Penn State's James Franklin Refreshes His Pennsylvania Pitch

"The best players in Pennsylvania need to stay in Pennsylvania," Franklin said, "and they need to come to Penn State."

Penn State signed Pennsylvania's top-ranked recruit for the sixth time under head coach James Franklin, who reminded everyone of the commitment he made to in-state recruiting nearly 11 years ago. But Franklin already is looking ahead to the 2025 recruiting class, which offers no guarantees of extending the streak.

"We've got a pretty good run going right now in the state of Pennsylvania and [signing] the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania. We've got to do it again next year," Franklin said on Signing Day. "That's not looking as promising right now as it has been the last couple years, but we're going to battle and to find a way to get that one done as well. All these players, [Nicholas] Singleton and Quinton [Martin] that have done it, they have a responsibility to help us sign the No. 1 player in the state next year as well. We take a lot of pride in that."

Quinton Martin Jr., a 4-star running back from Belle Vernon High, was among 25 players who signed this week in Penn State's 2024 recruiting class. Franklin called the class largely "drama-free" in that the players signed their Letters of Intent without a hint of decommitment or late flips. Martin is among the class' most intriguing players, a 6-1, 185-pound back who rushed for 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns in leading Belle Vernon to a PIAA state championship.

Martin followed offensive tackle J'ven Williams in signing with Penn State as the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania, according to the 247Sports Composite. Prior to them, Singleton, Micah Parsons, Michal Menet and Saquon Barkley all committed to Franklin as the state's top-ranked players. Barkley kickstarted the run in 2015, having been one of Franklin's first phone calls on Signing Day the year before. Franklin basically told Barkley that "the best players in Pennsylvania go to Penn State," which Franklin has been repeating since.

"I believe the best players in the region should come to Penn State," Franklin said. "I'm biased but I think we're the best option in terms of combination of school and football and being able to compete at the very highest level. We are the best option within the footprint, and that's no disrespect to any other program. But I believe that and I feel that way."

Penn State has missed on a few No. 1 recruits in Pennsylvania. The Lions went a three-year stretch missing, in fact. In 2021, Nolan Rucci went to Wisconsin. The year before, Julian Fleming went to Ohio State. And in 2018, Andrew Kristofic chose Notre Dame. (Fleming is in the NCAA Transfer Portal and considering Penn State for his final season of eligibility.)

During the 2020 recruiting period, Penn State refreshed its approach to recruiting Pennsylvania. Associate head coach Terry Smith began recruiting Philadelphia, sending out offers earlier and reloading its statewide strategy.

"Everybody is saturating the state and placing an emphasis on that," Andy Frank, Penn State's general manager of personnel and recruitment, said in 2020. 

The move has produced results. In 2022, Penn State signed six of the state's top 11 players. Last year the Lions brought in four of the top 10. The 2024 class includes eight of the top 13 players in Pennsylvania.

Martin leads the way in becoming another top-ranked Pennsylvania running back to choose Penn State, joining Barkley, Miles Sanders and Singleton. Journey Brown introduced Martin on Signing Day, and running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider welcomed him warmly. "We've got the best backfield in the country, and it just got better today," Seider said.

"You're the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania," Franklin told Martin during the program's Signing Day ceremony. "You're a 5-star recruit, you put up unbelievable numbers and you did it the right way."

Martin will enroll early at Penn State after playing in the Under-Armour All-America Game. He joins a crowded backfield that includes yet another highly ranked Pennsylvania running back: Scranton Prep's London Montgomery, who redshirted this season.

As for next year, the state's top-ranked player is 4-star prospect Zahir Mathis, a 6-6 edge rusher from Imhotep Charter. Mathis has a huge offer list that includes Ohio State, Texas, Florida State, Alabama and Tennessee, among many others. As a result, Franklin will keep making his pitch.

"Again, I'm a big believer for a lot of different reasons, not just Penn State's but for the young men," Franklin said. "That's a win-win for everybody. The best players in Pennsylvania need to stay in Pennsylvania and they need to come to Penn State."

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.