Penn State Is Becoming a 'Force' in Southern Recruiting

Manny Diaz joins Ja'Juan Seider in driving the Lions' presence in Florida, with tangible success.

Penn State turned heads on the southern recruiting trail when Floridian Ja'Juan Seider joined the coaching staff in 2018. Adding fellow Floridian Manny Diaz as defensive coordinator has made the Lions a true player in the South, according to John Garcia, Jr., Sports Illustrated's director of football recruiting.

"I think the combination of Seider and Diaz in the South is something to be reckoned with," Garcia said.

It certainly is. Five of the 17 players in Penn State's 2023 recruiting class so far are from Florida and Alabama, as head coach James Franklin continues stretching the program's traditional recruiting boundaries. Penn State has received commitments from three Floridians and two Alabama players while crashing one of the nation's most fertile training grounds.

The Lions have plucked two commitments from St. Thomas Aquinas High, the Fort Lauderdale power that has sent more players to the NFL over the last decade than any high school nationwide. Both Conrad Hussey and King Mack are defensive backs, underscoring how Penn State's relationship-building has manifested in recruiting success.

Garcia said that Penn State's recruiting strategy in the South should grow even further under Seider and Diaz.

"They have geographical ties, and obviously with Manny there are a lot of defensive ties," Garcia said. "People forget that his stops as a defensive coordinator are pretty darn good. I think in south Florida his head-coaching stint [at Miami] left a bad taste in people's mouths, and that's fine.

"But what got him there was true prowess at the defensive-coordinator spot and identifying that type of talent, which, during his time in Miami, they still churned out first-rounders, especially on defense. So I do think that stuff resonates when you go at it from a 30,000-foot view as opposed to more of an emotional view of your typical south Floridian."

Under Seider, Penn State has made a concerted recruiting effort in Florida. Since 2018, the program has signed 10 players from Florida high schools, including three in the 2022 class. Penn State landed a twin-bill recently when it received a commitment from Florida defensive back Elliot Washington II, who previously had committed to Alabama.

Of course, not every signee stuck. Players such as Noah Cain (a Louisianian by way of IMG Academy). John Dunmore, T.J. Jones and Judge Culpepper transferred from Penn State. And the Lions' 2023 class recently lost Florida quarterback Marcus Stokes to the Florida Gators.

Still, the Lions are making good on Seider's 2018 prediction that Penn State would become a player in Florida.

"This thing is real," Seider said then. "Now that [recruits] have somebody that’s from down here on the staff, we can see Penn State being a real player down here."

Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider has been a key player in the program's Florida recruiting success :: Matthew O'Haren/USA Today Sports

Penn State's 2022 backfield will include two native Floridians (Keyvone Lee and Caziah Holmes) and Virginian Kaytron Allen, who tuned his game substantially at Florida's IMG Academy. Freshman defensive tackle Zane Durant from Lake Nona could make an early contribution on defense. Meanwhile, receiver Harrison Wallace III, from Alabama, is a player to watch on offense.

"There's just a type of kid that grows up in Florida and Alabama now that wants something different," Garcia said. "... Penn State is providing that nice blend of, you’re going to play Big Ten football, big-time football as well, but it’s going to be a different environment than you’re used to. And by the way, we’ve got this great track record of producing NFL-type guys on top of that, so that certainly doesn’t hurt."

It also doesn't hurt that St. Thomas Aquinas produces NFL-type guys. Mack and Hussey, both top-40 safeties nationally according to 247Sports, play for a program that has produced 18 draft picks over the past decade.

They also might have built a launch pad for Penn State, particularly Hussey, who has a leader's personality, Garcia said.

"We’ve seen other teams try to go on runs at St. Thomas," Garcia said. "It’s not easy, but you’ve just got to get that initial buy-in. And I think with Conrad Hussey, ... he's already this ambassador for the program. So you can just imagine, knowing that King Mack was a top target, [Hussey] kind of corralling [Mack] and saying, 'You need to come here with me and we need to do this thing together.'

"So when you have a dynamic personality like Conrad’s, it only helps, even at the biggest and best program in the state of Florida."

Check out more from Garcia in the video above.

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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.