Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525333
4 8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State head coach James Frank- lin and his staff hosted plenty of talented prospects July 26-27 for the staff 's annual Lasch Bash Barbe- cue. Unlike in previous years, the Nittany Lions turned the latest edition into a two-day event, hosting top prospects from across the country on both Fri- day and Saturday. It also set up well for them to host camps each day, allow- ing the staff to learn valuable testing metrics on many of the region's top up- and-coming recruits. The results from the weekend speak for themselves. Penn State added eight new commitments between July 27 and Aug. 8. That included three more pros- pects in the 2025 class, four in the 2026 class, and even one for 2027 in running back Kemon Spell of McKeesport, Pa. The Lions did suffer a setback on Aug. 13 when three-star 2025 running back Kiandrea Barker decommitted, but the additions grabbed headlines, and there were also several prospects at the Lasch Bash who left campus with offers. By our count, the staff extended 10 verbal scholarship offers to 2026 and '27 pros- pects that Friday and Saturday. One player to monitor is 2026 of- fensive lineman Tavian Branch. A na- tive of Taylor, Pa., Branch camped at Penn State multiple times this summer, showing gradual improvement with each visit. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound interior lineman from Riverside High said it was always one of his goals to earn an offer from his in-state school. "I always loved Penn State, and people around me love it, too," Branch said. "I watched a bunch of their games growing up, especially when Saquon [Barkley] was there. After my first camp at Penn State when I was an incoming freshman, I said to myself after having a good time at camp, 'I'm going to get an offer from here by the time I graduate high school.'" Branch is unranked but has totaled eight scholarship offers. In addition to Penn State, he holds Power Four offers from Cin- cinnati, Duke, Pitt, Rutgers and Syra- cuse. A n o t h e r Pe n n - sylvania prospect to keep an eye on is defensive end Jackson Ford. A native of Phoenixville, Ford transferred to Malvern Prep in the offseason, which means he'll play alongside another key 2026 target for Penn State's staff, de- fensive tackle Cameron Brickle. Just like Branch, Ford said he grew up watching the Nittany Lions. "My whole life, I've always been a huge Penn State fan, so I'm always watching their games regardless of the sport," Ford said. Listed at 6-3, 240 pounds, Ford is being recruited as a tight end by some schools. However, Penn State likes his potential best as an edge rusher, and 2026 Prospects Are Focus Of Lasch Bash Events RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Offensive lineman Tavian Branch grew up a Penn State fan in Taylor, Pa. Playing both offense and defense, he helped Riverside High finish 8-4 last season. PHOTO BY THOMAS FRANK CARR Rk. School Commits 1. Ohio State 24 2. Alabama 21 3. LSU 22 4. Georgia 22 5. Oregon 14 6. Auburn 22 7. Texas A&M 20 8. Clemson 15 9. Tennessee 21 10. Florida State 13 17. Penn State 23 ON3 2025 TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS As of Aug. 13