The Fascinating Legacy of Penn State's 2018 Recruiting Class

Five years later, James Franklin's superstar class remains his most captivating at Penn State.

Updated May 2023

Recruiting rankings are entertaining to read and certainly matter but often produce more context in the long view. For instance, Penn State's 2022 recruiting class, which ranked sixth nationally according to 247Sports, produced three All-Big Ten players, including running back Nicholas Singleton, the conference's freshman of the year. Still, fans won't truly gauge the class' impact for at least another three years.

But now we can reflect on Penn State's remarkable 2018 recruiting class, which was born from the combined 22 wins of two breakthrough seasons in 2016-17. That group also ranked sixth nationally and promised to be the launchpad for Penn State's football future. This class had three Under Armour All-Americans, two All-American Bowl participants and the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year. It featured three 5-star prospects and two ranked in the national top 10, a first for the Lions since 2000. Fifteen of the 23 signees were 4-star prospects or better. And Penn State had signed the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania for the third consecutive year.

Five years later, Penn State's 2018 recruiting class has proven to be the most fascinating of Franklin's tenure. It has produced 10 NFL Draft picks (including six in the first or second rounds), the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, the program's single-game receiving record, a popular Acrisure Stadium chant, the longest pass play in school history, a dismissed hazing lawsuit, Tom Brady's neighbor and perhaps the 2023 draft's most-watched player.

Eleven of the 23 signees are in the NFL or about to start their professional careers. Eight transferred, three took medical retirements and at least two are still playing college football.

Penn State's 2018 recruiting class has plenty of stories to tell. Here they are.

The Draft Picks

Micah Parsons: The highest-ranked player in the class delivered two exceptional seasons, leading Penn State in tackles twice, before announcing plans to opt out of the 2020 season. Dallas drafted Parsons at No. 12 overall in 2021, and the linebacker became a first-team All-Pro, a Pro Bowl selection and the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He followed with a 13.5-sack season in 2022, making him one of the NFL's defensive stars.

Odafe Oweh: A four-star defensive end and top-100 prospect, Oweh was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2020 without recording a sack. The Baltimore Ravens prized his athleticism and promise, drafting Oweh at No. 31 overall in 2021. Oweh started six games last season and has eight career sacks.

Pat Freiermuth: One of 12 four-star prospects in the 2018 class, Freiermuth was an All-American tight end who twice decided to return to Penn State for the 2020 season. He played in four games, breaking the school record for touchdown receptions by a tight end, but sustained a season-ending injury against Ohio State that required surgery. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the 2021 second round, and he has become a fan favorite. Freiermuth has produced back-to-back 60-catch seasons, with Steelers fans cheering each reception with, "Muuuuuuth."

Jahan Dotson: Once committed to UCLA, Dotson returned to his home-state team and made the starting lineup as a freshman. He then returned to Penn State for his senior season in 2021, becoming an All-American receiver who set the program's single-game record for receiving yards and finished second on the career-receptions list (183). The Washington Commanders selected Dotson at No. 16 overall in 2022, making him Penn State's highest-drafted receiver since 1984. Dotson turned seven of his 35 receptions in touchdowns as a rookie.

Jesse Luketa: A four-star defensive prospect, Luketa played linebacker (taking over Parsons' place outside) in 2020 before shifting to defensive end in 2021. He eventually played both positions, was a third-team All-Big Ten nominee and was drafted in the seventh round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2022. Luketa played in seven games for the Cardinals last season.

Rasheed Walker: A multi-year starter at left tackle, Walker was poised to become Penn State's highest-drafted lineman since second-rounder Donovan Smith in 2015. He was inconsistent during the 2021 season, however, missed the last three games due to injury and was unable to work out at the NFL Combine and Penn State Pro Day. Green Bay selected Walker in the 2022 seventh round, and he played in one game against Miami.

Juice Scruggs: Scruggs is one of Penn State's great stories of the 2018 class. He did not play in 2019 while rehabbing from injuries he sustained in a car accident but returned to the field in 2020. Scruggs became a two-time All-Big Ten lineman at guard and center, was named a team captain and drafted in the 2022 second round by the Houston Texans. 

The Free Agents

PJ Mustipher: A two-time All-Big Ten defensive tackle, Mustipher surprisingly went undrafted in 2023. But Denver signed him as a free agent, prompting Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes to say the Broncos are getting a "great player, leader and a guy who is all about football." Mustipher was named second-team All-Big Ten in 2021 despite playing in just six games because of a knee injury.

Nick Tarburton: The defensive end fought injuries for several years before earning a starting role in 2021. He started 21 games over the past two seasons and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten last year. Tarburton declared himself eligible for the 2023 draft.

Jake Pinegar: As a fifth-year senior, Pinegar regained the starting kicker's role he held as a freshman and sophomore. Pinegar made 12 of 16 field goals last season, going 6-for-7 from 40+ yards. He made 50-yarders against Indiana and Maryland. Pinegar was 11-for-12 on field goals in 2019. He declared himself eligible for the 2023 draft.

The Transfers

Will Levis: After starting two games in three years at Penn State, Levis transferred to Kentucky, where he was a team captain and led the program to 10 wins in 2021. Levis threw for 5,232 yards, 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in two seasons as starter. Levis was hugely popular in Kentucky, where he broke NIL ground by signing an endorsement deal with a thoroughbred horse farm. Though he entered the 2023 draft as potential top-four pick, Levis slid through the first round and was selected by Tennessee in the second.

Zack Kuntz: He was a four-star prospect at tight end with Freiermuth who needed to add mass to his 6-8 frame. Kuntz did that at Old Dominion, where he became a 251-pound player who broke out for a 73-catch season in 2021 that ranked second nationally among FBS tight ends. Despite playing just five games last season because of injury, Kuntz dazzled at the NFL Combine, running a 4.55 40-yard dash, benching 225 pounds 23 times and winning the broad jump at 10-8. The New York Jets selected him in the seventh round. 

Justin Shorter: The former five-star receiver never found his stride at Penn State, laboring through injuries and inconsistency in 2019. Shorter sought a fresh start at Florida, where he caught 95 passes the past three seasons. After recording a career-high 577 receiving yards last year, Shorter went to the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round.

Daniel George: The 6-4 receiver caught a school-record 95-yard touchdown pass from Sean Clifford as a true freshman in 2018, heralding a bright future. That was George's only touchdown catch at Penn State. He transferred to Akron in 2022, catching 67 passes for 793 yards in Joe Moorhead's offense. George returns to the Zips in 2023.

Judge Culpepper: The one-time defensive end, who became neighbors in 2020 with Tom Brady, is now a 290-pound defensive tackle at Toledo. The sixth-year senior is about to be a third-year starter and has made 87 tackles over the past two seasons. 

Ricky Slade: A five-star running back and the Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia, Slade began the 2019 season as Penn State's starter but ceded more playing time to Journey Brown, Noah Cain and Devyn Ford. Ultimately, Slade transferred to Old Dominion in 2020, when the program did not have a season, and Slade was not with Old Dominion thereafter.

Trent Gordon: Gordon spent three seasons at Penn State, playing cornerback and safety, and transferred to Arkansas after the 2020 season. He played in 20 games in two seasons for the Razorbacks, including their 24-10 win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl. Gordon entered the transfer portal in January.

Isaiah Humphries: A three-star defensive back whose father Leonard played at Penn State, Humphries transferred to the University of California after his freshman season. He opted out of the 2020 season, returned for the Bears in 2021 and transferred to Louisiana-Monroe in 2022, playing in three games. Humphries in 2020 filed a lawsuit against Penn State, Franklin and a former teammate alleging that he was hazed and harassed while with the team. A federal judge dismissed Penn State and Franklin from the suit in 2021. 

The Contributors

Bryce Effner: The versatile offensive lineman made eight career starts for the Lions, finishing the 2022 season at right tackle with a start in the Rose Bowl. Effner, who also started twice at left tackle in 2021, announced his retirement from football after the 2022 season.

Charlie Katshir: The linebacker played in 19 games on defense and special teams the past two years. His last game was the 2023 Rose Bowl.

The Medical Retirements

Nana Asiedu: A four-star lineman with an impressive future, Asiedu retired from football before his freshman season after being diagnosed with a heart condition.

Jordan Miner: Another promising four-star prospect, the defensive back also was forced to give up football because of a heart condition diagnosed before his freshman season. Miner was just 17 at the time.

Aeneas Hawkins: A defensive tackle, Hawkins announced his retirement from football in January after spending much of his time at Penn State "battling injury." He serves as the director of client success for Limitless NIL, the NIL agency started by former Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford.

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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.