Jam-packed recruiting calendar keeps Lions’ staff humming all summer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – In the never ending world of college football recruiting, certain visit dates could mean 150-plus impressionable prospects and their families are on hand while Penn State tries to roll out the red carpet for all of them.

Such is the case during the annual Blue-White Game, a large unofficial visit weekend for many prospects. The planning and preparation for all visits means recruits knowing where to go, how to get there, where to pick up tickets or passes and then trying to build or continue a relationship during the trip. At the spring game that latter part certainly is a challenge.

“The spring game is more about the environment to be honest with you,” James Franklin said this spring during his coaches caravan tour. “We get very little contact with them because we’re so busy. … . The message is different when we’re having junior days or individual one-on-one visits and things like that. That’s the challenge I think always with football is managing the numbers.”



Across college football number of support staff members are growing and eventually with an addition of a 10th assistant coach there will be a little more divvying up of positional and recruiting duties. Because of the 10th assistant coach that could be one way college football tries to control the number of support staff hires that are popping up across the country. Trying to balance out the numbers like Franklin mentioned when having busy recruiting weekends all ties into the number of support staff members who work in many different areas from recruiting to academic support for current players.

“One argument from the coaches’ perspective is our coach to player ratio is one of the worst in NCAA. That’s one argument,” Franklin said. “The other part is trying to get control of the staff sizes in college football. The problem is it’s really difficult to do in any industry where you’re going to tell somebody how they’re going to run their business. That kind of goes against what we’re about in the United States. … It’s a challenging topic and it’s a difficult thing to try and figure out how can you get it done in an NCAA perspective that’s also going to be legal.”

At Penn State the position coaches recruit their position nationally and then all have their geographic regions largely based off areas they’ve previously recruited or places where they’ve worked or have strong relationships. Going to the area to recruit or work at a satellite camp is one thing, getting the prospect to central Pa. for a visit is another.

While the spring game is a large unofficial visit weekend, so too is the annual Lasch Bash event, which happens in July. At the Lasch Bash and other events like junior day, prospects and their families have more time to meet with the coaches as opposed to a game or scrimmage weekend. Penn State has worked around their on campus summer recruiting camp schedule to factor in the Lasch Bash, usually giving the staff a chance to coach players during recruiting camp on a Friday or Saturday and then holding the outdoor BBQ with prospects the following day.

“The old days of the junior day when you had 200 guys show up, you want more days now where instead of having one big recruiting event you’re probably having 10 recruiting events,” Franklin said. “You’re trying to do them in small groups so you can really get to know them and they can get to know you.”

Because of the numerous planned recruiting events, plus the impromptu one-on-one visits that pop up when prospects and their families want to meet with the staff at a convenient time for them it means it’s hard to find a weekend where Franklin and his staff aren’t coaching or recruiting.

Take the upcoming month as an example, keeping in mind the Lions had several prospects on campus this past weekend for a mini junior day:

•June 2: Recruiting camp in Macon, Ga.
•June 3: Elite prospect I camp in State College
•June 4: Recruiting camp in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
•June 9: Recruiting camp in Norfolk, Va.
•June 11: Elite prospect II camp in State College
•June 14: Recruiting camp in DeKalb, Ill.
•June 16: Elite prospect III camp in State College
•June 17: 7-on-7 and Big Man challenge in State College
•July 16: Underclassmen showcase camp and specialist camp in State College

The dead period, the time where the staff can’t have any contact with recruits, begins June 26 and runs until July 9. However, keep in mind that the team’s 2017 signees arrive in late June to start classes and summer workouts. Franklin is on hand to welcome them and meet with their parents. The coaching staff takes vacation at this point of the year, knowing all too well that once July hits the sprint to fall camp is on.

“It’s no different if you think about [athletic director] Sandy [Barbour] talking about the stadium and all the things that go into building and constructing a football stadium,” Franklin said. “You better have a plan, better be organized, better be thorough.”