Blue White Illustrated

P .J. Mustipher might be one of the most likely incoming freshmen to see the 9eld this season – playing defensive tackle, at that. That appraisal is not based only on his coaches' comments, but also on his 6-foot-4, 305-pound frame and a motor that propelled him to 29 sacks and 88 tackles during the last two seasons of his All-America high school career. And his accomplishments weren't con- 9ned to the football 9eld. Mustipher was a pretty good wrestler, too. A repeat Maryland state champ at heavy- weight, he reached the 9nals of the prep school national championships as a senior and 9nished his last three seasons with a combined record of 95-19 and 52 pins. He is considered the best wrestler to come out of McDonogh High since Myles Martin, a national champ at Ohio State in 2016. But Mustipher's athletic future lies on the football 9eld, not the wrestling mat, and it's coming fast. Mustipher arrived on campus in May with a small group that also included quar- terback Will Levis, tight end Pat Freier- muth and fellow defensive tackle Judge Culpepper. Considering that he started taking courses nearly a month earlier than many of his classmates, and also that the NCAA recently relaxed its redshirt limita- tions, Mustipher is likely to see early play- ing time – on a trial basis, at least. Coach James Franklin hinted at the possibility during his signing day press conference. "I do think we have some things that we've got to get resolved at D-tackle," he said. "P.J. Mustipher is a guy who has the body type that [makes] you think he may be able to come in and play as a true fresh- man, which is unusual at that position." At Big Ten media days last month, Franklin reiterated his stance from Febru- ary – not only about Mustipher, but Culpepper as well. By the time the head coach met with reporters in Chicago, he had been watching the freshman duo for a couple of months and said they were "probably farther ahead" than might have been expected prior to their arrival. Mustipher is the younger brother of Sam Mustipher, an o:ensive lineman at Notre Dame who has started 25 games heading into his senior season. This preseason, he joins Penn State's Connor McGovern on the Rimington Trophy watch list. P.J. has followed closely in Sam's foot- steps throughout. He even considered the Irish for a while before selecting the Nit- tany Lions. Maryland, Michigan State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech were the four other schools on his short list. "I saw my brother go through it and I wanted to be just like him," Mustipher told BlueAndGold.com before the start of his senior season, while his recruitment was still ongoing. "I wanted to be a great player and do The Opening, do the All-American games. I feel I'm surpassing that level, and it's not just about that. It's about getting prepared for football and life a;er football. I'm setting myself up academically and athletically to be the best person I can." Mustipher went to The Opening. He also played in the Under Armour All-America Game – and he crushed it. He 9nished his high school career by soaring up the rank- ings, 9nishing as the sixth-best defensive tackle in the country. Chad Simmons of Rivals.com said he was "as consistent as anyone" at the Under Armour game, and added that "Penn State may have one in the trenches that can help them early." A;erward, Mustipher climbed 57 spots in the Rivals250, but McDonogh football coach Dominic Damico had known all along that Mustipher was unlike most. "His work ethic is o: the chart [and] his skill set is well beyond his years," Damico told GoPSUSports.com. "He makes everyone around him better." ■ Mustipher could be early-impact freshman for PSU | THE MUSTIPHER FILE STATS Totaled 45 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 14 sacks in 2017... Had 47 tackles and 15 sacks as a junior... Won state wrestling titles as a heavyweight in 2017 and 2018 HONORS Named a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 6 defensive tackle in the Class of 2018, No. 4 prospect in Maryland and No. 107 overall prospect nationally... Was a first- team All-USA Maryland pick by USA Today... Claimed All-Metro honors from The Baltimore Sun... Took part in The Opening and Under Armour All-America Game CLICK HERE to see video of Mustipher in action. from both the Pennsylvania Football Writers and USA Today as a senior, as well as the 2018 Class 4A Lineman of the Year award from Pennsylvania Football News. However, those accolades mean nothing now that he's enrolled at Penn State. Scruggs would be the 9rst to tell you that, but he still has big goals for his 9rst year on campus. "Of course I want to come in and con- tribute right away. If you don't have that mindset, then it's going to be hard to make it at that level," Scurggs said. "There are a lot of ways to contribute, though. If I have to push the starters on scout team, then I'll accept that. I just want to do whatever I can to help us reach our goals this season." ■

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