Lions Land Big PA WR

[The Ancient Enemy]

Scout has him as a 1-star WR / S but he's a WRE, which is what PSU needs, so that's a good thing. Christian Kuntz is 6'4" 190 and runs a 4.4. He is from Camp Hill. Had offers from UCONN, Buffalo, Akron, and PSU.

As a junior, Kuntz carried 115 times for 813 yards and twelve touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns in the Wing-T offense. He had 20 tackles and seven interceptions on defense, earning first-team All-Area, second-team All-Conference and third-team All-State honors at safety. He was also first-team All-Conference at running back.

As a sophomore, Kuntz carried 79 times for 633 yards and 11 touchdowns. He caught 18 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Kuntz also finished with 29 tackles and three interceptions, leading to second-team all-conference honors at running back and cornerback.

[abpk2903]

6' 4" 4.4 forty seems like he should have got some more looks by bigger programs.

[The Ancient Enemy]

Same thing with that WR from York that UCONN grabbed. They're just under the radar, which is why early recruiting is so important.

[El-Moldo]

Really. Do you want 1-star or no-star recruits BEFORE they've even played a down as a senior? I can see grabbing those 4 star recruits early, and maybe even some 3 star guys, but it seems a little risky (or wasteful) to accept these other guys so quickly before they've proven themselves on the field, especially when they are seniors and have taken a leadership role with their team.

[The Ancient Enemy]

UCONN stole that WR from under PSU's nose, and Pitt's too. A 6'4" WR that has good speed and stats is not going to be a 1-star player at the end of this season. What if he's a 5-star WR, and your team doesn't chase him before he's popular? He is not going to gain 40 lbs of fat in his senior year.

This is how Penn State has lost recruiting battles before, and ended up with classes that were not as good as they should have been. It seems like they have finally caught up to how everyone else recruits. PSU has a lot of scholarships available this season, and they have slightly over half their class already assembled. I dont know how many scholarships are available, but a guy on Scout said they were "close to halfway done with this class" before they landed Kuntz, Dukes, and Gress. If nothing else, I'm glad they are finally getting an early start.

[deliverance]

Getting an early start is a smart move. Save a couple of scholarships for the big names that are holding out. If you don't get them, then go with a lesser talented kid still available at the same position.

[El-Moldo]

Let's say you have alot of Christmas shopping to do. Some of the people you are buying for are asking for special items, others aren't particular what they receive. In that case, you better go after those special items early. The ordinary stuff will still be there close to Christmas. It's the same with recruiting. Get those special kids early, and don't go after the ordinary kids until you have a chance to look over who's still left and what your needs are. Haste makes waste.

[deliverance]

I must admit that gave me a good laugh. Good analogy, Moldo.

[The Ancient Enemy]

Personally, if you have 14 scholarships available, I think you grab 7 kids you really like. Then, over the course of the season and after the season, fill the other 7.

Two reasons:

1. Kids like to go someplace where the recruiting class is already decent
2. A lot of kids who are under-the-radar end up committing to the first place that offers them.

If South Carolina is chasing you like crazy when you are a 1-star QB, and you have a good senior year and get 5 more offers, maybe South Carolina is the place you should go since they chased you so hard and wanted you so badly all that time.

What if Kuntz, a 1-star WR right now, has a huge year and ND and USC and UF all start chasing, along with Penn State. What is PSU's chances of landing that kid if they are battling Florida and USC? They saw enough to think Kuntz is a great player and they offered him.