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Last winter, Sundays were full of the same routine for quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer.

His moms would drive roughly 90 minutes to his Sunday group training session in Medina, Ohio, with Brad Maendler. Grunkemeyer would work on his mechanics with other quarterbacks and throw for an hour and a half before hopping in the car and heading back home to Lewis Center, Ohio.

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At home, he’d splice together a video of that week’s workout and send it to any college coach whose contact information he could find. It didn’t matter that Miami (OH) was the only school that had extended Grunkemeyer a scholarship offer by December 2022. Coming off his junior season with little interest from Power 5 programs, the quarterback was still hell-bent on opening college coaches’ eyes.

“Since elementary school, his dream was to play FBS, Power 5 football, and he just never gave up,” Heather Grunkemeyer said of her son. “He was relentless.”

Ethan had contact information for former Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, which he had obtained after attending a camp at Penn State. Every week Yurcich was getting sent those clips, too.

“(Ethan) had actually heard from Penn State that they felt like they had their 2024 quarterback. They thought Ethan was a good player but kind of wished him luck,” Megan McCabe said of her son. “And he still didn’t take that no. … He was like, ‘Well, I got (Yurcich’s) number. I might as well send him my workout video.’”

Eventually, Grunkemeyer’s strategy worked. He stayed on the Penn State staff’s mind while he grew taller and his body developed into what many college coaches wanted to see. Penn State’s quarterbacking picture changed while Grunkemeyer’s stock rose.

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By the end of last January, college coaches were stopping by the high school three to four times per week, asking to see Grunkemeyer throw. He would throw to tight end Gavin Grover, a three-star prospect who is set to sign with Cincinnati. At the time, Grover was uncommitted and the higher-ranked prospect of the two. Many schools were coming to see him and, in the process, saw Ethan too. The quarterback and tight end have been teammates since fourth grade, so it was only natural that they’d keep throwing to each other, this time with the stakes higher than ever for Grunkemeyer.

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“He had a bunch of coaches coming in, so we were kind of helping each other out with getting eyes on each other for recruiting,” Ethan said.

It was during those winter and spring throwing sessions that Grunkemeyer’s recruitment finally skyrocketed. And when it did, those who had received the Sunday training clips all along at least had the inside track to who Grunkemeyer was.

“He’s had a lot going on the last year,” Megan said. “It’s been nuts.”

Wednesday, when Grunkemeyer signs with Penn State, marks the end of a year in which he went from a relatively unknown quarterback prospect to one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 cycle. As a four-star prospect who is ranked among the top 100 players in the class, per the 247Sports Composite, he’ll cap his high school career at the Under Armour All-America Game next month. He’ll enroll at Penn State days later. It’ll be the latest honor and one that likely will rank up there with being an Elite 11 finalist, which Grunkemeyer achieved during the summer.

For the quarterback who would’ve given almost anything a year ago for a big-time program to see in him what he’s long seen himself, then had James Franklin arrive this fall via helicopter to watch him play on senior night and sit in the stands with his family, it’s been a whirlwind.

We were told Penn State James Franklin would be attending tonight’s Olentangy vs Marysville game, arriving by helicopter.

Here he is. He’s checking out Penn State commit and Olentangy QB Ethan Grunkemeyer

— Kellyanne Stitts (@KellyanneStitts) October 20, 2023

So, how did he stay off the radar for so long?

“I’m not exactly sure,” Ethan said, laughing. “I went to a ton of camps. Going into my junior year, my parents were awesome, being able to take me all over the country.”

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Heather and Megan had a ball in Ethan’s hands since the time he could sit up. Both parents played basketball in college, with Megan suiting up for the Buckeyes. That’s where Ethan’s dreams of playing football in the Big Ten started to take root.

Ethan started playing flag football at age 3 but was exposed to numerous sports. This year — because of his early enrollment at Penn State — is the first time he hasn’t played basketball. Growing up, he played baseball and lacrosse. More recently, he added golf to the mix.

“We quickly learned it was a lot more fun to watch him play sports other than basketball because watching the sport you grew up playing and played, it’s a lot easier to be critical,” Megan said. “It’s just fun to watch your kid do what they love to do.”

But football was always Ethan’s favorite sport. As a young boy, he used to write out his own Big Ten schedule and jot down what his stats would be and how those numbers would project him as a future NFL prospect.

“Growing up, I definitely wanted to play in the Horseshoe,” Ethan said. “And then as I got older and learned more about how the recruiting process worked, you realize that not everyone plays for Ohio State that’s from Ohio.”

Ethan’s parents could provide an invaluable perspective on his college recruitment, but they laughed when wondering how much of it stuck with their teenage son. They hope some of their advice resonated — Heather is optimistic that her time spent tutoring Ethan in calculus this fall will help him make a smooth transition into a college classroom. Even when big-time football programs weren’t interested in Grunkemeyer, he still put himself on a path to early enrollment.

“I teach college kids every day, so since he was little, I’d come home and say, ‘Look, this is not the behavior you want to have in college, and these are the study skills,’” Heather said. “You’re hoping it sticks.”

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One of Megan’s college basketball recruitment lessons became extremely relevant last month when Penn State parted ways with Yurcich. Though Penn State has since hired Andy Kotelnicki as his replacement — and Kotelnicki joined Franklin for last week’s in-home visit — Megan reminded Ethan of her recruitment. She signed with the Buckeyes, and shortly thereafter, the head coach who recruited her was fired. Coaching transitions are an inevitable part of college athletics.

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“We didn’t think someone was gonna come in and run the Wing T, but on the other side, it still has to be a good personality fit, and we’re super happy that it seems to be really good,” Megan said. “I think Ethan is really going to enjoy playing for coach K. He’s excited, and we’re excited.”

It was during the in-home visit that the family was able to not only get to know Kotelnicki, but also see the down-to-earth side of Franklin. They dined on wings and didn’t spend the entire visit discussing football. There’s plenty of time for that. This was about reaffirming that both sides felt comfortable with the new offensive coordinator and making sure the path for Ethan’s signing, which had been smooth since his spring verbal commitment, remained clear of obstacles.

In a matter of weeks, the family will drive from Ohio to State College once again, this time to move Ethan in. That, Megan and Heather insist, will be just as surreal as all that’s unfolded for Ethan this past year.

“My parents have been so supportive with everything,” Ethan said. “They’ve been awesome. I can’t even explain how helpful they’ve been with everything.”

(Top photo courtesy of the Grunkemeyer family)