Lamont Wade has been the top priority for Penn State for a long time. and the efforts of James Franklin’s coaching staff have not been wasted. The five-star cornerback from Clairton, Pa. announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions at his graduation party on Saturday evening.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“They have good academics and they just won the Big Ten Championship," Wade said. "I’ve known those coaches over there for a long time and I like them a lot. I think they’ll be able to develop me and take care of me. I can get on the field and make an impact on offense, defense and special teams.”

RIVALS’ REACTION

The addition of Lamont Wade to Penn State’s 2017 recruiting class is huge on and off the field. The five-star will provide a big boost to Penn State’s team ranking, and he’s the second highly-regarded cornerback to commit to the Nittany Lions this week. Wade should see the field pretty early in his career, especially on special teams. He is electric with the ball in his hands and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him made a few big plays as a return man next year.

Off the field, Wade’s commitment says to other programs that Penn State can keep an in-state player away from the lure of the SEC, and even though Penn State lost to Pittsburgh, they can get big-time players from schools that are traditionally pipelines to their rivals.