Blue White Illustrated

WHAT HE DID A three-year letterman and two-time team captain, Bruce helped Harrisburg High go 25-5 over the past three seasons. That included a 12-2 :nish and a district title in 2018 and a 4-0 mark during the Cougars' COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Harrisburg coach Cal Everett said the 330-pound Bruce was an integral part of the team's success due to his dominance at the line of scrimmage. "He allowed us to… do a lot of things be- cause of how physical he is as a player," Everett said. WHAT HE WON Bruce was a three-star prospect as rated by Rivals.com and the No. 20 player in Pennsylvania. He re- ceived All-State honors following the 2019 and 2020 seasons and was a three- time All-Commonwealth Conference choice. WHERE HE VISITED Bruce became the second prospect to join Penn State's Class of 2021 when he announced on Oct. 19, 2019, that he planned on signing with the Nittany Lions. The player who preceded him, tight end Nick Elksnis, later decom- mitted, making Bruce the longest- tenured commitment in the Lions' class this year. Before announcing his college plans, Bruce took nine visits to University Park. He chose Penn State over Texas A&M, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Rutgers and also received interest from Ohio State, Maryland, Iowa State, Bowl- ing Green, Toledo and Connecticut. In addition to wrapping up his recruitment quickly, Bruce has gotten his college ca- reer o< to a fast start, having enrolled at Penn State in January for the start of the spring semester. QUOTABLE Everett: "What stands out about Nate in his development is his lead- ership and maturity. His leadership really stood out this past season. He's been an integral part of our program." PHIL GROSZ'S TAKE On his junior high- light video, Bruce appears surprisingly light on his feet for a player listed at 330 pounds. He's extremely strong, has a wide base coming o< the ball and fully understands leverage. Bruce is an out- standing power-drive run blocker who uses his hands exceptionally well and has a strong punch with his pass-blocking technique. At Penn State, he will most likely play at one of the two guard posi- tions on the o>

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