Why Penn State's James Franklin Talks Some Prospects Out of Committing

'I’d rather you not commit than commit and change your mind down the road,' Franklin says.

Matthew O'Haren/USA Today Sports

Penn State will host about 50 recruiting prospects on official visits in June, some of whom will be eager to announce their commitments. Certainly, head coach James Franklin and his staff will welcome many of those decisions. However, Franklin also will remind players that they have plenty of time to change their minds. As do coaches.

"Let's be honest," Franklin said about recruiting. "That commitment and that loyalty are a two-way street. We see some institutions that drop guys right before Signing Day because they find someone they think is better. But then they get upset when a player does it to them. To me, that's something that recruits and high school coaches and parents should look at."

Penn State had received four commitments during the June official visit cycle, including one from Florida offensive lineman Deryc Plazz. Plazz announced his decision after making an official trip to Penn State. A few weeks later, however, Plazz announced that he would be decommitting, saying that he "rushed into this decision without giving it the careful consideration that it deserves." Which is the type of thoughtful approach Franklin encourages players to take.

#LongLiveRock77💚 pic.twitter.com/EqOMkqjOEn

— Deryc Plazz (@DerycPlazz) June 15, 2023

Last summer four players committed to, and two decommitted from, Penn State's 2023 recruiting class in July, when the cycle began rounding toward home to the early signing period. As Franklin has said, that's part of the problem with recruiting. Franklin, entering his 10th season as Penn State's head coach, has addressed one of the key moments in recruiting: the commitment. Players and coaches commit to each other months, or even years, in advance, often with lavish graphics, announcements and videos.

But the relationship doesn't become binding until players sign their Letters of Intent in December or February. In the meantime, as Franklin has said in the past, an oral commitment merely identifies the recruiting competition for coaches. The NCAA Transfer Portal and Name, Image and Likeness opportunities have complicated the commitment concept, allowing players free reign to decommit even after spending a year with a program. Further, players now can take unlimited official visits, stretching the process even longer as they evaluate programs as much as coaches evaluate them.

Coaches always have had that ability. But now, players freely can frustrate coaches by changing their minds during and after the recruiting process. Which is why Franklin said he offers this advice to high school players: Don't commit until you're truly ready.

"With some of these schools, you talk to kids and parents [who say] they were pressured: 'If you don't commit to us, we're taking this other guy,'" Franklin said. "For me, it's the opposite. Kids try to commit to us, and I try to talk them out of it."

That certainly doesn't happen all the time, as every coach has a recruiting timeline. And coach inject a bit of pressure into the process, since recruiting classes fill and coaches pursue limited numbers at each position. But generally, Franklin said, his policy remains firm. Commit to Penn State when you're ready, but make sure that's your final decision.

"I’d rather you not commit than commit and change your mind down the road," Franklin said. "What if School X offers you, will that change your mind? What if the Philadelphia Eagles try to draft you right out of high school? Literally, I try to talk them out of [committing], because I think there's still value in your word, in your reputation and in what the word 'commitment' means."

But, as Franklin quickly added, both parties must value the word "commitment."

"It bothers me because literally we try to talk them out of it and make sure that the kids, the parents, the high school coaches and anybody else who is involved in the process is comfortable and understand what it means," Franklin said. "Once you're there [at the commitment stage], then it's wonderful. It's get up and hug and celebrate and embrace.

"But then the process is over for you, just like it's over for us. That’s what bothers me — how thorough we are about that. Because to me, if you pressure a kid and a family before maybe they are ready and then they change their mind, well then you created that [decommitment] to a degree."

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