It’s been a great run so far for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff during the recruiting process of the 2024 class. They currently sit at 13 commitments in the class which pushes them to the sixth overall spot in 247Sports’ national recruiting database.
Despite the success they’ve had so far, they are not slowing down and are looking to continue adding talent to the roster for next season. Summer visits are coming up for the prospects in the class who have wanted to take more time before deciding on where they’ll play next season.
There are already two linebackers committed to Penn State in the class of 2024, but that is not stopping them from continuing to recruit the position.
On Sunday, four-star linebacker Elias Rudolph cut his list down to his top five schools. The talented prospect had over 20 scholarship offers to sift through before deciding on his top five.
Penn State made the list along with Ohio State, Michigan, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
– Only 5 left and only 1 Home🏡 🫶🏾#GianniRudolph pic.twitter.com/TA2ZrXjxP7
— Elias Rudolph (@EliasRudolph6) May 14, 2023
Rudolph is a 6’3″ 200 pound prospect from Florida. He is ranked as the 260th best player in the 2024 class and the 29th best linebacker according to On3’s industry rankings.
He has visited Ohio State the most times with four unofficial visits. However, On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Michigan as the big favorites to land Rudolph with a 83.3% chance. Ohio State is second with an 8.1% chance, but has been projected to land him by 247Sports’ Crystal Ball.
Penn State has been given a less than one percent chance to land the coveted linebacker, although when he spoke with On3 after his visit in January, it seems like the Nittany Lions have a much larger chance than that number.
Rudolph said, “Coach Franklin stood out the most on this visit. I love his energy and how he is raw and uncut. I liked seeing that Coach Franklin has a genuine passion for his athletes as men.”
He also said, “Another thing that stood out to me is Penn State’s alumni and fan base and the incredible amount of people interested in Penn State sports. The coaching staff left a good impression. They showed me Coach Franklin’s character. Penn State is a sound program and I loved the facility.”
Rudolph has official visits schedule for Ohio State, Michigan and Cincinnati in June. There is nothing booked for Penn State yet, but he did mention that he plans to visit all the schools on his top five list.
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