Five reasons Penn State fans should be excited about the 2024 class: It can still get better

July has been quieter than expected for Penn State on the recruiting trail. Following the busiest month of the year, James Franklin and his staff were expected to earn a few more commitments than they have so far, with Philadelphia native Mylachi Williams being the only new addition.

However, it’s also important for fans to keep things in perspective. Sure, it’s not fun when top targets go elsewhere, but with 22 commitments and counting, Penn State also has a lot going in its favor currently, hence the No. 10 ranking in the nation right now in On3’s Team Rankings.

After breaking down a few reasons for fans to be excited over the past two weeks, we’ll finish out our series today with a look at what’s still to come. Fans can recap the previous writeups below.

Dominate The State – Part I
Strong Evaluations- Part II
Quinton Martin- Part III
Offensive Line – Part IV

5) Penn State’s class should still get better

With 22 commitments and counting, Penn State is basically 80 percent finished with its Class of 2024. If all goes to plan, the class should finish around 27 or 28 players.

July has been quiet, but I don’t believe we’ll have to wait much longer to see more additions. Last Friday, Miami Central defensive tackle T.A. Cunningham confirmed that he’ll announce his decision this upcoming Saturday, July 22. Sean Fitz followed that up by logging an RPM for Cunningham over the weekend. Considering Cunningham took just one official visit last month, all signs point to the Nittany Lions.

Things are also looking positive with both Maryland edge rusher Jaylen Harvey and New England defensive tackle Liam Andrews. There’s growing optimism inside the Lasch Building again that Penn State will end up landing Harvey. Of course, there have also been plenty of ups and downs in that recruitment, but with Harvey expected to decide before the season, fans should feel better about the staff’s chances today compared to a few weeks ago.

Recruiting: Another four-star prospect locks in Penn State visit

Andrews, of course, would be the biggest catch of them all. There’s more and more talk that a decision could come at the end of this week, although we’ll stress that Andrews hasn’t announced anything publicly yet. This has been considered a Penn State – South Carolina battle, but as Fitz wrote today, it’s looking good for the Lions.

Time will tell if Penn State can land all three, but either way, this class should still get better. Not just more commitments, but more quality, four-star players. All three players above hold that rating at the moment.

But also, all the talk surrounding those who are deciding this summer has kind of overshadowed what this season could do for Penn State. With a former five-star at quarterback and the deepest pool of players we’ve see at Penn State since 2017, this could be a year where momentum on the field leads to a few players they otherwise wouldn’t land.

If they are able take the next step like so many fans are hopeful for, it’ll only help Franklin and his staff finish strong on the recruiting trail, too. The absolute max this class can go to is 30 players. I think it’s unlikely they’ll get that high, but they will have the scholarships to play with if they want to get aggressive once the coaching carousel gets going.

Either way, this class still has the opportunity to grow and get better, even after they sort out the defensive line. With 13 four-star players already committed, it’s still possible that the Lions could surpass its high of 16 four-star players or better. Landing Cunningham, Harvey and Andrews would make that challenge much more attainable.

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