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Penn State's Franklin shares his recruiting finds with fans

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - James Franklin scrolled through his Twitter feed. Between swift swipes of his finger, the Penn State coach looked up to watch ESPN's national signing day coverage on a large flat-screen TV. He peered back down through his glasses and surveyed the thick binder in front of him.

Penn State football coach James Franklin, new recruit Paris Palmer and
player development director P.J. Mullen discuss Palmer's background,
during signing day events Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, in State College,
Pa. (AP Photo/York Daily Record/Sunday News, Chris Dunn)
Penn State football coach James Franklin, new recruit Paris Palmer and player development director P.J. Mullen discuss Palmer's background, during signing day events Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/York Daily Record/Sunday News, Chris Dunn)Read more

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - James Franklin scrolled through his Twitter feed. Between swift swipes of his finger, the Penn State coach looked up to watch ESPN's national signing day coverage on a large flat-screen TV. He peered back down through his glasses and surveyed the thick binder in front of him.

On his second signing day in Happy Valley, Franklin spent the morning inside the "war room," an upstairs space in the Lasch Football Building on the university's campus.

The announcement of every signing was met with cheers, followed by flashes of cellphone cameras as folks clamored around the big board where the recruit's photo was added.

For Franklin, the morning was not all work. At one point, he made a FaceTime call to defensive back John Petrishen, who answered the call while driving to school.

"Pull over," Franklin said, laughing.

While the war room was invitation-only, the public was invited to Franklin's signature event Wednesday evening. Shortly before 7 p.m., hundreds began filing into the intimate Rec Hall gym.

Jeremy Gruber, a sophomore from New Hampshire, stood outside with friends. He said he came to check out the recruits and see Franklin.

"I think he has potential" with the new recruiting class, Gruber said. "He didn't have much to work with last season."

Children decked in Penn State gear held their parents' hands as they waited in line for concessions.

Greg Rhinehart, 44, of Mechanicsburg, made the trip with his 68-year-old father. The 1993 Penn State grad said he was drawn by the "excitement of the new class," as well as Franklin's attitude.

But at least one person in the crowd was not entirely focused on the future. When athletic director Sandy Barbour took the stage, someone in the crowd yelled "409," a reference to the late coach Joe Paterno's total wins.

Barbour paused and laughed anxiously before responding, "I'm with you."

That moment was a contrast to the light atmosphere that marked the rest of the night.

Franklin took the stage to interview the three early enrollees - quarterback Tommy Stevens and tackles Sterling Jenkins and Paris Palmer - and discussed the recruits as their highlights were shown.

He ended the night by advertising the annual Blue-White game, announcing a 4 p.m. start on April 18. He called for fans to fill the 107,000 seats of Beaver Stadium.

"We don't like being second place at anything," Franklin said. "Let's make a statement to this country that Penn State is back."