Penn State's Recruiting Class Features Some 'Special Headliners'

The Lions' class is among the nation's best, according to John Garcia, Jr., Sports Illustrated's director of recruiting.

Penn State has built one of the nation's top recruiting classes for 2022, a big group filled with plenty of offensive talent that once was ranked No. 1 in the country.

Now sitting at No. 6 in Sports Illustrated's recruiting rankings, Penn State's 24 player-class could deliver some early contributors. John Garcia, Jr., Sports Illustrated's director of recruiting, is particularly impressed with the offensive players coach James Franklin is bringing to Penn State.

"You've got special headliners on the offensive side of the ball, and I think if you're a Penn State fan, that's what you want," Garcia, Jr. said. "You want to see a bit more talent on the offensive side of the ball. And it's coming."

Here's what else impresses Garcia, Jr. about Penn State's 2022 recruiting class. Check out the video above for more.

It's big and diverse

"This is a top-five group really without question. I know for a lot of those summer months, Penn State was sitting there at No. 1, clearly the No. 1 class in the country, and volume was a part of that certainly. [Penn State has] one of the bigger classes with 25 guys, but the talent at the top is so strong [with] four SI99 recruits. Drew Allar, the quarterback out of Ohio, has had an unbelievable rise over the last 18 months. He just gets better every time we see or hear from him. I think he's the true centerpiece of the class.

"[Penn State] has one of the best running-back groups in the country that we've studied. Kaytron Allen at IMG Academy, every time I see him, that's a man. That is a Big Ten running back if I've ever seen one.

"So there's talent really across the board, there's balance with the offensive line and defensive line, a strong secondary group dipping into Florida, just a little bit of everything in this Penn State class.

"And I think it speaks to the stability of the program, relative to so many others in this class of 2022 that are still sort of figuring things out, that Penn State is one of the few programs that are able to kind of sit back and roll into Signing Day pretty happy with the haul they have coming in. And you have to assume some of these guys are going to be ready to play pretty early."

On Nicholas Singleton, SI's top-ranked running back

"Nicholas Singleton is the No. 1 running back in the country, and we really don't see a reason to change that. He'll go wire-to-wire with that No. 1 spot. I thought he had the best tape among the juniors. And as we get through the senior season, I'm still going through things, but I don't see any reason to bounce him back.

"... I mean, this is a superstar running back, and we know what [Penn State] has done at running back. And I think Singleton is just the next guy up in that long lineage of strong backs. He's a balanced three-down back, meaning he can play inside, he can play outside, he can absolutely factor into the passing game as well. And he's physically built, ready to go right now from a height and weight standpoint at right over 200 pounds."

Nicholas Singleton, a running back at Gov. Mifflin High, is the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year. (Dan Rainville/York Daily Record)

Is receiver Kaden Saunders the next Jahan Dotson?

"I think Kaden Saunders is an electric slot receiver who can play outside as well. I mean, I'm sure he's heard some Jahan Dotson comparisons already. That's a little lofty for me, but in terms of height, weight and skill set, the athleticism is there. He is one of the best route-runners in this class of 2022.

"He's reliable, and the floor is very high with Saunders. I think we get caught up in the ceiling a lot with recruiting, but when you've got a high floor, you're my kind of recruit. It's a little safer bet for us who are making these decisions. So I'm a really big fan of Kaden Saunders. He's an absolute speedster and a polished route-runner as well."

Receiver Kaden Saunders of Westerville South High in Ohio is a player to watch in Penn State's 2022 recruiting class. (Shane Flanigan/The Columbus Dispatch)

Players to watch

"I love offensive lineman Drew Shelton. I think pass-rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton is one of the best players in America, much less one of the best defensive linemen. I think he could play outside or inside, and we all know what PSU has done in that front seven over the last 5-10 years or so."

"So I'm a big fan of this class. I don't really see a way it falls out of the top five."

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