Q&A: 2018 WR Justin Shorter

Penn State landed four-star Class of 2018 wide receiver Justin Shorter earlier this month. Blue White Illustrated's Ryan Snyder caught up with the New Jersey native to learn more about why he made his commitment when he did, as well as what fans can expect moving forward.

Snyder: Let's start with your first visit to Penn State. You and your father came up at the end of July to see the school for the first time. I know that visit really impressed both of you, so what were a few highlights from that trip?

Shorter: Well, first off, with it being a Saturday (in late July) not all of the coaches were on campus that weekend. Coach Franklin was actually with his family in Florida. A few other coaches had family plans, too. But when I reached out to Coach Gattis to explain that we were trying to check out the school, he cleared his schedule to make sure he was there that day. He didn’t have to do that. He could’ve spent time with his family, especially with the season being so close, but he elected to make time for us. So, before we even got there, I really appreciated that. I thought that showed how much he cares. When we got there then, I felt so comfortable with Coach Gattis. It was very easy to talk with him. He’s just easy to relate with. He’s also had a lot of success over the years, so I felt like he would be a good coach for me to learn from. Also, when I got to go around and see all the upgrades they were making, I thought it was all very nice. On my first visit, one thing we checked out a lot was the new academic center. It’s very nice. It really showed me how much they care about academics there. So, between the education I could get from the school, plus hearing about all the fans they have and the support they have, I was very interested. I knew this was a great program.

Snyder: You ended up going out to both Pitt and Michigan for visits about a week later, but before you went home, you stopped by Penn State for a second visit. Was that planned? Were you and your family always planning to stop at PSU again? Or was that a late decision since you were in the area after traveling back from Pitt?

Shorter: Since all of the coaches weren’t available on the Saturday we went up there, we weren’t able to get the complete tour of everything, so that’s why we decided to go back. After visiting those other two schools, which were both very nice, we wanted to fairly evaluate all of the schools, so that’s why we stopped in at Penn State again. After visiting Penn State for the first time, I thought very highly of everything. They were already at the top of my list, but there were still a few things that I wanted to do. One of the highlights of that second visit was going in-depth with the people that run the engineering program. Academics were always going to be very important to me. I knew Penn State had a very good program for engineering, so it was nice to meet with the academic advisors that were in charge of that program. They explained everything that I need to know about the program and how it’ll work with football. I know it won’t be easy, but I also know I’ll get the support I need to accomplish my goals.

Snyder: You also got to meet with Coach Franklin during that second visit. How important was that meeting?

Shorter: That was great. After the first visit, I was able to call him that night to speak with him. I enjoyed that talk, but on the second visit, I was able to talk to him in his office, which was nice. We learned a lot about his plans for the program. I felt very happy and comfortable talking to him and learning more about the football program. After that talk, I think my whole family felt as if his intentions were in the right place. I know he really cares about his guys and wants them to succeed in more than just football. We all felt that right away after talking to Coach Franklin.

Snyder: So when did you know that you wanted to commit to Penn State? I know you didn’t announce publicly until Aug. 6, but when did you actually commit to Coach Franklin and the rest of the coaching staff?

Shorter: Well, after my first visit, I had that feeling. When I talked to my teammates about it, they were all saying that I have to go with my heart when you get that feeling, so I was feeling really good about Penn State after that first visit, but my family and I still wanted to make sure we saw some other colleges. All of the other colleges were great, but Penn State really stood out to me. I felt very comfortable with everything they had to offer. I just knew that was the place I had to be.

Snyder: Just to clarify, when did you actually commit to the coaches? Was it during that second visit, or was it the night before you committed publicly?

Shorter: I actually committed during my second visit. We were there from 10 in the morning until 8:30 at night, so I spent a lot of time there that day. I knew that night what I wanted to do, so I told the coaches then. They were all very excited. I was pumped. It was a great feeling. I just decided to hold off for a few days to put it out there publicly on the internet. My brother was moving into his dorm that weekend, so I wanted to help him and my family before we made this all public.

Snyder: OK, I have a few generic questions that I like to ask each of the committed players. We’ll start with strengths and weaknesses. What are a few things that just come naturally to you out on the field? What do you really excel at when playing wide receiver? Also, what are maybe one or two things that you really want to improve on between now and when you enroll at Penn State?

Shorter: For what comes natural to me, I’d say that my speed and route-running is a strength of mine. I’ve always taken that very seriously. In practice, I really emphasize and make sure that I’m running the correct yardage and things like that. My speed really helps with that, too. That’s always been one of my biggest strengths. That really helps me breakaway from the corners and safeties. I think my height helps with that, too. For things that I’d like to improve on, I’d have to say everything. There isn’t anything that I can’t improve on. Even the best players in the world can always improve on different things. For me, I’m still in high school, so I have so many different things that I can still improve on. There isn’t one or two areas. I’m very fortunate to be in the position I am, but I know that I’m still far from being the best player that I can be.

Snyder: How active do you plan to be when it comes to recruiting other prospects? For example, I know you’ve already spoken with Pat Freiermuth and one or two other guys. Do you plan to attend a lot of games and maybe contact other players on Twitter? Or are you the kind of guy that just lets players come to you because you don’t want to bug them? What kind of approach do you plan to take when it comes to helping the coaching staff recruit?

Shorter: I’ve already began reaching out to guys. Like you said, I talked to Pat the other night when he committed, but I’ve been talking to other players, too. One player I’ve been talking with already is Justin Fields, who’s a quarterback that the staff thinks very highly of. I’ve already talked to him a little bit. I’m just trying to talk to everyone that I can. I want to do whatever I can to help the 2018 class improve. We already have four very good players committed in our class, so we’re off to a great start. If we can keep adding to that, I think we’re going to be in a great position. I want to do whatever I can to help that.

Snyder: Since your season is a few weeks away, I have to ask about South Brunswick and what your expectations are this season? Are you guys bringing a lot of players back or did you lose a lot of seniors? What’s the outlook for you guys this season?

Shorter: We did lose a lot of seniors, so we have a very, very, very young team this year. But since day one, everyone has been working extremely hard. There are a lot of people that think we’re not going to be very good this year because we lost a lot of good seniors, but I’ve seen how much work my teammates are putting in. I really think we’re going to surprise some people this year. For me personally, I just want to do whatever I can to help the team win. I don’t care about stats or awards. It’s all about how many wins we get. All I care about is getting back to Rutgers for another state championship.

Snyder: Are you playing offense and defense this year? Also, did you primarily just play wide receiver last year, or did you play both ways as a sophomore?

Shorter: I’m playing receiver and safety. I played both ways last year, so I have experience now on both sides of the ball.

Snyder: I know you’re still a junior, but since your team is so young this year, how have you stepped up as a leader? Is there anything in particular that you’ve done this summer to become a better leader?

Shorter: I’m always trying to just lead by example. I’ll do whatever I can to help out my teammates. Whether they have questions or just want to get in some extra work, I’m always there to help. In the morning, my father and I always work on the jugs machine everyday before practice, so I’ve been picking up some teammates here and there to help them put in extra work. But mainly, I just act as all leaders should, which is leading by example. I’ll always put in 110 percent, I’ll always work hard on the field and off the field. If you don’t practice what you preach, you’re not a true leader.

Snyder: Last question Justin. I like to give all the committed players an opportunity to say something to the Penn State fans. Is there anything that you’d like to say? It can be something people don’t know about you or maybe how excited you are to play for Penn State. Is there anything you’d like to say to thousands of Penn State fans?

Shorter: The first thing would be thank you. The Penn State fans have been so supportive of not just me, but the entire team over the years. I know how many fans head up there each week for games. That was another big reason why I committed. The support they show the team is crazy. Thank you guys for that. Also, when I get to Penn State, I’ll be working very hard to push the team the best I can. I want to do everything I can to make the team better. I want to get the team back to the Big Ten Championship and also a national championship. Whatever that takes, I plan to do my part.