaches led the way in the Class of 2022, and who is an On3 top-10 recruiter in the cycle?

All Penn State football staff members should be commended for signing the nation’s No. 7 Class of 2022 in the On3 Consensus team rankings.

One assistant, however, is listed among the nation’s best.

Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider was a top-10 recruiter in the Class of 2022, per On3.

Seider is known for his ability to connect with prospects and their families before ultimately landing their signature on a National Letter of Intent.

“There were others on the Penn State staff that did excellent jobs and played a big part in the No. 7 class,” On3 Senior Recruiting Editor Jeremy Crabtree writes.

“But, we’re adding Seider’s name to the top recruiter list for revamping the running back room.

Seider helped Penn State land nation’s top RB class

When fans and outside observers think about Seider as a recruiter, two things come to mind.

The West Virginia alum and Belle Glade, Fla., native is one of the country’s best recruiters of Sunshine State prospects. The same goes for players who will eventually play the position he is responsible for at the next level.

Gatorade national football player of the year Nicholas Singleton is the highest-rated prospect in Penn State’s 25-man class. The five-star running back from Shillington, Pa., Governor Mifflin is the No. 25 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus player rankings and the top tailback in the senior class. Seider worked in tandem with Franklin and other members of the staff to sign Singleton, who also heavily considered Notre Dame, among others.

Seider is also the primary recruiter for four-star IMG Academy running back Kaytron Allen. While he played high school football in Florida, the top-140 player nationally is originally from Norfolk, Va.

Both Singleton and Allen enrolled at Penn State for the start of the spring semester. They combined to make up the best running back group in the country, according to On3.

More on why On3 selected Seider

Per Crabtree:

“Landing the Gatorade national football player of the year is always a good thing to have on your resume. That’s exactly what Ja’Juan Seider did when he signed five-star running back Nick Singleton out of Reading (Pa.) Governor Mifflin.

“Singleton is the all-time leading career rusher in Berks County history. That is thanks in part to a 2,043-yard season in 2021 that also included a whopping 41 touchdowns. And he’s taking all that talent to Happy Valley, thanks to the job that Seider did recruiting him.

“Seider also was the primary recruiter for another talented running back in four-star Kaytron Allen out of IMG Academy in Florida.”

Other Penn State staffers had big cycles, too

Not every member of every staff across the country could be listed in the top-10, of course. But, three more from Penn State deserve special recognition.

The first is associate head coach, defensive recruiting coordinator, and corners coach Terry Smith. He was the primary recruiter for receiver Kaden Saunders, and worked with receivers coach and offensive recruiting coordinator Taylor Stubblefield to land the four-star. He was also the primary recruiter for four-star Florida corner Cam Miller, Texas four-star athlete Cristian Driver, Philadelphia four-star end Ken Talley, and three-star linebacker Keon Wylie. Plus, Smith was the secondary recruiter for four-star tackle Drew Shelton, who future position coach Phil Trautwein led the way for.

Stubblefield, then, was involved with five prospects in this class in either a primary or secondary role: Miller, Saunders, plus receivers Anthony Ivey, Omari Evans, and Tyler Johnson.

Last but not least, defensive line coach John Scott Jr., was the lead man in landing five-star end Dani Dennis-Sutton, four-star defensive tackle Zane Durant, and three-star defensive tackle Kaleb Artis.

Finally, the recruiting staff department led by director of player personnel Andy Frank played an integral role, as well.

“Overall, I would like to thank the staff for all the hard work that they put into this, specifically the recruiting staff as well as the coaches,” Franklin said.

“The recruiting staff probably doesn’t get as much love. Everybody’s aware of the coaches, but the recruiting staff off the field have done a phenomenal job.”