Why Daryus Dixson's commitment is a good sign for James Franklin and Penn State

The recruiting season is beginning to pick up, and for James Franklin, that means it is time to work his magic and land some highly touted prospects. On Monday, Franklin and Penn State did exactly that, landing a verbal commitment from 4-star cornerback Daryus Dixson out of California. Per Rivals.com Dixson is the No. 53 overall player in the class of 2025.

The bigger takeaway from this is that James Franklin continues to expand his recruiting pipeline out west. With the additions of Oregon, Washington, UCLA, and USC to the Big Ten, it'll be more important than ever to pull in talent from all points on the map, and even win West Coast battles.

One of Franklin's recruiting mottos was "Dominate The State." HIs goal is to ensure that the best players in Pennsylvania come to play at Penn State. For the most part, Franklin has had success with that strategy, with freshman running back Quinton Martin serving as the latest example.

Franklin has also ventured south in the past, picking up solid recruits from the Sunshine State such as K.J. Hamler, Noah Cain, Kaytron Allen, and Amari Oruwariye. He has also made his way into Texas and found Parker Washington and current wide receiver Omari Evans.

For James Franklin, if he wants the best recruits to come to Happy Valley, he will need to continue recruiting other parts of the country. Getting a player like Daryus Dixson is a step in the right direction and hopefully is a trend that continues for Franklin and Penn State, especially if they plan to compete with the West Coast newcomers in the Big Ten.