Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
M A R C H 2 0 2 5 4 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P L A Y E R B I O S / / / / / / / N ittany Lion fans were hoping for some excitement at the end of the 2025 recruiting cycle. On Dec. 6, they got exactly that when On3 five-star tight end Andrew Olesh announced that he was flipping his commitment from Michigan to Penn State. A native of Center Valley, Pa., Olesh earned an offer from tight ends coach Ty Howle in January 2024 while he was on campus for a junior day. By that point, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound prospect had already visited six times. With his father being a Penn State graduate, many ob- servers assumed it was only a matter of time before the Southern Lehigh pros- pect would join the Lions' 2025 class. It ended up being anything but a quick recruitment. In addition to taking an official visit to Penn State last June, Olesh went to Alabama, Florida and Michigan before committing to the Wolverines on July 8. It was a disheartening loss for Penn State, but throughout the fall there were murmurs that he wasn't quite finished looking at other schools. Olesh took an unofficial visit to Alabama in Sep- tember and followed it up with a trip to Oregon in October before returning to Penn State on Nov. 2 for the Nittany Lions' game against Ohio State. By that point, it was apparent that PSU had a real chance to land Pennsylvania's top- ranked player. Olesh eventually took two more of- ficial visits in November to Notre Dame and Oregon. In the week leading up to the early signing period, many expected him to either end up with the Ducks or stick with the Wolverines. Instead, though, Howle's consistency throughout the process won him over. "Coach Howle, right from the start, was very warm," said Olesh's father, George. "The vibe was really good with him. He helped Andrew all along the way as far as advising him about his weight and what kind of tape he needed to put together as a junior in high school. It was nice to have that kind of guidance. … Coach Howle really helped shepherd us through the process." James Franklin also played a big role in his decision to flip. "He's a great guy," Andrew Olesh said of the Nittany Lions' 12th-year head coach. "I feel like he's got what it takes to take it to the next level. We just need guys like me who can go to Penn State and produce." The success of Tyler Warren this past season also played a role. The senior enjoyed a historic campaign, finishing with 104 catches for 1,233 yards and 8 touchdowns, while adding 218 rushing A five-star prospect according to On3's scouts, Olesh is the highest-ranked member of Penn State's class, coming in 29th overall nationally and first among tight ends. COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS ANDREW OLESH Nittany Lions bolster tight end corps by flipping elite in-state prospect