LIVE: Updates from Penn State Football Signing Day
Penn State introduced the next generation of Nittany Lions on Wednesday, welcoming the 25 players of its 2024 recruiting class. Once again, Penn State football coach hosted a Nittany Lions "draft" on the Early Signing Day, beginning a day-long celebration of the recruits just after 7 a.m. The theme was "Generations of Greatness," tying itself to Penn State's annual alternate uniform.
Penn State held a drama-free Signing Day, with all 25 recruits signing their National Letters of Intent, which coach James Franklin attributed in part to being able to hire both new coordinators before the early signing period began. "In 2023, there's a lot to be said for a drama-free Signing Day," Franklin said.
Sixteen players will enroll January, getting a jump on the 2024 Penn State football season. Franklin and his staff welcomed a host of guest stars on the Signing Day livestream, including Sean Lee, Pat Freiermuth, Mike Gesicki, Sean Clifford and many more. Highlights from Penn State's National Signing Day show.
RELATED: The primer to Penn State's recruiting class of 2024
Cooper Cousins leads the class
Cousins, a 4-star offensive lineman from Erie, Pennsylvania, made an energetic debut. Former Penn State center Juice Scruggs introduced him alongside AC/DC's "Back in Black." Cousins committed to Penn State nearly two years ago in January 2022 and was "high production, low maintenance," Franklin said. As offensive line coach Phil Trautwein joked, "you've been committed since the sixth grade."
Cousins, the No. 2 prospect in Pennsylvania, picked Penn State over Kentucky and Pittsburgh. "You've been a leader of this class since Day 1," Franklin said.
Penn State's highest-ranked recruit signs
Fittingly, Luke Reynolds was introduced by fellow tight end (and New Englander) Pat Freiermuth. Reynolds is among the most interesting players in Penn State's 2024 class. A former quarterback, he transitioned to tight end, becoming the nation's top-ranked recruit at the position. He also was the No. 1 overall player from Connecticut.
"Luke, I love your story," Franklin told Reynolds in the livestream. "You worked and worked and grinded and stayed positive, and the next thing you know, you're the No. 1 tight end in the country and one of the top recruits in the U.S. That's a credit to you and really the whole family. You've don a ton of things in high school, and I actually think you're going to do more in college."
A glimpse at the secondary's future
Terry Smith, Penn State's cornerbacks coach and defensive recruiting coordinator, offered a glimpse into his position when welcoming 4-star defensive back Jon Mitchell. "We're losing three guys to the NFL, so the opportunity is what you make of it," Smith said.
That likely was a reference to three Penn State cornerbacks, Kalen King, Johnny Dixon and Daequan Hardy, potentially headed to the 2024 NFL Draft (none has announced a decision). So as Smith said, there will be opportunity next season. Mitchell (5-11, 180) is from Jacksonville, Florida, and was heavily recruited by Penn State. "I think I've been to Jacksonville more than any other city in the country the last couple of years," Smith said.
Mitchell chose Penn State over Florida State, Miami and Mississippi State, a big win for the Nittany Lions in Florida. The 4-star prospect is a top-15 prospect in Florida.
Tom Allen makes his Penn State debut
New Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen got to work quickly, joining the livestream to welcome linebacker linebacker Kari Jackson. Allen made quite the first impression, telling Jackson, "you're going to be the next great linebacker from Linebacker U."
Jackson missed his senior season at West Bloomfield High in Michigan because of injury and will begin his Penn State career rehabbing. But the 4-star linebacker has a high ceiling with the Lions.
From quarterback to tackle
Garrett Sexton brings a unique story to Penn State's 2024 class. A former quarterback at Arrowhead High in Hartland, Wisconsin, Sexton turned himself into a 6-6, 275-pound offensive tackle. In fact, line coach Phil Trautwein recalled watching some of Sexton's early film and asking who the quarterback was. "That's me," Sexton replied.
"Frankly, I think offensive line is a little bit more fun than quarterback," Sexton said on the livestream.
Sexton's coach Matt Harris is equally quotable: "Garrett is an athletic unicorn," Harris said in a Penn State release. "He combines his incredible length and size with great athleticism. Garrett has a Division I work ethic! Penn State has a diamond being polished and in a few years he will be blinging!"
Another top-rated Pennsylvania running back signs
Quinton Martin, Pennsylvania's No. 1 recruit, joined Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders, Journey Brown and Nicholas Singleton in becoming the state's top-ranked back to commit to Penn State. Brown introduced Martin, and running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider welcomed him warmly. "We've got the best backfield in the country, and it just got better today," Seider said.
"You're the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania," Franklin told Martin during the program's Signing Day ceremony. "You're a 5-star recruit, you put up unbelievable numbers and you did it the right way."
A Pitt legacy signs with Penn State
Pete Gonzalez played quarterback in the 1990s at Pitt, but his son Peter, from Pittsburgh Central Catholic, will play wide receiver for Penn State. "That was my only concern in this thing," Franklin told the Gonzalez family during their livestream meeting. But Penn State associate head coach Terry Smith, who called Gonzalez's father "Big Pete," began the recruiting relationship early.
Pete Gonzalez remembered that, when he got married in 2000, Smith called to congratulate him and say, "When you have a son, call me." Peter Gonzalez is a 4-star receiver who set school records in career receiving yards (2,240), single-season yards (1,081) and single-season receiving touchdowns (12).
Pete Gonzalez called Penn State's staff a "first-class operation." "There's something in business called deliverables," he said, "and you guys deliver."
'Welcome to LBU'
Linebacker Anthony Speca of Pittsburgh Central Catholic received a very LBU welcome. Former Penn State linebacker Sean Lee introduced him, and current Penn State defensive analyst Dan Connor (who played linebacker with Lee) spoke with Speca on the livestream.
"When you get here, it changes; you feel the pressure," Connor told Speca. "What we like most about you is your demeanor, how coachable you are how and how tough you are. You want to get your face on the Mount Rushmore of Penn State football."
Speca, a first-team all-state linebacker, broke Central Catholic's all-time tackles record with 326.
The 'journey' of T.A. Cunningham
Defensive lineman T.A. Cunningham had perhaps the most complicated journey to Penn State, one that included multiple transfers and a legal issue regarding a high school NIL contract. NBC News highlighted Cunningham's story in a long piece about the issues regarding NIL and high school athletes.
Cunningham, a consensus 4-star recruit, comes to Penn State from Georgia but also had stops in California and briefly in Miami. He had a big-time offer sheet, choosing Penn State over Georgia, USC and Georgia Tech.
"There's been adversity and challenges, and every time one of those challenges surfaced, you handled it the right way," Franklin told Cunningham during the livestream. "Everybody's journey has twists and turns and ups and downs and adversity that needs to be overcome, and that's what life is about. We truly believe that, once we get you here on campus in this structure with our support athletically and academically, you're going to thrive. There's no doubt about it."
'Meet you at the top'
Penn State All-American defensive end Chop Robinson, a Quince Orchard (Md.) graduate, introduced a fellow edge rusher from Quince Orchard: Jaylen Harvey, a 4-star prospect with a high ceiling. "Meet you at the top," Robinson told Harvey.
Harvey was a first-team all-state edge rusher, making 13 sacks, and had 25 over the past two seasons. His teams won 39 straight games and won two state titles. Harvey, who scored three touchdowns last season, chose Penn State over USC, Maryland and Florida. He joined Xavier Gilliam in committing to Penn State from Quince Orchard.
"We've known for a long time that we've wanted you here," Franklin told Harvey.
A wrestler commits
Offensive lineman Caleb Brewer delayed his enrollment to finish his high school wrestling season at Wyomissing High. His former teammate J'Ven Williams introduced Brewer, a 3-star prospect and a top heavyweight wrestler in Pennsylvania.
"You're not going to have any bigger cheerleaders than me and [offensive line coach Phil Trautwein] in watching you win a state championship," Franklin told Brewer on the livestream. "I want you to wrestle well but don't wrestle too well. We really had to work hard to get you to commit the first time, and I don't want to compete with [wrestling coach] Cael [Sanderson."
One Ohio quarterback introduces another
Drew Allar joined the livestream to introduce Ethan Grunkemeyer, a fellow Ohio quarterback and Penn State's lone QB of the 2024 recruiting class. Allar and Grunkemeyer both work with Ohio quarterbacks coach Brad Maendler and developed a relationship during the offseason.
Grunkemeyer threw for 8.401 yards at Olentangy High near Columbus and was a first-team all-state selection. He will enroll early after playing in the Under-Armour All-America Game.
"I'm coming in ready to work," Grunkemeyer said on the livestream. "I'm going to show up every day with a chip on my shoulder. I'm coming in to win a lot of football games, a Big Ten championship and a national championship."
Xavier Gilliam goes No. 1
Defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam kicked things off just after 7 a.m., becoming the first player of the 2024 recruiting class to send his Letter of Intent. Gilliam, a 4-star defensive end from Maryland, was the No. 8 prospect in his state.
"It's weird for [defensive line coach] Deion [Barnes] to talk about you as a baby," Franklin told Gilliam on the Penn State livestream, "but we are going to take care of you."
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