James Franklin knows talent.

He’s been coaching incredibly talented guys at Penn State during his time there. He knows when a guy is a cut above the rest.

And with sophomore defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, Franklin thinks he’s got that next-level ability. After practice on Wednesday, here’s what he had to say about the 6-foot-5 pass-rusher:

Gross-Matos was named as an honorable mention to the All-Freshman Team by BTN.com last season as a freshman. But it wasn’t just his stats that show his potential. Breaking into college football a year ago, he recorded 17 total tackles and 2 tackles for loss.

It’s everything else that makes Gross-Matos what he is and what he potentially will become. For Franklin to say he is as talented as any DE as he’s ever been around is saying something.

He recorded 3 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in Week 1 against Appalachian State.

Gross-Matos was regarded as a 4-star recruit by 247Sports and was the No. 5 DE in the Class of 2017.