Penn State should target these 5 recruits for 2021 class

Five 2021 targets Penn State should prioritize to salvage disappointment on recruiting trail

Many Penn State fans have been critical of the Nittany Lions‘ recruiting in the 2021 cycle. The 13 commit class is currently ranked 34th nationally by the 247 Sports composite rankings, putting it on pace to be the lowest-ranked class in the Franklin era.

Despite a slew of misses on top targets, there are reasons to believe the staff can close strong in the 2021 class.

Here are five targets that Penn State should and will prioritize in the last months of this cycle.

1. Derrick Davis Jr., Safety 

Davis Jr. has been at the top of Penn State’s board since the beginning. The Monroeville, Pa native has a great relationship with corner backs coach Terry Smith, who was the head coach at Gateway High School, Davis’ school, from 2002-2012. The competition is stiff with the likes of Ohio State and LSU involved, but getting the in-state 4-star safety would go a long way in Franklin turning around the trend with Pennsylvania recruits.

2. George Rooks, Defensive Tackle

The 4-star New Jersey defensive lineman jumped to the top of the list recently when other targets came off the board. At 6’4 260, Rooks has the ideal size and frame for an interior linemen in the Big Ten. His high school, St. Peter’s Prep, is a place that hasn’t been kind to PSU recruiting wise lately, but it would be a good time for Franklin to reverse another trend. Michigan is the other big player in his recruitment.

3. Davon Townley, Defensive End

At 6’6 220, the 3-star Townley has the prototypical size of a PSU defensive end under Franklin. Unlike Davis Jr. and Rooks, Townley lives nowhere near Penn State, with him being from Minneapolis. Becuase of this, and the pandemic, Townley has never stepped foot on campus, making this an up-hill climb. The local school, Minnesota, is involved in this one.

4. Khalil Dinkins, Tight End/Athlete 

The son of former NFL player Darnell Dinkins, Khalil Dinkins has quickly become a name to know. He’s listed as a tight end, but his good athleticism and the fact that Penn State has a loaded tight end room, we could see him on either side of the ball. At 6’3 220, he would fit nicely at outside linebacker or even grow into a defensive end. Considering his talent, he’s a guy you want to have on your roster and you figure out the position later. Not to mention he’s another PA recruit and a Pitt legacy.

5. Offensive Tackle

There’s not one name in particular to know here, as Penn State scrambles to find guys after targets Nolan Rucci and Diego Pounds went elsewhere. This late in the cycle, Penn State may have to try to flip a recruit committed to another school in order to fill this position. A hot start to the 2020 season should give the staff some momentum that they can use on the recruiting trail, and this is the posiiton they will probably use that momentum to their advantage the most.