Penn State has the No. 8 recruiting class in the country for 2022, according to 247Sports, with a total of 13 commits so far. But which assistant coaches on the staff have done the best job in recruiting for the 2022 class?
There are rankings for that, as well, from 247Sports, and the Nittany Lions have four coaches ranked among the top 100 recruiters in the nation.
Here’s a breakdown of where PSU’s coaches stand in the rankings and the commits they’ve landed for this class:
No. 16 Terry Smith, cornerbacks coach
The personable and well-respected Smith, who has been on James Franklin’s staff since 2014, has landed five commits thus far and is the highest-ranked Lion assistant on the list. These are Smith’s commits:
** 4-star WR Kaden Saunders
** 4-star OT Drew Shelton
** 4-star DE Ken Talley
** 3-star S Tyrece Mills
** OT JB Nelson (from Lackawanna College, same as Mills)
No. 36 Taylor Stubblefield, wide receivers coach
The former Purdue standout (325 catches, 21 TDs) is in his second year on the staff and already has made a big impact, helping with the development of Jahan Dotson, Parker Washington and the other receivers, as well as recruiting. These are Stubblefield’s commits:
** 4-star WR Kaden Saunders
** 4-star WR Anthony Ivey
** 3-star WR Tyler Johnson
No. 64 Phil Trautwein, offensive line coach
The former NFL lineman is in his second season as the Lions’ offensive line coach. He was at Boston College for two seasons prior to that. These are Trautwein’s commits:
** 4-star OT Drew Shelton
** 3-star OT Maleek McNeil
** OT JB Nelson
No. 99 Mike Yurcich, quarterbacks coach
He’s in his first year on the staff and comes with a great reputation for having an explosive offense and developing quarterbacks. He has helped PSU pick up one of the top QB recruits in the nation in Drew Allar. These are Yurcich’s commits:
** 4-star QB Drew Allar
** 3-star QB Beau Pribula
Also of note in the recruiter rankings:
** Former PSU head coach Bill O’Brien is No. 31, having landed two commits as Alabama’s offensive coordinator.
** Former PSU wide receivers coach Josh Gattis is No. 39, with two commits as Michigan’s offensive coordinator.
** Former PSU player and staff member Elijah Robinson is No. 74, with two commits as Baylor’s defensive line coach.
** Former PSU co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Tim Banks is No. 82, with three commits as Tennesee’s defensive coordinator
** Former PSU safeties coach Brian Norwood is No. 91, with two commits as UCLA’s defensive backs coach
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