In just 47 days, college football will kick off with its opening slate of games on Thursday, Aug. 29. Penn State will officially begin its 2019 campaign on Saturday, Aug. 31 with a 3:30 p.m. home matchup against Idaho.

As we inch closer to the start of the season and camp, recruiting is still on most, if not all, college football fan’s minds as teams try to lock up prized recruits before the grind of the season begins. So, let’s look at where the Nittany Lions stand in the 2020 cycle.

Currently, Penn State is ranked 10th in the 247sports team recruiting rankings. For the purpose of parody, I will be using 247sports’ composite rankings because it considers where a player is ranked in all of the top recruiting services and bases a player’s ranking off that. I’ll break down each position group, giving you an understanding of who is committed at each position and who the Nittany Lions are still targeting.

QUARTERBACK … Penn State has its quarterback for this cycle in dual threat signal-caller Micah Bowens from powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Bowens is just 6-0, 195 pounds, but is one of the more athletic quarterbacks in the country. Bowens is rated a three-star and is ranked 392nd in the country, but his skill set matches up perfectly with what Penn State likes to do on offense.

RUNNING BACK … This is one of the more interesting recruiting stories left to talk about in this cycle. The Nittany Lions have obviously been killing it over the past few years recruiting running backs such as Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders and top-rated players Noah Cain and Devyn Ford from last cycle. Penn State is in good position to bring in a talented running back once again with Florida standout Caziah Holmes said to be leaning in the Nittany Lions’ direction. Holmes is ranked 190th in the nation and a four-star prospect. Penn State is also in the running with four-star running back Jalen Berger (ranked 54th nationally) out of New Jersey, but it’s too soon to tell with him as the recruiting experts expect him to take his time with his decision.

WIDE RECEIVER … Wide receiver is another position Penn State has recruited well over the past few seasons, and once again the Nittany Lions have put together a solid haul. Obviously, it was disappointing that a five-star prospect from right down the road, Julian Fleming from Southern Columbia, chose Ohio State over Penn State, but Coach James Franklin and his staff will no doubt keep plugging. So far, Penn State has three receivers committed in its 2020 class with Connecticut’s Jaden Dottin leading the way. Dottin has nice size at 6-3 and is a four-star prospect, ranked 240th in the nation. Three-star Parker Washington was a nice pickup out of Texas, and Lackawanna College’s Norval Black is also a nice JUCO addition. Black is a three-star prospect and is ranked 17th in the country out of all junior college players. I think Penn State could possibly bring in two more receivers with Georgia four-star Joshua Downs (ranked 238th nationally), who is currently committed to North Carolina, but has been raving about Penn State after he recently visited, and four-stars Bryce Gowdy (ranked 310th nationally) and KeAndre Lambert (ranked 209th nationally). The recruiting experts seem to think Lambert is Penn State’s top remaining receiver target, so you can pencil him in if he decides on the Nittany Lions. Then it would come down to either Downs or Gowdy.

TIGHT END … Penn State has some options here with athlete Tyler Warren already committed. Warren is a three-star that is currently a quarterback, but is projected as a tight end. Four-star Kole Taylor (No. 10 tight end) out of Colorado is a strong possibility as well, but the main target remaining is Theo Johnson out of Canada. Johnson (No. 4 tight end, ranked 242nd) is a highly-sought after prospect and with the way Penn State has used its tight ends over the past couple seasons, he could be a difference maker for years to come.

OFFENSIVE LINE … It’s been a little bit of a rough go for the Nittany Lions here after four-stars Aaryn Parks and Grant Toutant decommitted a month or so ago, but the Nittany Lions have still done a good job of putting together a solid offensive line class. Three-star prospects Olu Fashanu (ranked 385th nationally), R.J. Adams (ranked 404th nationally), Golden Achumba (ranked 414th nationally) and local product Nick Dawkins out of Parkland (ranked 906th nationally) have solid potential, and will all most likely see a rating bump in the future. Recruiting experts expect Penn State to add one more offensive lineman and it’s likely between four-star Anton Harrison (ranked 181st nationally) and three-star Devin Willock.

DEFENSIVE LINE … Penn State has done an exceptional job of adding talent in the middle of the defensive line in this cycle. Anchored by four-star defensive tackles Cole Brevard (ranked 165th nationally) and Coziah Izzard (ranked 243rd nationally), the Nittany Lions have two solid future building blocks. Defensive tackle Fatormah Mulbah is an under-the-radar three-star out of Harrisburg that is starting to turn some heads, and three-star defensive ends Amin Vanover (ranked 424th nationally), Bryce Mostella (ranked 474th nationally) and Brandon Taylor (ranked 569th nationally) are also nice bookends. Three-star defensive end Zuriah Fisher out of Aliquippa is also a name to know down the road if Penn State takes another defensive lineman.

LINEBACKER … PSU has been solidifying its linebacker room ever since Franklin arrived on campus and this cycle is no different with the addition of the highly-regarded Curtis Jacobs (ranked 107th nationally). Jacobs is excellent in coverage and at 6-2, 230 pounds is as athletic as linebackers come. Local product Tyler Elsdon of North Schuylkill is also a welcomed addition to the 2020 class. A three-star, Elsdon also has nice size at 6-2, 220 pounds and is already fundamentally sound. He plays the game the right way and has the makings of being a sound tackler with above average athleticism at the next level.

SECONDARY … Penn State has done a nice job adding length and athleticism to the secondary, which seems to be the approach Franklin has taken when recruiting secondary players. The Lions’ most highly rated recruit up until this point is Michigan’s Enzo Jennings. A four-star, Jennings is ranked 100th in the nation and the seventh best athlete, but he will play safety for Penn State. Three-star Joseph Johnson (ranked 362nd nationally) out of Virginia has the chance to be really good, and I think you’ll see a rating bump for him soon. At 6-2, 175 pounds he has great length for a corner. Three-star safety Ji’Ayir Brown was another nice JUCO pickup from Lackawanna. He’s ranked 19th in the country out of all JUCO prospects. There’s a few secondary players still in play for Penn State, but it looks like it will be awhile until any of them decide. The player most recruiting experts expect will land at Penn State is three-star cornerback Elijah Gaines out of Virginia. Gaines also has nice size at 6-3, 200 pounds and is ranked 603rd in the country.