It’s Sylly Week, which means about 40,000 Nittany Lions are acclimating to their new schedules for the semester.

Per tradition, though, James Franklin has sent a select few of his newest student-athletes to “set the standard” around campus — a tradition that includes sitting in the front row and arriving 10 minutes early to class. If you pay close attention, you may be able to spot some of these standard-bearers in classes of your own.

Here are a few examples of that extreme preparedness from the Nittany Lions’ newest early enrollees:

Omari Evans

Three-star wide receiver Omari Evans offered a freshly unique and eye-opening perspective on the University Park experience. Look at the subtly inquisitive glance the camera seems to make towards the taupe academic palette placed in front of him. Ah, what we would give to return to such an innocent and authentic gaze.

Beau Pribula

True freshman quarterback Beau Pribula has been committed to Penn State since 2020, and with views like this in his first week, it’s easy to see why! Pribula’s off-center foreground focus of the professor’s sanitizing wipes are a striking metaphor for the unprecedented landscape university students step into today. It’s almost normal, just as the wipes are positioned almost centrally. Cutting edge stuff.

Drew Allar

No. 1-ranked quarterback prospect Drew Allar gave his followers insight on a different type of classroom. The photograph’s inclusion of the lonely glove puppet abandoned adjacent to the enormous tub of hand wipes shows an emotional side of Allar. His attention to detail is one that Penn Staters should hope to see on the field, but also in the community. The standard is one of togetherness, not just academic success.

Kaden Saunders

Wide receiver Kaden Saunders appears to have been in the same room as Allar. That black glove is unmistakable. Its repeated appearance creates a common character amongst the team’s careful classroom captures.

Jerry Cross

Perfect. This is exactly what I was hoping for. More from that glove on the table. Upon a third viewing, it seems that the team is trying to suggest that the sole glove represents the discarded student — the student left behind by their own poor time management skills. When Nittany Lions buy into the standard, they sanitize themselves of the once-discarded article that previously was. Inspiring!

The Video Manager

The standard is not exclusive to athletes. Video manager Aiden Fissel arrived not just 10 minutes early, but 15. That level of standard-setting may not be realistic for the typical college student, but we can all aspire to reach those heights someday.

Sam Fremin

I have no connection to the football team, but you should almost certainly follow my example. I arrived not 10 minutes early…not 15 minutes early…but 750 minutes early. I will never miss a class at this rate.