Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
M A R C H 2 0 2 4 5 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M COMMITMENT PROFILES Penn State picked up another cov- eted linebacker prospect on Feb. 4 when Latrobe, Pa., native Alex Tatsch an- nounced his decision to join the Nittany Lions. Listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Tatsch earned an offer from Penn State in Oc- tober while visiting for the game against Indiana. Once the film of his junior season was released, the Greater Latrobe High standout saw his list of offers double in just a month following the season. Pitt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wiscon- sin all hosted him for games during the 2023 season. Other schools that extended offers were Kentucky, Maryland, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Stanford and USC. However, it was always going to be difficult for any school to beat out the Nittany Lions. Tatsch said he had been thinking for a while about ending his re- cruitment. "I've been going back and forth on doing this for some time now," he said. "I just know this place is the best fit for me. I have a great relationship with the coaches. I've always just felt comfortable there. I think we can do something special there." Tatsch is a four-star prospect accord- ing to On3's scouts and in the On3 In- dustry Ranking, which averages the scores from the four major recruiting services to come up with a cumulative grade. He's ranked No. 52 nationally by On3 and second overall in Pennsylvania. A Pitt fan growing up, Tatsch might have seemed an unlikely addition to Penn State's class not so long ago. But his coach at Greater Latrobe knew PSU de- fensive backs coach Terry Smith and sent Tatsch's film to PSU. That got the Lions' attention, and their interest turned out to be mutual. "I visited for the first time for that White Out game against Iowa [in 2023]," Tatsch said. "I went back up then for a few more visits and I've just really connected well with everyone there. They've been great, honestly." — Ryan Snyder Penn State bolstered its offensive line when it picked up a commitment from Connecticut prospect Owen Aliciene on Jan. 21. Listed at 6-foot-7, 270 pounds, Aliciene announced his decision after vis- iting with the Nittany Lion coaching staff the previous day. A three-star offensive tackle, Aliciene received an offer from Penn State in May 2023. By that time, he had already visited once, in March, to watch a spring prac- tice session. The Avon Old Farms pros- pect then returned for two more visits later that year, attending the Lasch Bash Barbecue in July and the season opener against West Virginia in September. "When I first visited, after that, I thought that this was the place I would like to go," Aliciene said. "Then, when they offered me in May, I definitely had the mind- set that Penn State was my No. 1 offer. As other offers kept coming, I couldn't re- ally pick one that I wanted to go to more than Penn State. So yeah, it was pretty easy for me, honestly." Aliciene earned 18 scholarship offers before announcing his decision. He vis- ited six other schools over the past year, with Boston College, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, Pitt and Rutgers all getting him on campus. But while he was exploring those other options, Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein was develop- ing a good rapport with Aliciene, who is listed by On3 as the No. 21 offensive tackle nationally and No. 3 prospect in Connecticut. "Coach Trautwein did a really good job," Avon Old Farms head coach Jon Wholley said. "I think he related to Owen because he was a similar type of player coming out of high school. He's also re- cruited other guys that have similar body types and frames. I think that was some- thing that encouraged Owen. "Also, just the overall direction of the program. I think their concept of togeth- erness and family and just the overall cul- ture that Coach [James] Franklin has built were all things that attracted him to Penn State and made it a good fit." — Ryan Snyder Penn State Adds Promising Tackle Prospect From New England Latrobe Linebacker Will Look To Make An Impact With Lions COMMITMENT PROFILE OWEN ALICIENE COMMITMENT PROFILE ALEX TATSCH P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N Aliciene has the physical and technical skills to play left tackle at Penn State. His explosive numbers are slightly behind Penn State's best offensive linemen of the past few years, but his overall testing metrics fall right in line for quickness and overall athleticism. Much like Phil Trautwein's other tall tackle commits, there's a significant and tangible upside with Aliciene that will help him outgrow his three-star label. Penn State got another great piece to the offensive line puzzle. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N Tatsch has the frame and game to be a downhill, between-the-tackles eraser for the Penn State defense. With some work on his play though contact and trig - ger instincts, he could be a high-quality run defender who gets stops and doesn't miss tackles. Beyond that, he's the kind of linebacker who can blitz in third-down situations or drop into midfield zones and patrol un - derneath coverage. Penn State has been strong up the middle in recent years. Tatsch adds to that with his commitment. — Thomas Frank Carr