Penn State Football Recruiting: Impressive list of visitors on tap for Blue-White

To say this upcoming weekend is a big one for Penn State football recruiting would be a major understatement

The Blue-White Game is always a big event in the spring for Penn State. Thousands of fans flock to Happy Valley to escape the winter blues to fire up the grills and watch football. Aside from regular fans making the trip to Happy Valley, the spring game is always a top draw for many of Penn State’s recruiting targets.

This year is no different. By the time it’s all said and done, the Nittany Lions should have upwards of 70 recruits on campus over the weekend, both on official and unofficial visits.

James Franklin has done an excellent job of recruiting since arriving at Penn State. He’s made great use of the Blue-White weekend, landing some big targets over the past few seasons. Four-star offensive lineman Nana Asiedu committed while on campus last year, and fellow offensive lineman CJ Thorpe committed during the 2016 Blue-White Weekend.

This year, the visitor list is highlighted by a pair of big-time recruits.

Five-star defensive end Zach Harrison (Lewis Center, OH), the top recruit according to 247Sports for the 2019 class, set an official visit date for April 20 earlier this month. The visit will mark his fourth trip to Penn State in just over a year. Harrison will be a tough get for the Nittany Lions, as he lives just outside of Columbus and is considered a heavy lean for Ohio State.

Joining Harrison in Happy Valley this weekend will be the top recruit in the 2020 class. Five-star defensive end Bryan Bresee, from Damascus, Maryland, will be heading to Penn State on Friday. Like Harrison, he’s an Ohio State lean at this moment, but a lot can happen over the next two years. Bresee does have Penn State in his top five.

As if having the top two targets from the next two classes on campus isn’t enough, a top-10 recruit, and the best linebacker, will also be in town. According to Sean Fitz of Lions247, Georgia native Owen Pappoe has an official visit to Penn State set for the weekend. Pappoe is ranked as the No. 2 prospect from Georgia and the No. 7 recruit overall.

Aside from the top guys mentioned, plenty of quality three and four-star recruits will be on campus. Don’t be surprised to see a commitment or two by the time the weekend wraps up. The Nittany Lions have just two players committed so far for 2019 — cornerback Keaton Ellis and quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson, however that number should rise soon. Ellis and Roberson will both be on campus over the weekend on unofficial visits and could help the coaching staff with recruiting.

Next: Penn State names 2018 football captains

Check back with VBR throughout the weekend to stay on top of the latest Penn State football recruiting news.