Ricky Slade to Penn State: Nittany Lions Land 4-Star RB Prospect

Considered by some to be 2018's top-rated running back, Ricky Slade added a cornerstone piece to Penn State's 2018 recruiting class Friday by committing to the Nittany Lions on Twitter:  

Slade is the No. 16 overall player and second-ranked running back, according to Scout.com's rankings. He is the top-rated player at his position in the East region.

The C. D. Hylton (Virginia) product rushed for 1,509 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. He went over 100 yards in nine of his 10 games and also added 338 yards as a receiver, making him perhaps the most well-rounded back in his class.

A freshman phenom who broke out for a 1,309-yard season, Slade missed the final four games of his sophomore season with a broken leg and also hurt his meniscus before the 2016 campaign. Slade's father, Ricky Sr., told Sanjay Kirpalani of Bleacher Report that his family mostly kept him out of the recruiting loop early:

"We have no idea which school will eventually come to the forefront. We try to keep him away from it and not try to put too much on him right now. There’s still time for that. We just want him to play football right now. We really appreciate the offers, but we always tell him that he has a lot of work to do. He’s just concentrating on getting better."

Slade has taken a more active role in his recruitment as he became an upperclassman, initially naming a final five last August before reopening the process in January. Penn State, Ohio State and Virginia Tech were among the early favorites, and Nittany Lions running backs coach Charles Huff stood out for his recruiting work. 

"That's my guy," Slade said, per Ryan Bartow of 247Sports. "He would have to be my favorite recruiter. Everything they are telling me it's true. I've watched in live on TV. Probably not this year but next year they'll be full go with the new offense. They want me to be part of it, which is nice." 

Slade represents yet another top-notch recruit landed by the Nittany Lions for their 2018 class.

Head coach James Franklin has been hot on the recruiting trail of late, and he's already landed 2018 studs like 5-star defensive end Micah Parsons and 4-star dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields. 

Recruit information courtesy of Scout.com.