Penn State Football Recruiting: Nittany Lions Land Two Big Commitments for 2018

Penn State has continued to build its top-ranked 2018 recruiting class. 

Just days after Penn State officially wrapped up recruiting for the 2017 cycle, head coach James Franklin and his staff were able to add some top recruits for the 2018 class. On Friday afternoon, the Nittany Lions picked up two commitments that made the top-ranked Penn State class even stronger.

Five-star running back Ricky Slade made the call for the Nittany Lions. Slade, who plays for C.D. Hilton High School in Woodbridge, VA, is rated as the top all-purpose back available according to 247Sports. When Slade officially joins the Nittany Lions he’ll be paired up with Miles Sanders, a five-star running back recruit from the 2016 class.

Slade has a very impressive offer list, but has been a Penn State lean for some time. Other than the Nittany Lions, Slade has picked up offers from Baylor, Clemson, Louisville, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech, among others.

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With the pickup of Slade, the Nittany Lions currently have two five-star prospects on the board for 2018. Defensive end Micah Parsons, one of the top players in the entire class, has been committed to Penn State since February of 2016.

Slade wasn’t the only commitment that Franklin and company picked up Friday. Three-star outside linebacker Jesse Luketa also made the call for Penn State. After receiving an offer from the Nittany Lions earlier in the week, Luketa wasted little time making his decision.

Luketa also holds offers from Northwestern, Pitt, Stanford, and West Virginia, among others.

Next: Penn State's Top Recruits in Each of Last 10 Years

With the addition of Slade and Luketa, the Nittany Lions currently have 10 members committed for the 2018. Penn State remains as the No. 1 class for 2018.