Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529598
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State started November with a bang, adding to its 2026 recruit- ing class by landing safety Matt Sieg of Fort Cherry High in McDonald, Pa. Sieg committed to head coach James Franklin in person prior to Penn State kicking off against Ohio State on Nov. 2 at Beaver Stadium. "My family and I had thought about it all week and decided that this was the best fit for us, to stay close to home," Seig told On3. "We decided to pull the trigger, and we're glad we did." Sieg has received three stars from On3's scouts but has a four-star grade in the On3 Industry Ranking, which combines the ratings from four ma- jor recruiting websites. The 6-foot, 170-pound defensive back said he chose Penn State because of the connection he made with the coaches. "The coaching staff are great people, and I've developed some great rela- tionships with them," he said. "They were first to enter my recruitment and haven't let up since jumping in. I feel a genuine connection from everyone there. It's also close to home for us, and family is big for me." Sieg is the nation's No. 215 overall player, No. 18 safety nationally and No. 6 prospect in Pennsylvania in the next cycle, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He has held an offer from the Nittany Lions for more than a year and was considered a longtime Penn State lean. The trip to State College for the Ohio State game was his second visit to Happy Valley this fall, and he came back the follow- ing weekend for the Lions' White Out matchup against Washington. Last fall, Sieg said his interest in Penn State predated his emergence as one of the state's top prospects. "A lot of my family are huge Penn State fans, so it's rubbed off on me," he said. "I've loved Penn State since I was old enough to even watch football. My dad could see Beaver Stadium from his house when he grew up out that way, so he's a pretty big fan, too." Pitt, West Virginia, Wisconsin, USC, Minnesota, Syracuse, Nebraska, Mich- igan State and Missouri are among the programs that have offered Sieg, who doubles as a quarterback at Fort Cherry. "Penn State is exciting because ob- viously it's a great program, but from a defensive perspective they're always solid," Sieg said after a visit in Septem- ber. "Their safeties are involved with a lot and are big playmakers for them." Last fall, Sieg produced one of the best statistical seasons in Pennsylva- nia high school football history, totaling more than 4,000 yards of offense and scoring 63 touchdowns. He also led Fort Cherry to an appearance in the PIAA Class A championship game. It was the first time the school had ever advanced that far in the state playoffs. Through seven games this year, he was the team's leading rusher with 653 yards on 72 carries (9.1 yards per at- tempt) and had also completed 11 of 20 passes for 133 yards and 3 touchdowns. With Sieg's addition, Penn State now has commitments from three of the top five Pennsylvania prospects in the 2026 class. Offensive lineman Kevin Brown and running back Messiah Mickens, who are teammates at Harrisburg High, check in at Nos. 1 and 4, respectively, in the state. ■ Western Pennsylvania Standout To Join Lions' Secondary S E A N F I T Z | S E A N . F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M Sieg has played quarterback and safety at Fort Cherry High. He surpassed 4,000 yards of total offense as a sophomore but is expected to play in the secondary at the college level. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER COMMITMENT PROFILE MATT SIEG Matt Sieg is a four-star safety in the On3 Industry Ranking, and he doubles as a quar- terback. He basically does everything for Fort Cherry, which went to the PIAA Class A state championship game last year. It's a very small school, but he's a big-time athlete. He's held a Penn State offer for more than a year now. You don't offer too many kids in the Fort Cherry area, but he's nearly 6-foot-1, ran a 4.43-sec- ond 40-yard dash at camp last year and put up some really good testing numbers. The Nittany Lions offered him fairly early in his sophomore year. He's one of those guys who looked to be a PSU lean right from the jump. You look at a lot of the data points, and it makes sense. He's a small-school kid from a pro-Penn State area. The Lions have been very good in western Pennsylvania. They've pretty much gotten who they've wanted out of that area the past couple of years, and this is a kid they wanted. He's a really good football player who backs it up with his academic credentials. It's a good pickup for Penn State. The Nittany Lions need to bring in a strong safety class in 2026, and they're in on some good ones early. Sieg is one of those guys. — Sean Fitz P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N