5 recruits James Franklin needs to get to beat Ohio State and Michigan
By Josh Yourish
Ryan Day and Ohio State didn’t just beat James Franklin and Penn State on Saturday in the Horseshoe. Day won that game on December 16, 2020, the day that Marvin Harrison Jr. signed his letter of intent to Ohio State.
Harrison Jr. had 11 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown against the Nittany Lions in Week 8. He was the biggest difference in a game dominated by defense. James Franklin had no counter to “Maserati Marv” as Gus Johnson so incessantly refers to the junior receiver.
Harrison Jr. was a four-star receiver from Philadelphia and Day came into the state of Pennsylvania and left with the son of a hall-of-famer. It wasn’t a certainty that Harrison would turn into the best receiver in the country, but snagging recruits like that can be the difference between fringe top-10 teams like Penn State, and perennial playoff contenders like Ohio State.
Even with eight years left on his massive contract extension, the mission is clear for James Franklin; beat Ohio State and Michigan. Otherwise, he may not make it to 2031 in Happy Valley. Franklin is 1-9 against Ohio State, but locking up these five recruits could shift the balance of power in the everchanging Big 10 landscape.
Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class ranked fourth overall, while Penn State checked in at 14th. Michigan lagged behind at 18th. For 2024, Penn State is currently 13, one spot ahead of Michigan and well behind Ohio State at No. 2. James Franklin will need to make a splash in the 2024 and 2025 classes to make up the gap between the Nittany Lions and the top two teams in the Big 10.