Penn State QB commit can take vital leadership role in 2024 recruiting

Penn State football is entering a critical stretch of the 2024 recruiting cycle. Ranked in the top 10 by the three major recruiting services, the Nittany Lions are looking to maintain their status as one of the best classes in the country going into high school football season and, ultimately, signing day. And in the coming weeks, there are several top 2024 prospects announcing their decisions which can help Penn State do just that. But as James Franklin and the Nittany Lions’ recruiting staff looks to seal the deal on their end, Penn State QB commit Ethan Grunkemeyer can take on a vital leadership role to help solidify the 2024 recruiting class.

Penn State QB commit appears ready to take on leadership role in 2024 recruiting

Ethan Grunkemeyer has had an impressive summer in his own right. After standing out among the nation’s top QBs at the Elite 11 showcase in mid-June, Grunkemeyer made a massive jump in the 2024 recruiting rankings. Just last week, the Penn State QB commit was elevated to four-star status, jumping nearly 400 spots from his previous ranking into the top 200 of 247Sport’s national recruiting rankings.

Now, Grunkemeyer appears to have shifted his focus to recruiting his prospective teams. On Sunday, Grunkemeyer took to social media to persuade several of Penn State’s top remaining targets to become Nittany Lions. The QB first turned to Benedict Umeh, the No. 1 player out of Connecticut and a top 10 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle. After appearing to be the frontrunner following his official visit last month, the Nittany Lions are reportedly losing ground to Stanford. Umeh will announce his commitment on July 8.

🤔 slide home #WeAre https://t.co/lcjSVWKQgH

— Ethan Grunkemeyer (@e_grunkemeyer) July 2, 2023

Continuing his emphasis on the defensive line, Grunkemeyer next turned to four-star T.A. Cunningham. Throughout Cunninghan’s recruitment, the Nittany Lions have been entrenched in a back-and-forth battle with the local Miami Hurricanes for the South Florida prospect. While Miami has appeared to be the leader at several points throughout the process, Penn State is the only official visit that Cunningham has taken to date. Although 247Sports predicts that Cunningham will become a Nittany Lion, On3 still has the Hurricanes as the leader. The top 30 DL in the 2024 cycle has yet to announce a commitment date,

I’m thinkin your home #WeAre https://t.co/FbHsvWEtta

— Ethan Grunkemeyer (@e_grunkemeyer) July 2, 2023

Is it time for Grunkemeyer to step up further?

Overall, it’s reassuring for Penn State fans to see their future QB taking on a leadership role before he even steps on campus. It reaffirms everything we’ve heard about Grunkemeyer – on the field and off – coming out of his commitment in May.

But there are still more targets on the board that could help Penn State football secure a top 10 class for the 2024 cycle. The Nittany Lions appear to have their sights set on four-star Maryland edge rusher Jaylen Harvey, who was set to announce his decision on July 4 before delaying his commitment date. Penn State has also been in a long-standing battle with Michigan State for four-star WR Nick Marsh, but it is a battle that James Franklin now appears to be losing. Marsh announces his commitment on July 7.

With several key decision dates over the coming days, it’ll be interesting to see if Grunkemeyer will remain in the ear of these top prospects. Penn State will have a respectable class regardless of how these commitments play out. But as Nittany Lions fans know too well, the lines between “good to great” or “great to elite” are razor-thin.

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