Roundtable: Who could be Penn State's next Class of 2023 commit?

The BWI recruiting roundtable is focusing on the forecast this week.

We aren't talking about the weather, of course, but instead possible future commitments.

In last week's edition, BWI recruiting expert Ryan Snyder and reporter Greg Pickel focus on a number of topics, including whether or not the Nittany Lions would land a new pledge in October.

Now, we're looking at no particular timeframe, but rather who could be next to commit to the Penn State football program. Currently, head coach James Franklin and his staff have earned verbal commitments from three four-star players: offensive tackle Alex Birchmeier, cornerback Lamont Payne and tight end Mathias Barnwell.

It gives the Lions the nation's sixth-ranked Class of 2023 and it is first in the Big Ten at this very early juncture. Below, Snyder and Pickel give their picks for who could join them next.

Pickel: Penn State has had success recruiting at Exeter in the past. In fact, there's a family connection to the Nittany Lions' last scholarship win there.

Joey Schlaffer is a half-brother of Michal Menet, who recently re-signed with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. It means that the 6-foot-6, 210-pound junior has tons of familiarity with James Franklin's program, which might be the only reason that it waited so long to offer.

Schlaffer is impressive looking in person, and he has plenty of body to grow into, which is just what Penn State likes when it comes to prospects at any position, but particularly those who could line up at tight end. He has nearly 20 offers, but outside of a trip to Tennessee in July, he hasn't been anywhere but State College, which he's already taken in twice on a game day. His verbal offer came during the first trip when Ball State came to town, and Schlaffer was back for the White Out game win over Auburn.

"It definitely would have a different kind of significance because that’s the place my brother chose to go," Schlaffer told BWI prior to the Nittany Lions offering him. "Out of all the schools in the country he could’ve gone, he went there. I was the little brother that went to those games for five years, so I grew up loving it up there, liking the school, liking the football program, the environment, all of that.

"The other big thing is that, he didn’t just go there, but he thrived there, and now he ended up in the NFL. That means a lot to me. That sets a clear path, knowing that’s possible for anyone."

The tight end may not be Penn State's next Class of 2023 commit, but it'd be quite surprising if he wasn't one of them before all is said and done.

Snyder: Schlaffer is the easy pick on offense, no doubt, but Miller has already teased some sort of an announcement for Nov. 2, so I'll go with him. I think Penn State and Clemson are the schools in the best position at the moment, and while I wouldn't be totally surprised if he's just trying to drum up interest for what will eventually just be his top schools, I have had one source tell me that they think he's seriously considering a commitment on that date.

Honestly, I get the impression that Miller is still kind of undecided in regards to what he really plans to put out there that day, but it is the two-year anniversary of his father passing away from cancer, so he wants to make it a special day for he and his family.

Here's the other interesting part: he's planning to attend Penn State's game against Illinois on Oct. 23. Miller was on campus twice this summer, first for the 7-on-7/Big Man Challenge in June, then again for a personal, one-on-one visit with the staff in July. As we saw with Lamont Payne, the only thing he hasn't seen is that game day atmosphere inside Beaver Stadium.

We'll get a better feel for his situation in the weeks to come, but if he he seriously considering a commitment that day, Penn State is in a good spot.

Pickel: If you find yourself thinking "hmm, doesn't Penn State have a key contributor from Perkasie, Pa.," you're not crazy. That's where Nick Tarburton went to school.

Linebacker Phil Picciotti is the town's latest FBS recruit, as the three-star linebacker who plays at Pennridge just like his much older peer did has great junior film and lots of FBS interest. Of course, a big chunk of it comes from the Nittany Lions, who hosted him for the Indiana game and in September for the Auburn game. He visited during the summer, as well.

Picciotti, who clams 10 offers to date, also saw Northwestern and Virginia in June and Rutgers in July, so this is hardly a one-horse race. South Carolina marks his lone SEC offer so far, but more could come for the 6-foot-3, 225-pound future inside linebacker. The Nittany Lions seem to be in the driver's seat, though, and it feels like a matter of when, not if, he picks the Nittany Lions, though a Wednesday night offer from Notre Dame probably gives him plenty to think about.

“Coach Franklin is just an incredible recruiter," Picciotti told BWI.

"It’s hard for me to explain what’s different about him compared to other coaches, but he’s just so good at it. He’s on top of recruiting all the time.”

There's a reason why, and it's because Franklin, Brent Pry, and co. badly want to keep the in-state standout home.

Snyder: It's not easy to travel to from IMG Academy to State College, Pa., during the football season. If you've followed the recruitments of previous IMG players that Penn State has pursued, you'll notice that almost every unofficial visit comes at some point during the offseason, the majority of which are in the spring or summer. With players being away from their families, most of those guys don't leave IMG's campus during the season.

So, the fact that Lenhardt has now been on campus twice this season, in addition to a visit back in June, grabs my attention. A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Lenhardt has been flying to New York, driving down to Penn State, only to drive back and fly out the next day to get back to IMG for practice. He did that for both the Auburn and Indiana games. IMG does have back-to-back bye weeks until they play again on Oct. 15, but it still takes a lot of commitment, and money, to make these past two trips happen.

Currently, Lenhardt holds 13 scholarship offers, which include notable schools like Arkansas, Boston College, Indiana, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Pitt, Rutgers, Tennessee and West Virginia. We know he visited Boston College and Rutgers back in 2019, but that's it so far. He's considering a visit to Michigan State during another bye week in November, but that's still over a month away.

If he makes it back to PSU another game this season, I'll be watching him closely.

*******

• Talk about this article inside The Lions Den

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news alerts

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue-White Illustrated

• Follow us on Twitter: @BWIonRivals, @NateBauerBWI, @RivalsSnyder, @DavidEckert98, @GregPickel, @ThomasFrankCarr

• Follow us on Instagram

• Like us on Facebook