Penn State’s loaded 2018 recruiting class added another gem Friday with the verbal commitment of five-star Ricky Slade, Jr.

100% C O M M I T E D #WeAre pic.twitter.com/NtpvwdyuSM

— RS3 (@TheSlade_Era) February 3, 2017

Slade, who plays his high school ball for C.D. Hylton in Woodbridge, Va., picked the Nittany Lions over a stacked offer list including Ohio State, Clemson, Florida, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s considered the nation’s top all-purpose running back prospect next cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Penn State’s 2018 haul is off to a blazing start with National Signing Day for rising seniors still a year away. The Nittany Lions currently own the No. 1 class in America and are just getting started. Getting Slade on board this early is huge for James Franklin in that he’ll be able to pitch fellow recruits on joining something special in Happy Valley.

An unofficial visit to State College in late January was enough to seal the deal for Slade. The Nittany Lions already have one of the nation’s most dangerous backfields, but adding Slade to the mix will ensure it stays that way for the foreseeable future.

You can check out Slade’s Hudl highlight reel right here.

Welcome to Penn State, Ricky!