Penn State football recruiting: 2022 class takes a big leap

Penn State football had one of their strongest recruiting weekends of James Franklin’s tenure over the 2021 Independence Day holiday weekend.

Over the course of the Fourth of July weekend, the Nittany Lions picked up commitments from five top targets, propelling Penn State’s 2022 class from eighth in the 247 Sports national rankings, to third.

More good news could be on the way, as the top offensive target running back Nick Singleton is expected to announce his decision.

In the meantime, here’s a look at the five newest members of Penn State’s 2022 class.

Penn State football commit JB Nelson (OL)

Offensive lineman JB Nelson got the commitment train rolling on Friday, as he tweeted his intentions to commit to the Nittany Lions. Nelson is the top JUCO offensive lineman in the country. He attends one of Penn State’s most important pipelines, Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pa.

https://twitter.com/Never_giveup95/status/1411021889863028738?s=20

Originally from Pittsburgh, Nelson will have four years to play three seasons at Happy Valley, with a redshirt year available to him, along with an additional year of eligibility due to the pandemic.

With Nelson in the fold, offensive line coach Phil Trautwein now has three commits with 4-star Drew Shelton and 3-star Maleek McNeil already committed. Due to 2021 signee Nate Bruce’s departure from the program, it’s likely Trautwein isn’t finished and will look to add another lineman to his group.