There is undoubtedly more emphasis on recruiting right now at Penn State than there has ever been in its history. That passion — derived from James Franklin, his staff, and their “dominate the state” mantra — will culminate next Wednesday on National Signing Day, as ESPN’s Pedro Gomez will be on campus providing all day coverage as the faxes come in. The story was first reported by PennLive.

Penn State is one of 12 schools set to be featured as part of ESPN’s widespread coverage of the annual college football spectacle. The Nittany Lions will be profiled along with Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M, with most coverage to air on ESPNU.

On top of Gomez’s coverage, Franklin will host a National Signing Day “signature” event at the BJC at 5 p.m. that day. It’s the first of its kind at Penn State, with current and former Penn Staters slated to speak while Franklin introduces every member of the new signing class.

Penn State’s already impressive class got more impressive when Franklin took over as head coach. The Nittany Lions 23 commitments are ranked 18th nationally by Rivals and 25th by ESPN– this despite scholarship reductions and sanctions.

Saeed Blacknall (#14 WR) and Koa Farmer (#71 ATH) headline the recent commitments Franklin has corralled to play at Penn State. Five-star OT Damian Prince has also agreed to officially visit the school, which bodes well with the Nittany Lions. Maryland, Florida, LSU, and Auburn are also in contention for the highly regarded OT.

With a few scholarship spots still left to work with, this next week should be exciting for Penn State fans. Having the award-winning baseball columnist in town will only make it more fun.