Penn State’s recruiting efforts are picking up this week after the team wrapped up its 2014 season with a 34-10 loss to Michigan State. Scholarship offers are being extended, and commits are entering the fold, most recently from four-star cornerback Garrett Taylor and four-star 2016 quarterback Jake Zembiec.
Commitments from both players carry extra significance for James Franklin, who got the big cornerback he desires in Taylor and a potential game-changing quarterback in Zembiec.
Taylor checks in as the highest-rated player in the Nittany Lions’ 2015 class, according to Rivals and 247sports.com. Zembiec is a four-star addition to the 2016 class and is in line to become the program’s fifth scholarship quarterback, a sign of positive change after NCAA sanctions had a great impact on depth.
With Taylor, Penn State is getting a big, versatile defensive back with experience playing all positions in the defensive backfield at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Va. That position flexibility, along with a college-ready physique at 6-1 and 195 pounds, makes Taylor a prime candidate to play as a true freshman.
Zembiec isn’t scheduled to arrive on campus until 2016, so much can happen between now and the end of his senior season at Aquinas Institute in Rochester, N.Y. But he’s a polished quarterback with an accurate arm and good feet, all skills that are enhanced by his poise and high football IQ.
Bob Flounders, Andrew P. Shay and Dustin Hockensmith broke down the potential impact of both players on the Keystone Sports Network this week. Check out audio from the show in this post and get plenty more podcasts and analysis on KeystoneSportsNetwork.com and by following @KSNSportsNet on Twitter.
Download KSN Podcast: Penn State recruiting: The impact of Garrett Taylor and Jake Zembiec