National Signing Day went smoothly for Penn State, and then got a little better with a late addition. With all 20 players expected to sign officially locked in without any hassles on Wednesday, Penn State added one more piece to the roster with the late addition of four-star safety Tariq Castro-Fields from Maryland.
Rivals ranked Castro-Fields as the 26th best safety in the country and the fourth-best player from the fertile state of Maryland. Maryland was among those hoping to get good news from Castro-Fields on signing day. The Upper Marlboro, Maryland recruit checks in at 6' 2", 173 lb. At Penn State, he will join former high school teammate Zechariah McPhearson, a cornerback who committed to Penn State in the Class of 2016. The addition of Castro-Fields helps solidify the depth in the defensive secondary for Penn State and allows some mixing around in the backfield.
Penn State seemed to get off to a sluggish start on the 2017 recruiting cycle, but as the Nittany Lions roared their way to a Big Ten championship and a thrilling Rose Bowl performance (albeit a loss to USC), it seemed James Franklin and his staff benefitted from a renewed sense of confidence around the program in recruiting efforts. Among the talented players to commit to Penn State since the Big Ten championship game victory over Wisconsin include five-star defensive back Lamont Wade, four-star defensive back Donovan Johnson, four-star linebacker Ellis Brooks., and four-star wide receiver Kahlee Hamler.
Ohio State and Michigan may continue to set the pace for Big Ten recruiting, but Penn State continues to perform admirably under Franklin’s leadership. With a Big Ten championship under his belt and another solid recruiting class coming in, the future continues to look bright for the Nittany Lions. Penn State looks to have locked in a top 15 recruiting class and could be on the fringe of a top 10 finish, although this may be all for this year’s recruiting class.