Penn State football has had its fair share of stars come through the program, but not every promising prospect turned out as expected. In the James Franklin era, there were a few recruits who failed to meet expectations, whether it was due to consistency, development, or injury issues — just as any other program in the country experiences.
Looking at blue-chip prospects, specifically (four- and five-star recruits), though, Franklin did a fair job of rallying his troops. Not every high-end player ended up being "the guy" for Penn State, and a few were more disappointing than others.
Here are the four, recent former Nittany Lions who couldn't reach their full potential in Happy Valley during Franklin's tenure.
Running back Ricky Slade was a five-star recruit in the 2018 cycle. Per Rivals, Slade was also the No. 28 prospect nationally and No. 3 rusher.
Slade didn't headline Franklin's packed 2018 class, which was highlighted by former five-star defensive end and No. 5 overall recruit Micah Parsons. However, the expectations placed on the running back were still high. He was the top-ranked, all-purpose back in his class who was projected to be Penn State's next Saquon Barkley and a future NFL star.
Slade didn't even scratch the concept of his expectations. Across 2018 and 2019, he accumulated just 471 total yards on the ground and eight rushing touchdowns over 21 games. Including his receiving stats, he left Penn State with 588 total yards to his name.
Slade initially started the 2019 season as the Nittany Lions' starter, but he very quickly lost that job. He totaled just 47 carries that season, which was the sixth-most on the team that year. Backup quarterback Will Levis nearly outperformed Slade on the ground as well, but was one yard short of Slade's season total (214).
His lackluster and disappointing performance dropped his ranking by the time he entered the Transfer Portal in 2020 to a three-star rating. Slade eventually transferred to Old Dominion, but he did not play a single snap for the Monarchs. The team opted not to participate in the 2020 season and Slade was also removed from the 2021 roster the following season.
Also part of that 2018 class was five-star-plus wide receiver Justin Shorter. He was the No. 7 prospect in the country and No. 1 wideout in that cycle, per Rivals, and was the Nittany Lions' second-highest rated recruit.
He was recruited with the intent on being Penn State's next best outside threat, dominating in contested catches and being the go-to guy for his quarterback. At 6-foot-4 and about 220 pounds, the promise was there. The consistency was not.
As a true freshman, Shorter had an undisclosed injury that kept him limited to four games where he logged just three catches for 20 yards. In 2019, he saw action in 10 games, but he wasn't the "go-to" guy Franklin initially recruited him to be. Shorter caught 12 passes for just 137 yards. He didn't log a single touchdown during his time at Penn State.
Shorter eventually moved on from the Nittany Lions, transferring to Florida for his last three collegiate seasons. While he had a more prominent role on the Gators' offense, his production wasn't nearly five-star-plus quality. His most productive season was in 2022 with 577 receiving yards.
While not as disappointing as the others, linebacker Brandon Smith still couldn't meet expectations. As a former five-star prospect in the 2019 cycle, Smith was ranked fourth at his position and No. 29 nationally, per Rivals. He was the headliner of this class as well, which included offensive lineman Caedan Wallace, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., and safety Jaquan Brisker among others.
A five-star ceiling isn't easy to reach, but at Linebacker U, there's a standard to uphold.
Smith still showed his athleticism and versatility, but applying it on the field is where incosnistencies and flaws struck. As said before, others were definitely more of a "bust," but when comparing his performance his expectations exclusively, Smith didn't meet the mark.
In his three years at Penn State, Smith totaled 132 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, six passes defensed, four sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble.
Landon Tengwall committed to the Nittany Lions as their highest-ranked recruit in the 2021 cycle. Though only a four-star, the former offensive tackle was ranked 72nd nationally and 10th at his position, per Rivals.
Tengwall's career was unfortunately cut short. He redshirted his true freshman season after making three game appearances, then earned the starting role at left guard in 2022.
It wasn't his talent that kept him from reaching his potential. After starting in five games, Tengwall sustained a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remainder of that 2022 season. That was all Penn State fans saw from the lineman.
Ahead of the 2023 season, Tengwall medically retired from the sport due to persistent concussion-related injuries. It's unfortunate that injuries cut his career short, and he'll remain a "what if" player for the Nittany Lions regarding what he could've done and if he could've reached his four-star potential.
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