WATCH: Video highlights of each Penn State Class of 2022 player
Penn State locked in its Class of 2022 at the start of the NCAA’s early signing period, and with it comes a bunch of buzz for the future of the Nittany Lions under the leadership of head coach James Franklin. But chances are most of you are unfamiliar with what any of these new faces will bring to the table for Penn State. So it’s a good thing Penn State served up some highlight packages to give fans a quick glimpse of the kind of talent that is joining the program.
Enjoy this collection of video highlights of Penn State’s newest additions in the Class of 2022.
Breaking down Penn State football’s Class of 2022 position by position.
Penn State’s Class of 2022 has long been recognized as one of the top classes in the nation. The latest (and greatest) recruiting class to be signed by James Franklin looks to add some tremendous quality and depth to various positions across the roster and has some players to really look forward to watching grow almost immediately.
For a long stretch in this recruiting cycle, Penn State had the nation’s top-ranked class, and it continued to be ranked highest among Big Ten schools up until shortly before the early signing period. But there is no disputing the ranking of Penn State’s Class of 2022 is proof Penn State has been hitting it hard on the recruiting trail this cycle.
Here is a breakdown of Penn State’s Class of 2022 broken down by position.
Penn State began compiling one of the best-recruiting classes in program history with the commitment of Class of 2022 wide receiver Kaden Saunders. Saunders, from Ohio, was the first commitment on the board for the Class of 2022 for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions, setting the bar high for what would turn out to be a top 10 recruiting class in Happy Valley.
Saunders is a speedy receiver who brings the ability to hit the fifth gear in the blink of an eye and make cuts in the open field to shake a defender when needed. Like many receivers of his nature, Saunders will probably benefit from strength training once he gets on campus, as he could stand to bulk up a little to go against some of the defensive backs he will be squaring up with down the line in Big Ten play.
Saunders has the ideal size and speed to fit into a slot receiver role, but he will add to the quality receiving unit Penn State has to work with and could be utilized in various roles to mix things up or spread things around.
Special thanks to everyone who came out to @KSaunders03 graduation party today! It was so nice to see everyone & much ❤ to all! Time is ticking until we turn the chapter, but for now, finish your HS year strong these last couple weeks, bud! #WeAre#GoodbyeWSHS#HelloPSUpic.twitter.com/tCuz4Nlhqw
Saunders also has the ideal fit for a solid special teams returner, either on kickoff or punt duty. The importance of a big kickoff return man has been diminished in recent years with changes to the kickoff rules in college football, but a possible big punt return can still be vital for any winning team. Don’t be shocked if Saunders is a player used for punt returns before getting a larger role on offense.
See the top 10 high school football recruits committed to Big Ten schools.
As recruiting for the high school football class of 2022 picks up, more and more schools are seeing who may be its superstars of the future.
Only two five-star players are committed to Big Ten schools as of Nov. 3, but there are 52 four-star recruits, the second-most of any conference.
Here’s a dive into the top-10 ranked players, according to the USA TODAY High School Sports Composite Player Rankings, The list averages the grades from the three biggest recruiting services: 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.
For conferences that do not have 10 players in the top-100, the remainder of the list came from the 247Sports Composite Ranking. That does not apply to the Big Ten, which has 13 top-100 players.
(Note: The recruit’s measurements and position are courtesy of 247Sports.)
Here is a glimpse of how the top high school prospects in Ohio played.
All though we are still waiting anxiously for the Ohio State football team to kick off its football season, Ohio high schools around the state have at least broken the seal, and we wanted to provide a breakdown on how some of the top prospects have played.
If you follow us here at Buckeyes Wire you know how much we love Gabe Powers, but unfortunately, Marysville High School does not kick off their season until next week. There is still a ton of exciting talent and we will highlight where the prospect is currently committed as well.
Here are some of the most notable performances from Friday under the lights in the great state of Ohio.
Penn State’s latest recruiting efforts continue to pay off in a big way in the recruiting rankings for 2022
After a brilliant week of recruiting news, Penn State’s Class of 2022 continues to move up in the national rankings. And it didn’t have that far it could have moved. After coming out of the July 4th weekend with the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class according to the 247 Sports composite ranking, the Nittany Lions have moved up one spot.
According to the updated composite rankings from 247 Sports, Penn State has moved up to No. 2 in the nation, passing Notre Dame. The Irish fell one spot to occupy the ranking recently held by the Nittany Lions. Ohio State remains the nation’s recruiting leader with the highest-rated class featuring four five-star recruits in the Class of 2022.
Penn State’s recruiting ranking was given a healthy boost over the July 4th weekend with the additions of four-star defenders Tyreese Fearbry and Zane Durant. The weekend also saw the additions of linebacker Keon Wylie and defensive lineman Kaleb Artis. Penn State also added a JUCO commitment from JB Nelson. The big splash continued on Tuesday when four-star running back Nicholas Singleton from Reading, PA announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions.
Penn State’s Class of 2022 already included a number of four-star recruits as well including wide receivers Kaden Saunders, Mekhi Flowers, and Anthony Ivey, offensive tackle Drew Shelton, quarterback Drew Allar and defensive end Ken Talley, just to name a few.
Asking Penn State to climb to No. 1 is unrealistic at this point, barring a completely unexpected collapse from Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions are easily on track to record the highest-rated recruiting class under head coach James Franklin yet. Keeping everyone in the class still requires work too between now and the early signing period in December. And it’s possible another school may eclipse Penn State at some point. But the Nittany Lions are in a terrific spot in the middle of the summer.
The Notre Dame coaching staff is going hard after Big Ten teams commitments, this time going after a Penn State wide receiver commit.
The Notre Dame coaching staff is hard at work trying to secure another top-10 recruiting class for the 2022 cycle. This past weekend, the Best of the Midwest Combine was held and 247Sports Steve Wiltfong was on hand. His recruiting report had an interesting nugget regarding Penn State wide receiver commit Kaden Saunders.
Although Saunders has been committed to the Nittany Lions since July of last year, he’s still “keeping the lines of communication open with others including Florida State, Notre Dame and Oregon. He’ll have a Zoom meeting with the Irish staff on Monday,” said Wiltfong.
The five-foot-ten-inch and 172-pound receiver was offered a scholarship by the Irish when he unofficially visited South Bend in February last year.
At the current moment, the 2022 class does not have a committed player at wide receiver. The Irish are searching for their first commit, as they have recently offered Addison Copeland.
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It seems like the staff has no issues going to recruit other schools commits. They are trying to flip Ohio State commitment Jyaire Brown and although Copeland decommitted after the Irish offer, he can be viewed as a flip also.
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This is an interesting situation with Saunders that bears watching. The Irish could be on the verge of flipping another Big Ten committed player.
One of Michigan’s top targets in 2022 chooses a rival program in the Big Ten over the Wolverines.
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Michigan was really hoping that 2022 Westerville (OH) South four-star athlete Kaden Saunders was serious when he proclaimed he wasn’t a sure-fire Ohio State commit.
A self-avowed OSU fan, Saunders was being recruited by Michigan and others on the offensive side of the ball, whereas the Buckeyes wanted him on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage. He visited Ann Arbor with his father during the winter months, building a bond with Josh Gattis, Ed Warinner and former assistant Roy Roundtree.
However, the maize and blue lost out on his services as the 2022 prospect proved true to his word, not committing to Ohio State when decision time came. But, he chose another school in the Big Ten East, as he pledged to Penn State on Saturday.
Saunders’ original plan, before the pandemic, was to attend college camps and see how he interacted best with various staffs. However, with campuses locked down in a recruiting dead period as far as visits are concerned, he apparently decided that James Franklin offered what he was looking for.
