STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class now features one of the best players in the nation.
Quinton Martin, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete from Belle Vernon (Pa.) who is ranked 30th nationally in the 247Sports Composite, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Friday night. Penn State recruited the versatile athlete as a running back.
1000% COMMITED ! 🦁💙@Hayesfawcett3 @BVAFootball @210ths @PSULawnBoyz pic.twitter.com/bh2rULHED0
— Quinton Martin (@Quintonanthony_) April 7, 2023
Martin’s commitment caught many by surprise. Pennsylvania’s top-ranked prospect hadn’t publicly trimmed his list or even announced a commitment date. There were no crystal ball projections suddenly pointing toward Penn State, no Instagram Live stream flooded with fans. It’s rare when a recruitment of a high-profile prospect plays out this way, though certainly Penn State’s staff was not caught off guard.
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Martin visited Penn State multiple times in the past year, the most recent coming on March 27. His commitment now becomes a critical moment for the Nittany Lions’ 2024 class.
Here are some thoughts on what it means for Penn State.
1. The value of Martin’s role
Penn State’s 2024 class is coming together nicely with seven players verbally committed. Offensive lineman Cooper Cousins, ranked 153rd nationally, has been committed since January 2022. Cornerback Jon Mitchell (No. 197) committed last weekend while visiting campus. Martin now gives Penn State three players ranked in the top 200 nationally.
Martin helped lead Belle Vernon to a 3A state championship last fall, and he’s done a little bit of everything throughout his high school career. That’s part of what makes him such an enticing prospect. He has played slot receiver, safety, cornerback and running back.
Martin carried the ball 145 times for 1,279 yards and scored 22 touchdowns last season. He also had 22 tackles and worked as a kick and punt returner. By the time he enrolls — if things progress according to plan — Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will be headed into their third season, potentially giving Penn State a backfield that’s gushing with talent and potential. A lot can happen between now and then, but imagine a backfield with Singleton, Allen, Trey Potts, Cameron Wallace, London Montgomery and Martin. Yeah, in all likelihood something, or a few things, will change between now and then, but that’s a very deep group of backs.
2. The best in PA …
The slogan around here, the one Penn State plasters on recruiting graphics and the line staffers say countless times, is that the best prospects in Pennsylvania stay in Pennsylvania. Now, there’s a ways to go between now and December when Martin’s pledge becomes binding, but this would be three straight cycles in which the top-ranked player in Pennsylvania has signed with the Nittany Lions.
Penn State currently has two of the top five prospects in the state in the 2024 cycle committed — Martin and Cousins. Offensive tackle Kevin Heywood, ranked fourth in the state, remains uncommitted while Peter Jones from Malvern Prep is committed to Notre Dame.
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Receiver Tyseer Denmark of Philadelphia’s Roman Catholic High School, ranked No. 2 in the state, is verbally committed to Oregon but that pledge doesn’t seem to be too strong. Denmark committed to the Ducks on Thanksgiving after initially saying days before the announcement that he needed to take more time before selecting a school. Penn State remains in the hunt for Denmark. He was slated to visit campus last weekend but did not.
3. A pair of recruiting aces
James Franklin went out of his way this winter to outline that every assistant coach on his staff needs to be able to coach and to recruit. Some staffs include coaches known for recruiting and others known for X’s and O’s. That’s not the case at Penn State, and Martin’s commitment further bolsters the already strong recruiting resumes of Terry Smith and Ja’Juan Seider.
Smith holds the regional ties to the western side of the state while Seider continues making Penn State a destination spot for elite running backs. Adding another Pennsylvania native to a group that includes Barkley, Sanders, Journey Brown, Singleton and Montgomery is impressive. Franklin said on signing day that Montgomery might be the steal of the 2023 class.
Singleton and Allen starred as freshman last season and both look poised for another big year. It’s easy to see why Penn State can be ultra selective when recruiting running backs and also why it is an attractive destination. Penn State is sending backs to the NFL — when these players are coming from in the state, it’s an even nicer selling point for the program.
4. When does a QB enter the fold?
Getting a player of Martin’s caliber means he can start helping recruit other players to join him. Penn State doesn’t have a quarterback yet in this class though it continues making inroads with several prospects.
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Penn State recently sent a personalized birthday greeting to 2024 QB target Michael Van Buren and also welcomed 2024 target Samaj Jones back to campus. The Van Buren birthday video, which the quarterback from Maryland then posted to Twitter, certainly showcased some staffers in a different light. It makes it very clear just how badly Penn State wants Van Buren, who was back on campus on Thursday.
Wow!!! Thank you too the whole Penn State staff on the Bday wishes! Can’t wait to get back to Happy valley!! 🦁#weare pic.twitter.com/jLTFW5CRFF
— Michael Van Buren (@mike3k_) April 4, 2023
When Van Buren was on campus in the winter, his jersey number was flashed on the Beaver Stadium video boards.
Jones, from St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia, has Penn State among his four finalists along with West Virginia, Cincinnati and Oklahoma.
With the Blue-White Game set for Saturday, April 15 — and Penn State seemingly never making it through the spring game weekend without at least one player verbally committing — Martin’s pledge could be a huge start for the week ahead.
(Photo of James Franklin: Matthew O’Haren / USA Today)
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