Tag: ethan grunkemeyer

Matt Zollers picks Missouri over Penn State

Penn State surprisingly missed out on the top in-state QB in the Class of 2025.

Arguably the most important commitment for the Penn State Nittany Lions in the class of 2025 was going to be announced on April 4 as they waited to hear where top in-state quarterback [autotag]Matt Zollers[/autotag] had decided to play his college football. With [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his offensive staff looking to bring in two quarterbacks during this cycle, they were hoping to land the rising four-star recruit who is ranked as one of the top players in Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately for Penn State, he committed to Missouri.

After looking like the leaders in the clubhouse for a long time during his process, Zollers’ recruitment took a national turn as the likes of Georgia, Missouri, and Alabama were part of his final five schools.

“My connections at Missouri were just greater than they were anywhere else. This was a really tough decision for me to make. I ultimately decided this morning,” the talented quarterback told Chad Simmons of On3.

That statement is an eye opener for people who have been following this recruitment process considering he had taken around eight visits to Happy Valley and roughly three to Missouri.

The Tigers really popped onto his radar and made a late push to land him as one of the headliners of their class.

Penn State’s bottleneck at the position could have had something to do with his decision as well.

Incumbent starter [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] could come back for another season after this year, [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] is still a factor alongside [autotag]Jaxon Smolik[/autotag], plus highly-rated [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag] from the 2024 class is entering his freshman season.

Still, this is a tough one to swallow for Penn State fans as they lose out on the top-rated recruit in the state of Pennsylvania and someone who was at the top of their board.

2025 four-star QB has Penn State in top six

Penn State makes top six for four-star QB in 2025

Despite the negative discourse that currently surrounds Penn State and their former five-star quarterback, [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag], the struggles in the 2023-24 season doesn’t seem to have deterred others around the country from viewing the Nittany Lions in a positive light.

Penn State was able to keep their class of 2024 commit, [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag], and got him to sign during the early signing period.

They also have a commitment from 2025 three-star quarterback, [autotag]Bekkem Kritza[/autotag], under their belts already.

Now, the Nittany Lions have made the top six of 2025 four-star quarterback and coveted recruit [autotag]Malik Washington[/autotag].

The 6’4″ 200 pound Maryland native has been high on Penn State’s list throughout his recruitment, getting him in for nine unofficial visits so far. The last time he visited was during the Michigan game.

Others who made his list are Texas A&M, Oregon, Maryland, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.

Washington is ranked as the 20th best quarterback in the country and No. 6 overall player in the state of Maryland, according to On3’s industry rankings.

But despite Penn State already having a commitment in the class of 2025, that has not deterred his interest in the Nittany Lions according to Ryan Snyder of On3 (subscription required).

Washington told Snyder he knows he’ll have to compete no matter which program he chooses to play for.

With Penn State hiring new offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag], a new relationship will have to be formed between the two, something that Kotelnicki told him he’s excited to do.

Washington said they haven’t met yet, but that they have been in communication.

As far as where the Nittany Lions stand with the four-star quarterback, Snyder was told that all six schools on his list are pretty even for him right now despite Penn State holding the edge in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

According to those projections, Penn State is in the lead with a 63.5% chance to sign him, while Maryland is second with a 12.8% chance and Virginia Tech is third with a 11.0% chance.

There is still a long way to go in his recruitment, but this is a good sign for the Nittany Lions as they enter another era with a new offensive coordinator.

Top five quarterbacks signed to the Big Ten on early signing day

Who were the top five quarterbacks to sign with Big Ten teams during the early signing period? #GoBucks

The first day of the early signing period is in the books and the newly expanded Big Ten added a wealth of talent. It would take too long to evaluate every prospect in one piece, but the additions at quarterback earn their own discussion.

There was a great deal of drama for the top quarterback in the class, Dylan Raiola. He bounced his commitment from one school to another. Ohio State was his first choice, but when pen met paper, it was another Big Ten school that made the cut.

With the expanded 18-team Big Ten including four major powerhouses on the West Coast, it should not be a surprise the conference added seven of the top 20 quarterbacks in the nation.

It should also not be a surprise that the Buckeyes added one of the highly-ranked gunslingers. The following are the top five quarterbacks to commit to Big Ten Schools during the early signing period based on the 247Sports composite.

Penn State signee Ethan Grunkemeyer gets high praise from On3

Penn State’s star QB of the Class of 2024 received high praise from On3

During the recruiting process of [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag], he was not viewed as a highly touted prospect. He began as a three-star quarterback and was largely considered a depth type of piece for Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class.

At the time he committed, he was rated as the 41st quarterback in the class according to On3’s industry rankings.

He is now rated as No. 8 on the day he signed his letter of intent to join the Nittany Lions.

It was a meteoric rise for Grunkemeyer who continued to grow throughout the spring and summer, showcasing his talent that caught the eye of high school talent evaluators.

Now, he’s getting some high praise from Charles Power of On3 who gave out superlatives to the quarterbacks in the class of 2024. Grunkemeyer was tabbed as the QB who has the “best mechanics.”

“Ethan Grunkemeyer is one of the most natural passers in the 2024 cycle. The Penn State signee showed his live arm and fluid mechanics on the camp circuit over the summer and was a standout at the Elite 11 Finals,” Power wrote in his evaluation.

This time period was really when the Ohio native started to turn heads. He kept getting invited back to elite camps across the country, joining others in the class who were widely considered top prospects.

“He carried that momentum onto the field as a senior, where he was one of the most improved 2024 quarterbacks during the fall. Grunkemeyer had by far the best season of his high school career as a senior, completing 66.3% of his passes for 3,517 yards and 39 touchdowns against nine interceptions while leading Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy on a playoff run,” Power added.

Grunkemeyer now is a consensus four-star athlete by all four of the major recruiting sites. On3’s industry rankings have him 111th best player in the country.

“The smooth release, strong arm and overall coordination have been evident over the past nine months,” Power wrote, which contributed to Grunkemeyer earning this superlative.

Now, he’ll enter Penn State’s crowded quarterback room with the opportunity to become a future starter if he continues to grow like he has this past summer.

Biggest theme of Penn State’s 2024 class: balance

Penn State’s 2024 class offers one of the more balanced recruiting hauls in the country.

With the first and busiest day of the college football early signing period behind us, we can confirm that Penn State signed all 25 of its Class of 2024 commits earlier today. It was a “drama-free” signing day according to [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] who spoke after all the commits had signed. The class is now locked in for next year so let’s break it down.

Penn State returns a boatload of starting-caliber players from last season but will lose several starters to the NFL with more expected to announce in the coming month. Penn State has never been a heavy transfer portal school and relies mainly on keeping its returning players intact while reloading with a strong freshman class.

This years’ class is ranked 14th in the country by 247Sports Composite and 16th by On3. With 12 offensive commits and 13 defensive commits this year’s group is evenly balanced eluding to the fact that Franklin and his staff want to add quality depth around the board and fill in any neccessary holes from departing players.

From a positon standpoint is was more of the same type of balance across the board:

  • 7 skill players: QB [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag], running backs [autotag]Quintin Martin[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Smith[/autotag], wide recievers [autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Tyseer Denmark[/autotag], and [autotag]Peter Gonzalez[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Luke Reynolds[/autotag]
  • 5 offensive lineman: [autotag]Eagan Boyer[/autotag], [autotag]Caleb Brewer[/autotag], [autotag]Cooper Cousins[/autotag], [autotag]Donovan Harbour[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Sexton[/autotag]
  • 6 defensive lineman: [autotag]Liam Andrews[/autotag], [autotag]DeAndre Cook[/autotag], [autotag]T.A. Cunningham[/autotag], [autotag]Xavier Gilliam[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylen Harvey[/autotag], and [autotag]Mylachi Williams[/autotag]
  • 5 secondary players: cornerbacks Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, Kenneth Woseley, Jon Mitchell, and safties Dejuan Lane, and Vaboue Toure
  • 2 linebackers: Kari Jackson and Anthony Specca

No one position or side of the ball dominated the 2024 recruiting cycle for Penn State, but thats a good thing because it shows that Penn State has talent everywhere. Three wide recievers were added to arguably the worst room in 2023 and a playmaking running back was added to a room featuring two former 5-star recruits. The trenches were reloaded with talent and many of the offensive line commits should challenge for starting spots in their first year.

In the time of the transfer portal and NIL perhaps a early signing day like the one Penn State had today is not exciting, but it does not matter Franklin’s method of “underpromise, overdeliver” method still produces wins. It has in the past. Penn State’s 2024 class is balanced, solid, and most importantly adds talent across the board which is key for sustained success.

Follow Charlie Strella on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.

Which Class of 2024 players will enroll early at Penn State?

It looks like a good percentage of Penn State’s Class of 2024 will be on campus in January to get a jump with offseason workouts.

Now that Penn State has officially signed its Class of 2024 on the first day of the early signing period, or at least all of the commitments they had lined up, the page is quickly turning forward. Not to look past the upcoming Peach Bowl against Ole Miss later this month, but winter workouts and spring football will be here before you know it! And it seems a good percentage of Penn State’s Class of 2024 is expected to be on campus and ready to get started working with their new teammates and coaches.

Here are the players in Penn State’s Class of 2024 that are reportedly expected to enroll early in January and get started with the program:

  • DL [autotag]Liam Andrews[/autotag]
  • DB [autotag]Antoine Belgrave-Shorter[/autotag]
  • OL [autotag]Eagan Boyer[/autotag]
  • WR [autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag]
  • DL [autotag]De’Andre Cook[/autotag]
  • OL [autotag]Cooper Cousins[/autotag]
  • DL [autotag]T.A. Cunningham[/autotag]
  • DL [autotag]Xavier Gilliam[/autotag]
  • QB [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag]
  • DL [autotag]Jaylen Harvey[/autotag]
  • LB [autotag]Kari Jackson[/autotag]
  • RB [autotag]Quinton Martin[/autotag]
  • DB [autotag]Jon Mitchell[/autotag]
  • TE [autotag]Luke Reynolds[/autotag]
  • OL [autotag]Garrett Sexton[/autotag]
  • DB [autotag]Vaboue Toure[/autotag]

Every other member of Penn State’s Class of 2024 will join the program in the summer.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Early Signing Day Tracker: Say hello to Penn State’s Class of 2024

The early signing period for college football is officially open as schools around the country are locking in their entire, if not the vast majority, of their recruiting classes for the Class of 2024. Penn State will be among the schools expecting …

The early signing period for college football is officially open as schools around the country are locking in their entire, if not the vast majority, of their recruiting classes for the Class of 2024. Penn State will be among the schools expecting to receive signed National Letters of Intent from their verbal commitments to make things official. There could always be a player or two who hold off until the traditional signing period in February for one reason or another, but Penn State is hoping for a pretty simple and straightforward opening to the early signing period.

Here is a look at each player who committed to Penn State in the Class of 2024 recruiting calendar and an update on which players have signed in the early signing period.

Penn State recruiting notebook: Ethan Grunkemeyer’s big night and Mylachi Williams wins in Ireland

Penn State QB commit Ethan Grunkemeyer thrashed Drew Allar’s alma mater and this PSU commit scored a victory in Ireland.

For some high school football players, this week has been the first chance to put on the pads and play a game. For a few others, this was Week 2 of the high school football season. Whatever the case may have been, and wherever the game may have been played, it has been a big weekend already for some of Penn State’s commits in the Class of 2024 and beyond.

Penn State quarterback commit [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag] led his team to a massive non-conference victory on Friday night. One of Grunkemeyer’s recruiting classmates in the Class of 2024, [autotag]Mylachi Williams[/autotag], helped lead his team to a victory in Ireland. And one of Penn State’s newest commits, Class of 2026 running back [autotag]Messiah Mickins[/autotag], was on fire in his season-opening performance on Friday night.

Here is a quick roundup of some of the top high school football notes involving some future Nittany Lions.

Penn State commit Ethan Grunkemeyer shines in first senior season game

Penn State QB commit Ethan Grunkemeyer was on fire in his senior season opener.

Penn State may have landed a gem in the 2024 class with their quarterback commit [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag].

He went into the summer as a three-star recruit and came out of it as one of the biggest risers, resulting in a bump to four-star status. This came on the heels of great performances at the Elite 11 quarterback camp that saw him make it to the finals in Los Angeles.

Grunkemeyer is now the 13th overall quarterback in the class according to On3’s industry rankings.

Heading into his senior year of high school football, many of the scouts wanted to see if the 6’2″ 190 pound quarterback could keep his momentum going through the season and prove why he was such a big riser.

Lewis Center High School started their season on Friday and it didn’t take long for Grunkemeyer to show off his skill set.

He finished the game completing 24-of-34 passes for 444 yards and four touchdowns. He also showed off his legs, rushing for 80 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

When it comes to the evaluation of Grunkemeyer during his senior season, On3’s Director of Scouting, Charles Power, told BlueWhiteIllustrated, “He’s not playing for a powerhouse high school. Some of the guys we’re comparing him to are surrounded by Power Five talent. He’s not. That’s another thing that’s important to understand when it comes to how he plays on Friday nights.”

There’s a possibility that if the Penn State commit continues to shine for his high school that he could continue his ascension.

Power also said, “Now, I also think he needs to continue to play better as a senior. You want to see the progression as a senior on Friday nights, but that’s also baked into his ranking. I think if he comes out and plays really well, he could go up.”

It was a great start to the season for Grunkemeyer who is riding one of the best performances of the summer by any prospect.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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Penn State in Top 5 of 2025 4-star quarterback

Penn State one of the top five schools for four-star QB in Class of 2025.

Penn State has had a good string of quarterback commitments in the past few years.

They landed the number one player at the position in 2022 when signing [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]. They followed that up with flipping three-star Elite 11 finalist [autotag]Jaxon Smolik[/autotag] from Tulane to commit to them in 2023. In the 2024 class, they have four-star [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag] committed to the program as well.

Now, they have their sights set on another quarterback recruit in the class of 2025.

[autotag]Ryan Montgomery[/autotag] is a four-star recruit from the state of Ohio. He is a 6’3″ 210 pound quarterback with a big arm constantly looking down the field to make explosive plays. He has good mobility in the pocket and shows speed when he runs on designed plays or is flushed outside.

The four-star prospect racked up just under 30 scholarship offers from schools across the country before cutting his list to five schools on Tuesday.

Penn State, Michigan, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina are the programs that made his list.

On3’s industry rankings have him as the 16th ranked quarterback in the class of 2025 and the 206th best player overall.

Prior to choosing his top five schools, Montgomery had visited Ohio State and Michigan the most with nine unofficial visits. He cut the Buckeyes as an option, but kept the Wolverines.

He’s visited Penn State four times with the last trip to Happy Valley coming in October 2022.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine had Ohio State as the favorites to land the instate quarterback with 22.8%, but didn’t make his top five. Michigan is currently second in the rankings with 20.0% and Penn State fourth with 6.4%.

The percentages should be updated soon to reflect the list that he’s put out as he starts planning out more visits during the fall.

Montgomery also told Chad Simmons of On3 that he would like to commit to a school before his senior year season. He’s not sure exactly when, but that’s the timeline he has at the moment.

Follow Brad Wakai on Twitter and TikTok

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