How does Penn States Class of 2022 rank against James Franklins previous classes on a per-player basis?
STATE COLLEGE  Penn State enters June in a good position in both the Big Ten and the national recruiting rankings, and with plenty of high-profile prospects set to make their way to Happy Valley for visits in the coming weeks, the Lions could add plenty more big names to their Class of 2022. Currently, Penn States 11-man class ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 6 nationally. And right now, the group is shaping to be one of the best of the James Franklin era, both in terms of overall rankings and on a per-player basis. For this exercise, we looked at the average player ranking in the 247Sports composite rankings and put the classes in order from lowest to highest. And no spoilers, but things are looking pretty good for the Class of 2022. Take a look:  9. Class of 2014: 0.8682  The Class of 2014 doesnt necessarily count toward Franklins full resume because he took over the program in January just a couple weeks before national signing day. And while the rankings arent really eye-popping the Lions reeled in a couple prospects  and retained some Bill OBrien commitments  who turned into key building blocks for the program, including four-star wide receiver Chris Godwin, four-star wide receiver Saeed Blacknall, three-star quarterback Trace McSorley, three-star cornerback Grant Haley and three-star safety Marcus Allen. Read more: Penn State taking holistic approach to name, image, likeness; PSU recruit is high in MLB Draft rankings, and more  8. Class of 2016: 0.8808  Penn States Class of 2016 is an interesting exercise. Five-star running back Miles Sanders was the No. 21 overall prospect in the class and one of Franklins highest-rated recruits, while four-star guard Michal Menet and four-star defensive end Shane Simmons were both top-50 recruits. But the group still has the lowest average rating of any of Franklins full classes. Still, three-star defensive end Shaka Toney, three-star offensive tackle Will Fries and three-star defensive tackle Antonio Shelton all developed into reliable starters. This was also the final class before the 2016 Rose Bowl season. 7. Class of 2017: 0.8832  Despite its lower spot on the list, this class yielded some key contributors who could still play significant roles in 2021. Four-star quarterback Sean Clifford is slated to start again, while four-stars Fred Hansard, Ellis Brooks, Jonathan Sutherland and Tariq Castro-Fields should all be key players on defense. Four-star wide receiver KJ Hamler is in the NFL, but three-star offensive linemen Mike Miranda and Desmond Holmes could both be in the starting lineup this season. And then three-star running back Journey Brown, the second-lowest rated player in the group, seemed destined for stardom before he was forced to retire for medical reasons last year. Read more: Cael Sanderson cites wrestling recruiting philosophy on final night of Penn States virtual Coaches Caravan  6. Class of 2015: 0.8905  Franklins first full recruiting class had 14 four-star commits, including running back Saquon Barkley, and it showed what Franklin could be capable of on the recruiting trail. But with the on-field results not quite there early in Franklins tenure, the numbers dipped down a bit before surging back after the 42-win run from 2016-19. 5. Class of 2021: 0.8907  The big run that would catapult Penn States Class of 2021 among the nations best never really came, and the Lions finished with the No. 6 class in the Big Ten and the No. 21 class nationally. But the Lions were able to add the No. 53 overall prospect in the class in four-star offensive lineman Landon Tengwall, while the King twins  four-star cornerback Kalen and three-star linebacker Kobe  were able to make early impressions during spring practice and could find their way onto the field this fall. Read more: Penn State mens basketball picks up first high school commitment under Micah Shrewsberry  4. Class of 2020: 0.8954  The Lions have some high hopes for players from this class, including four-star linebacker Curtis Jacobs and four-star tight end Theo Johnson, while four-star wide receiver Parker Washington and four-star running back Keyvone Lee were among players to make impacts as true freshmen. There are plenty of players who will have opportunities to step up this fall from this class, and it could prove to be one of Franklins better groups. 3. Class of 2019: 0.9101  Franklin grabbed five top-100 prospects in this class, including five-star linebacker Brandon Smith. Smith, four-star offensive lineman Caedan Wallace and four-star running back Noah Cain have all flashed their potential. Four-star defensive end Adisa Isaac will have the chance to play a major role on the defense this fall. Four-star running back Devyn Ford needs to meet his potential. The Lions had 18 four-star recruits in this class  though three have left the program  and its one of Franklins deepest groups. Read more: Penn State gets busy recruiting with a run of huge campus visits and Commitment Season likely looming  2. Class of 2022: 0.9141  All right, heres where we stand right now. Penn States class is deep and currently features seven four-star recruits. Ohio wide receiver Kaden Saunders is currently the headliner as the No. 116 overall prospect, but Florida (via Pennsylvania) offensive lineman Drew Shelton (No. 130), CD East wide receiver Mehki Flowers (No. 131) and Ohio quarterback Drew Allar (No. 138) are close behind. With some of the talent set to visit State College this month, it wouldnt be a surprise to see that average creep up. 1. Class of 2018: 0.9170  Franklin was recruiting at full speed in the wake of the Rose Bowl with this class, and it showed on paper with three five-star recruits in linebacker Micah Parsons, wide receiver Justin Shorter and running back Ricky Slade. Of course, in practice, it didnt necessarily turn out the way many expected, with Shorter and Slade transferring. Parsons played two very good years before entering the NFL, where he was a first-round pick. But the Lions still identified some high-level talent in this group in four-star offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, four-star defensive end Jayson Oweh, four-star defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, four-star wide receiver Jahan Dotson, four-star tight end Pat Freiermuth and more. There are still players from this class who will have the opportunity to seize important roles in 2021, too, like four-star linebacker-turned-defensive end Nick Tarburton, four-star offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and four-star linebacker Jesse Luketa. While things havent necessarily been the smoothest for this class, its hard to deny the talent that Franklin brought in. Its hard to say, and much will need to go right for the Lions in the coming weeks and months. But right now, its a distinct possibility. Read more: New Penn State mens basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry on whirlwind, recruiting philosophy and more  Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for PennLive. He can be reached at dgallen@pennlive.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Follow PennLives Penn State coverage on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.