The Penn State 2024 Recruiting Class Primer

College football’s early National Signing Day arrives Wednesday, which, alongside hiring two coordinators and navigating the transfer

portal, has Penn State coach James Franklin running more ragged than he would like. Still, Penn State football’s 2024 recruiting class

is another strong one, ranked 13th in the 247Sports Composite with 25 players. This marks Franklin’s third straight year pulling in a

top-15 class nationally. The class ranks third in Big Ten recruiting, behind only Ohio State and newcomer Oregon. It’s also the third

straight year Penn State has outpaced Michigan (No. 16 nationally) in the rankings. Let’s take a closer look at Penn State’s 2024

recruiting class.

PENN STATE’S TOP RECRUITS The Nittany Lions made another huge splash, a Drew Allar-esque one, in this class with tight end

prospect Luke Reynolds. A high 4-star prospect from Cheshire, Connecticut, Reynolds committed to Penn State on March 25 when he

was still a mid-ranged 3-star. He has since been steadily climbing the rankings and even garnered 5-star status from 247Sports. In the

247Sports composite, which compiles multiple rankings, he’s the sixth-best tight end prospect in the country. At 6-4, 220 pounds,

Reynolds could continue Penn State’s recent success streak at tight end. Another notable name is two-way star Quinton Martin out of

Belle Vernon Area High School near Pittsburgh. Martin is a consensus 4-star and is the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania, marking the third

straight year Penn State has brought in the state’s top-ranked player. Martin (6-2, 200) is a dynamic running back with projections to

play in the secondary at college as well. Martin ripped off a viral 92-yard score in this year’s state championship game, securing back-

to-back titles for Belle Vernon.

PENN STATE SEEKS IMPACT WIDE RECEIVERS As part of the most-maligned position this season, any incoming wide receivers are

going to have some extra pressure on their shoulders. But Marques Hagans’ first group as Penn State’s receivers coach was a pretty

successful one. The Lions are set to sign three receivers Wednesday: 4-stars Tyseer Denmark and Josiah Brown and 3-star Peter

Gonzalez. Denmark was a big win for the staff. He’s a Philadelphia native (Imhotep Charter) but was committed to Oregon for some

time before making the flip. Penn State has had its struggles recruiting that area, especially skill positions, so Denmark’s pledge is

important. Brown was a long recruitment over a bevy of top schools, ultimately coming down to Penn State, Rutgers and Georgia after

he visited each program officially. Brown is a consensus 4-star and a top-three player in New York. Meanwhile, Gonzalez is a big-

bodied receiver, compared to the smaller and speedier Brown and Denmark, who has put up some gaudy numbers at Pittsburgh

Central Catholic.

WHO MIGHT PLAY NEXT YEAR? Wide receiver is a tough position to contribute right away, especially as the past few years have

shown at Penn State. But it’s entirely possible for one of Brown, Denmark or Gonzalez to make some early flashes. Reynolds is in the

same boat, as tight end is a crowded position that also tends to require a lot of muscle and weight gain. Of the previously mentioned

names, Martin probably has the best chance because of his athleticism and multi-position potential, especially on special teams. That

said, a look at Penn State’s usage of freshmen in 2023 might provide some clues. Athletic defensive backs Elliot Washington and Zion

Tracy saw tons of special teams run, as did linebacker Tony Rojas. That makes 4-star corner Jon Mitchell or 4-star safety Vaboue

Toure prime candidates alongside any of the other defensive backs in the class. Some of the linebackers, like 4-star Anthony Speca,

could join that group. BEST POSITION GROUP Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein has been on quite the recruiting heater the past

few years. This class is no different. It features six offensive linemen, including four 4-stars. Things can and will change once the

players arrive. But for now, it’s a group of four tackles and two interior linemen. The most intriguing might be Cooper Cousins, an

Erie, Pennsylvania, native and the nation’s second-ranked interior lineman. Franklin and Trautwein have put heavy emphasis on

improving the offensive front, and it’s paying off. Give an honorable mention to first-year defensive line coach Deion Barnes, who

has five players joining his group in the class. MOST INTERESTING NAME Let’s give the nod to Gonzalez, a Pitt legacy who chose the

other in-state Power Five school. His father Pete Gonzalez was a Panthers quarterback and spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Peter Gonzalez recovered from a torn ACL to earn his Power Five offers and was nominated by the Steelers for the NFL’s inaugural

Latino Youth Honors, which “aims to highlight Latino excellence, while simultaneously putting a focus on the next generation of

football.”

There’s always developing to do for prospects, but Gonzalez’s build (6-2, 200) is one Penn State has been missing at receiver

for some time. A NOTE ON TRANSFERS Transfer players also are eligible to sign once the period opens Wednesday, and two players

are committed to Penn State as of now: former Tulsa kicker Chase Meyer and Division II offensive lineman Alan Herron. Penn State

has targeted other positions, especially wide receiver, where plenty of decisions are still yet to come. Notable names include Ohio

State’s Julian Fleming, Indiana’s Jaylin Lucas and Miami’s Colbie Young, who initially transferred from Penn State pipeline

Lackawanna Community College. And could the addition of defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Tom Allen, the former Indiana

head coach, affect anything? PENN STATE IN THE RECRUITING RANKINGS 247Sports Composite: No. 13 ESPN: No. 11 247Sports:

No. 14 On3: No. 15 Rivals: No. 17 PENN STATE’S 2024 RECRUITING CLASS (Rankings per the 247Sports Composite) TE Luke

Reynolds, 4-star (Cheshire Academy, CT) ATH Quinton Martin, 4-star (Belle Vernon, PA) QB Ethan Grunkemeyer, 4-star (Olentangy,

OH) OL/DL Liam Andrews, 4-star (Dexter School, MA) OL Cooper Cousins, 4-star (McDowell, PA) CB Jon Mitchell, 4-star

(Mandarin, FL) OL Garrett Sexton, 4-star (Arrowhead, WI) ATH Dejuan Lane, 4-star (Gilman, MD) RB Corey Smith, 4-star (Catholic

Memorial, WI) DB Vaboue Toure, 4-star (Irvington, NJ) EDGE Jaylen Harvey, 4-star (Quince Orchard, MD) LB Anthony Speca, 4-star

(Central Catholic, PA) DL T.A. Cunningham, 4-star (Grayson, GA) OL Donovan Harbour, 4-star (Catholic Memorial, WI) WR Josiah

Brown, 4-star (Malverne, NY) WR Tyseer Denmark, 4-star (Imhotep Charter, PA) EDGE Mylachi Williams, 4-star (Monsignor Bonner,

PA) EDGE Xavier Gilliam, 3-star (Quince Orchard, MD) WR Peter Gonzalez, 3-star (Central Catholic, PA) DL De’Andre Cook, 3-star

(Friendship Collegiate Academy, DC) OL Caleb Brewer, 3-star (Wyomissing, PA) OL Eagan Boyer, 3-star (William Amos Hough, NC)

CB Kenneth Woseley, 3-star (Imhotep Charter, PA) LB Kari Jackson, 3-star (West Bloomfield, MI) CB Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, 3-

star (Mandarin, FL) Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He

previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59. AllPennState is the place for Penn

State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network.