Football: James Franklin makes area recruiting blitz

New Penn State coach James Franklin, joined by defensive coordinator Bob Shoops, made recruiting stops Thursday at Archbishop Wood , Imhotep Charter, La Salle, and St. Joseph's Prep.

The Penn State coaches were at Imhotep from about noon to 1 p.m.

"I was very, very impressed with him," Imhotep coach Albie Crosby said. "He blew me away. He's very welcoming."

Among the Imhotep players eyed by Franklin were four members of the Class of 2015: wide receiver/athlete D.J. Moore, outside linebacker Shaquille Jones, end Qwamere Wright-Downing, and quarterback Andre Dreuitt-Parks.

At La Salle, Franklin expressed interest in 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior quarterback Kyle Shurmur.

At Wood, Franklin introduced himself to Vikings boss Steve Devlin. The Nittany Lions are showing serious interest in a pair of juniors: 6-5, 285-pound offensive lineman Ryan Bates and linebacker/tight end Jake Cooper.

Franklin, previously the coach at Vanderbilt, also stopped by Neshaminy, his alma mater. The Langhorne native played QB for the Redskins in the late 1980s and went on to play at East Stroudsburg.

Frankling is expected to hit the Pittsburgh area Friday.