Not even time will erase the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State University, but new head football coach James Franklin is recruiting his way to a bright future at the program and one that leaves the historic NCAA sanctions in the past.

Franklin left his job at Vanderbilt and took his staff with him, thus terminating the employment of the last Penn State football coach from the Joe Paterno era. According to ESPN Big Ten recruiting insider Tom VanHaaren, Franklin is getting creative with his recruiting, despite the lingering sanctions.

Penn State is halfway into a four-year postseason ban, a time period where they will also have to pay $60 million dollars in fines and surrender several scholarships. Thanks to a glowing progress report from George Mitchell, the schools' compliance overseer, Penn State will receive some scholarships back sooner. However, the bowl ban is expected to last all four years.

Bill O'Brien coached at Penn State for one year and got the ball rolling, recruiting five-star quarterback Christian Hackenburg, a Leighton, Penn. native who dreamed of playing for the Nittany Lions.

Franklin's approach is a bit different.

VanHaaren noted coaches cannot hold recruiting camps more than 50 miles from their schools' campus, but Franklin is still getting a firsthand look at Georgia high school players.

"It's genius on their part. You get to get face time with the talent down here in the heart of SEC country," Georgia defensive tackle prospect Russell Ude told VanHaaren. "They can sell their brand to recruits at a school that doesn't compete with them."

Franklin and his staff are planning to taking over Georgia State's high school spring camp in June. Many schools in the SEC are less than half as far away as Penn State is, so some of these prospects may have never even considered a visit to the middle of the state of Pennsylvania.

Roquan Smith, an ESPN 300 linebacker prospect from Georgia, also praised Franklin's initiative. Ude already has an offer on the table from Penn State and Smith could be close to follow.

Since his arrival, Franklin has secured four-star quarterback recruit Brandon Wimbush, from New Jersey, and four-star offensive tackle Sterling Jenkins, from Pittsburgh. Both were ESPN's fifth-ranked prospects at their respective positions.

Franklin may be dealing with his own scandal, as defense attorneys say he had improper communication with the alleged rape victim of four of his players at Vanderbilt. The prosecution acknowledged the communication, but said there was nothing improper about it. The defense's filing was also an attempt to have the entire case dismissed.