After earning commitments from three 5-star recruits en route to landing 247Sports’ No. 8 recruiting class in the country in 2022, Penn State has not slowed down in the slightest with its next class.
Now at 15 commitments and counting, the Nittany Lions are right back where they left off at the end of the 2022 cycle, currently holding the nation’s No. 3-ranked recruiting class.
James Franklin and his staff haven’t just put together a great recruiting class thus far. They’re doing things Penn State has never done before on the recruiting trail.
A great balance of dominant in-state recruiting mixed with a broadened net of out-of-state networking, this year’s class is shaping up to be just as historic, if not more so, than its predecessor.
Here’s a power ranking of the program’s current top five recruiters for the 2023 cycle.
5 | Alan Zemaitis, assistant recruiting coordinator
While you won’t see his name as a primary or secondary recruiter next to any of Penn State’s 15 2023 commitments, Assistant Recruiting Coordinator Alan Zemaitis has defined himself as one of the program’s most determined recruiters since joining the staff in March 2021.
With a depth knowledge of the game dating back to his playing days with the Nittany Lions, eventually leading him to the NFL and then the college coaching ranks, Zemaitis sees recruiting from all focal points and is very relatable with parents and prospects.
What exactly does Zemaitis do? Pretty much everything that has to do with recruiting.
From scouting to meeting with recruits to leading tours, Zemaitis does it all and just now is his impact starting to be recognized.
Following the commitment of 4-star Alabama safety DaKaari Nelson on Saturday, Penn State Director of Player Personnel Kenny Sanders and former editor of Lions247 Sean Fitz took to Twitter to give Zemaitis his credit.
My man @ZemaitisTouch_ has everything covered from A to Z… lockdown CB, lockdown recruiter. I challenge you to find someone better. #WeAre @PennStateFball #kenneltalk 🟦⬜️🦁 #WeAre23
— Kenny Sanders (@knnysndrs) June 25, 2022
ARC Alan Zemaitis was huge in the DaKaari Nelson commitment. Has really made a mark as one of Penn State's best recruiters since his arrival early last year.
— Sean Fitz (@seanfitz247) June 25, 2022
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Zemaitis earn a promotion within the program or find a higher-ranking job elsewhere in the near future.
4 | Ty Howle, tight ends coach
Penn State’s tight ends didn’t perform the way they were expected to in 2021.
Luckily for the Nittany Lions, Tight Ends Coach Ty Howle is doing the most on the recruiting trail to make sure the group returns to its glory from just a few years ago.
Howle helped bring in two prospects early in the cycle, 4-star athlete Mathias “Mega” Barnwell and in-state 3-star tight end Joey Schlaffer.
However, his prized commitment came in April when he helped lure 4-star tight end Andrew Rappleyea, then a Michigan commit, away from the Wolverines and to the Nittany Lions.
Rappleyea is the No. 12 tight end in the country for 2023 and has been near the top of Penn State’s board since the cycle began.
3 | Phil Trautwein, offensive line coach
Much like the tight ends, Penn State’s offensive line was relatively disappointing in 2021.
Obviously, Offensive Line Coach Phil Trautwein would like to change this in the future and has been a dominant recruiter dating back to the program’s first 2023 commitment last July.
After helping bring in 5-star lineman Alex Birchmeier as a secondary recruiter last summer, Trautwein has since played major roles in the commitments of two more.
Trautwein was a secondary recruiter in 3-star tackle Anthony Donkoh’s commitment in January and followed that up with a pledge from 4-star lineman J’ven Williams, currently the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania.
Despite interior lineman Joshua Miller having decommitted and flipped to Georgia, Trautwein’s 2023 track record is still exceptional.
2 | John Scott Jr., defensive line coach
After serving as the primary recruiter for former 5-star defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton in 2022, Penn State Defensive Line Coach John Scott Jr. set the bar very high for what he’s able to do on the recruiting trail.
Since then, he’s only progressed as a recruiter, setting the Nittany Lions up for an absolutely lethal tandem on the edge in the near future.
First, Scott Jr. helped bring in 4-star edge rusher Jameial Lyons, a 3-star at the time of his commitment in April and now the No. 5 player in Pennsylvania.
Then, two months later, Scott Jr. worked his magic and helped Penn State earn a commitment from 4-star Alabama defensive end TJ Parker.
The Nittany Lions’ last two commitments are from Alabama, and Scott Jr. should have a ton of credit for the blue and white’s expansion to the South.
1 | Ja’Juan Seider, running backs coach
Penn State Running Backs Coach Ja’Juan Seider isn’t just the best recruiter on staff, he’s one of the best in the country.
The thing that stands out most from Seider’s list of 2023 prospects he’s served as a primary recruiter for is that none are from the state of Pennsylvania.
Himself a native of Florida, Seider helped bring in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, defensive back Conrad Hussey in April.
More natives from the Sunshine State are expected to tag along in the coming months.
While Penn State has stressed in-state recruiting dominance, Seider has bridged the out-of-state gap to perfection, serving as the primary recruiter for all three of the program’s Virginia commitments, Birchmeier, Barnwell and Donkoh.
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