Penn State coach James Franklin set for another Berks County visit
James Franklin is dropping by Berks County again.
One week after a visit to Exeter, the Penn State coach will be stopping at Wyomissing’s home game Saturday afternoon against Cocalico to get another look at offensive line recruit Jven Williams.
Williams, a 6-5, 290-pound senior, committed to Penn State in February, several months after Exeter tight end Joey Schlaffer committed to the Nittany Lions.
Franklin flew into Reiffton last week during school hours and visited the school, and with Schlaffer.
He won’t have much of a chance to talk to Williams on Saturday. Franklin is expected to arrive sometime after the 1:30 kickoff and leave before the game ends.
It’ll be Franklin’s second visit to a Wyomissing game in as many seasons: He stopped by to watch Williams and the Spartans beat Neumann-Goretti 42-6 in a PIAA Class 3A semifinal last year at Pennridge High School.
Franklin gets around the state often to keep tabs with his recruits. Last season his hellicopter landed in Shillington and he watched Nick Singleton score a couple touchdowns in a 49-13 romp over Harrisburg.
He flew into Reiffton several years ago to watch future Penn State captain Michal Menet and the Eagles play.
Williams, who burst onto the national recruiting scene in September, 2021, made a quick decision to go to Penn State. He received nearly two dozen major college offers, including ones from Michigan State, Maryland, and Pittsburgh.
“I just wanted to pull the trigger,” he told MikeDragoSports.com earlier this year. “I knew I wanted to go there. It was just time for me to commit.
“The recruiting process . . . I felt it was time for me to speed up things. I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time, and I don’t want to waste my own time.”
Williams did not grow up as a Penn State fan; in fact he admitted last fall he wasn’t much of a college football fan. However, the school did have an advantage because of its geography and reputation.
“There’s one thing they have that no one else can give me, and that’s top-tier football, great academics and me being able to go back home (on a weekend). I want to give back to my community. I felt like staying home is something I felt very comfortable doing.
“I’m from eastern Pennsylvania, so that’s kind of like the dream school everyone wants to go to,” he said. “They could go 0-10, and the fans will still love Penn State. That’s an amazing thing. So, the support is there.”
Franklin is in his 12th season as Penn State’s head coach. He is one of only five current head coaches to lead his team to a bowl game in each of his first nine seasons.
The Nittany Lions, off to a 5-0 start, are not scheduled to play this weekend. They’ll next play at Michigan Oct. 15.
