Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1445781
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 51 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ally in the class of 2023. Considering Penn State's need at the position, he's an incredibly important player for of- fensive line coach Phil Trautwein. "I really liked the presentation that [Franklin] gave," Okunlola said. "It re- ally showed how energetic he is, how much he loves the school. He really showed what makes Penn State differ- ent from the other schools. He basi- cally just explained that, at the end of the day, football is important, but get- ting your education and setting your- self up for the future is also a big part of your experience." Amir Herring of West Bloomfield, Mich., Sam Pendleton of Pfafftown, N.C., and Evan Link of Fort Wash- ington, Md., were three additional offensive linemen who made the trip. Herring and Pendleton both project as interior linemen at the next level, while Link has the length and athleticism to play tackle. Herring and Link are listed as four-stars among the nation's top 308 prospects regardless of position by the On3 Consensus, while the three- star Pendleton isn't far behind at No. 372 overall. "There were definitely a few things that stood out," Link said. "One thing I'd say is the family atmosphere they have there, between the team and the coaching staff. I've talked to them about it before, but this time I really felt that a lot more and got to see it up close." Link enjoyed getting to talk to a number of current Penn State offensive linemen at the beginning of his trip to State College. "When we first arrived and were eat- ing lunch, I got to hang out a bit with Olu Fashanu and Landon Tengwall. Jimmy Christ was there, too," Link said. "Olu went to my high school, of course, so I had a good talk with him about what he thinks of it, how he's doing there, what he thinks of the pro- gram and the school. He provided some great insight there." Penn State also hosted two of the na- tion's top defensive linemen in Florida natives Derrick LeBlanc and John Walker. Teammates at Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Fla., LeBlanc is ranked 63rd nationally according to the On3 Consensus, while Walker ranks No. 107 nationally. Both project as de- fensive tackles. "The best part of the visit for me was talking with Coach Franklin," LeBlanc said. "We talked ball, we talked life, and he really stood out to me. Coach Franklin is about loyalty. He is one of the most realistic coaches I have ever talked to." Walker said one of his favorite parts of the visit was getting to talk to Penn State defensive line coach John Scott Jr. "We watched film, we talked about Penn State's defensive line and he gave me a lot of his time," Walker said. Other notable prospects who at- tended on Jan. 15 included linebacker Ta'Mere Robinson of Pittsburgh, de- fensive end Dylan Gooden of Olney, Md., defensive back Moussa Kane of New York, and wide receiver Adarius Redmond of Powell, Tenn. All except Kane are listed as four-star recruits and top-200 prospects by the On3 Consensus. The Jan. 22 junior day wasn't as deep as the first one, but Penn State still hosted a handful of scholarship targets, including linebacker Dee Crayton from Alpharetta, Ga. A four-star player and the nation's No. 235 overall prospect per the consensus rankings, Crayton earned an offer from the Nittany Lions this past September. "It was an amazing visit," Crayton said. "Many things stood out, but one Receiver Kenny Johnson of Dallastown, Pa., picked up his first Power Five offer last October when Penn State invited him to join the class of 2023. Boston College, Rutgers and West Virginia have since joined the chase. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER