Without seeing the article, I would guess that they are referring to the 2021 recruiting class. However, it is important to remember that signing day isn’t until Dec for the early signing period and Feb for the traditional signing period. With games starting and PSU perhaps able to get some kids on campus for “unofficial” visits, it isn’t over yet. In Franklin we trust. 

99 is right, they are talking about the 2021 recruiting rankings. I'm an insider on ESPN due to my Disney+ bundle with ESPN, so here's what they say about us:

Penn State down in the class rankings

Penn State coach James Franklin recently told reporters that he knows this recruiting cycle is not up to Penn State's standards.

"This class is not done, but up to this point, we haven't gotten it done," Franklin told reporters in September. "We have not recruited up to the standard that we normally have. And I can make excuses, I can come up with a lot of reasons for that, but we haven't gotten it done the way we normally have gotten it done, and there's a lot of factors that go into that."

Among those factors: Penn State's campus is not easy to get to. It's essentially an oasis that doesn't have a big recruiting base within an hour of campus. The restrictions from COVID-19, including the created dead period, have impacted programs such as Penn State, which rely heavily on visits in the spring and summer to build relationships.

That said, each team is dealing with those restrictions as well. The Nittany Lions sit at No. 27 in the class rankings, with only three ESPN 300 commitments, a far cry from their 2020 class, in which they were ranked 12th with nine ESPN 300 commits.

What stings even more: None of the six ESPN 300 recruits from Pennsylvania that have announced a commitment are headed to Penn State. The No. 1-ranked recruit in the state, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., is committed to Clemson; No. 3 Kyle McCord and fifth-ranked Marvin Harrison Jr. are committed to Ohio State; and the fourth-best prospect in the state, offensive lineman Nolan Rucci, is committed to Wisconsin. Although some of those recruits had ties to other programs, losing that type of in-state talent hurts.

Franklin knows Penn State needs to be better, and the good news for fans is that the coaches are off to an excellent start in the 2022 class, with five ESPN Jr. 300 commitments, two more than in the 2020 class.

When Joe coached kids came to PSU for an education and to be part of a program that put integrity first. Today’s players are mainly interested in a shot at the pros and put in a minimum of effort into academics just to stay eligible. By the new normal of Penn State, Franklin needs to at least go 50/50 with the Buckeyes to sign the type of players that now go to Clemson, Alabama, and yes, Ohio State. I think his excuse of PSU’s location is BS. Franklin should go to USC and Sandy should go big time in getting Matt Rhule. 

@sky. James Franklin’s coaching track record speaks for itself! I don’t see him making excuses I see him telling Penn State fans what’s going on and why and he sees that this is just one of those years that they could do better and he’s working on it. Penn State football is in great hands with James Franklin.

I think the first part of Sky's post is accurate, i.e. " When Joe coached kids came to PSU for an education and to be part of a program that put integrity first. Today’s players are mainly interested in a shot at the pros and put in a minimum of effort into academics just to stay eligible."  However, I don't think you can blame Franklin for this.  It's the way things are today.  I agree with Southern, Franklin is doing a good job.