Nittany Lions sign a pair of five-star recruits
 
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; February 3, 2016 – Head coach James Franklin unveiled the Top 25 2016 Penn State Football recruiting class today during a Signing Day celebration in the Lasch Building. Penn State’s Class of 2016 is ranked third in the Big Ten Conference by 247Sports and ESPN and from No. 17 to No. 24 nationally, as of Wednesday.
 
Penn State welcomed 16 student-athletes, who signed National Letters of Intent to join the football program. They are paired with four Nittany Lions who enrolled in classes in January for a total class of 20 signees for the 2016 season.
 
Penn State again found success in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions with 16 of the 20 players coming from within a 350-mile radius of State College and nine of 20 are from a 200-mile radius. The Nittany Lions’ class hails from eight different states, spanning from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts to Georgia to Illinois. Penn State had five signees from Pennsylvania, five from Maryland, three from Ohio, two from Georgia, one each from Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois, New York and Virginia.
 
The Class of 2016 features 10 defensive, eight offensive and two special teams players. There are six players that have won at least one State Championship, six Semper Fidelis All-Americans, four Under Amour All-Americans, one Army All-American and two Gatorade State Players of the Year. Additionally, 15 of the 20 signees have served as their team captain during their high school career.
 
The newest Nittany Lions feature two five-star recruits (OL Michal Menet and RB Miles Sanders) and 12 four-star signees. According to 247Sports, Penn State has had 21 four- or five-star recruits in the last two classes (45 total commits) as compared to 11 four- or five-star recruits in the previous three classes (65 total commits).
 
 
Penn State Football Class of 2016

OFFENSE 

Danny Dalton

TE | Marshfield, Mass. | Marshfield High School | HS Coach: Lou Silva | 6-4, 240
 
Dae’lun Darien
WR | Baltimore, Md. | Dunbar High School | HS Coach: Lawrence Smith | 6-4, 195


Will Fries

OL | Cranford, N.J. | Cranford High School | HS Coach: Erik Rosenmeier | 6-6, 290



Alex Gellerstedt

OL | Dublin, Ohio | Dublin Coffman High School | HS Coach: Mark Crabtree | 6-6, 275
 
Connor McGovern

OL | Larksville, Pa. | Lake-Lehman High School | HS Coach: Jerry Gilsky | 6-5, 310



Michal Menet

OL | Birdsboro, Pa. | Exeter Township Senior High School | HS Coach: Matt Bauer | 6-4, 285



Jake Zembiec

QB | Rochester, N.Y. | Aquinas Institute | HS Coach: Chris Battaglia | 6-3, 205

Miles Sanders

RB | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Woodland Hills High School | HS Coach: George Novak | 5-11, 195

DEFENSE

DEFENSE

Antonio Shelton
DL | Gahanna, Ohio | Westerville-North High School | HS Coach: Rodger Elander | 6-2, 290


Shane Simmons

DL | Laurel, Md. | DeMatha High School | HS Coach: Elijah Brooks | 6-3, 230


Brenon Thrift
DL | Monroeville, Pa. | Lackawanna C.C. | CC Coach: Mark Duda | 6-3, 285
 
Shaka Toney

DL | Philadelphia, Pa. | Imhotep Institute Charter School | HS Coach: Albie Crosby | 6-3, 200

Zech McPhearson

DB | Columbia, Md. | Riverdale Baptist School | HS Coach: Caesar Nettles | 5-11, 175

T.J. Johnson
DB | Cleveland, Ohio | Euclid High School | HS Coach: Jeff Rotsky | 6-2, 180
 
Ellison Jordan

DL | Upper Marlboro, Md. | Gilman School | HS Coach: Biff Poggi | 6-0, 280


Daniel Joseph

DL | Lake Forest, Ill. | Lake Forest Academy | HS Coach: Robin Bowkett | 6-3, 255

Cameron Brown

LB | Burtonsville, Md. | Bullis School | HS Coach: Patrick Cilento | 6-5, 210



Tyrell Chavis
DL | Richmond, Va. | Nassau C.C. | C.C. Coach: Joe Osovet | 6-3, 295

SPECIAL TEAMS

Alex Barbir
K | Cumming, Ga. | South Forsyth High School | HS Coach: Jeff Arnette | 5-9, 195

Blake Gillikin

P/K | Smyrna, Ga. | The Westminster Schools | HS Coach: Gerry Romberg | 6-2, 182