Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
M A R C H 2 0 2 5 5 3 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 / / / / / / / S ince coming on board as Penn State's offensive line coach back in 2020, Phil Trautwein has changed things for the better at the position in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions had three offensive linemen taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, and there wasn't much drop-off from the group last fall. The New Jersey native, now going into his sixth season in Happy Valley, has earned the right to build classes through his own evaluations. That's where Penn State's 2025 re- cruiting class comes in. The Nittany Lions signed four offensive linemen in the most recent cycle. Tackle Malachi Goodman has ready-made size, while Owen Aliciene is of the build-'em-up variety, as is former high school tight end Brady O'Hara. In the interior, Michael Troutman III is a bit of an outlier. He won't stand out in the group — far from it at 6-foot-2, 285 pounds. But Troutman's perfor- mance on the field was too much to ig- nore for Trautwein. Troutman camped back in July 2023 and more than held his own among a group of linemen that included future five-stars across multiple classes in Cooper Cousins, Michael Carroll and 2026 Penn State commit Kevin Brown. Troutman wasn't blessed with the physical gifts of the five-stars, but he's a brawler in the interior in the mold of recently graduated multiyear starter Sal Wormley. It's no shock that Wormley and Troutman were both favorites of Traut- wein. "My biggest thing with Coach Traut is how realistic he is," Troutman told On3. "He doesn't sugarcoat anything and tells you things how they are. "Something unique about him, and what makes him such a great coach, is that he not only teaches you about the game of football, but also differ- ent things about life as well. It's been a great experience building a relationship with him." After a decorated career at DePaul Catholic in North Jersey, Troutman en- rolled at Penn State ahead of the Fiesta and Orange bowls and immediately got to work. He and Aliciene, while on sepa- rate paths of development, are moving toward a common goal. "You need guys that are going to re- ally embrace the work ethic, the grind, and those two guys definitely have that," said Kenny Sanders, Penn State's di- rector of player personnel. "They both come from big-time programs that know how to get you ready to play ball, and they're both really dedicated. They couldn't be more opposite from a player standpoint, but when it comes to what it takes to be an elite offensive lineman at this level, they both have that." — Sean Fitz A 35-game starter during his last three seasons at DePaul Catholic, Troutman chose the Nittany Lions over Rutgers and Duke. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS MICHAEL TROUTMAN III Connection with coaching staff leads New Jersey lineman to PSU OL | 6-2 | 285 DePaul Catholic Trenton, N.J. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★ 763 64 20 On3 ★★★ — 51 13 247Sports ★★★ — 67 25 ESPN ★★★ — 17 14 Rivals ★★★ — 40 29 Statistics • Started 35 games during his final three sea- sons at DePaul Catholic • Paved the way for Notre Dame-bound run- ning back Nolan James Jr. to run for 1,921 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2024 Notable • Voted team captain as a junior and a senior • Helped lead DePaul to a Non-Public B state championship as a senior • Earned first-team all-state, all-county and all-league honors in 2024 • Played both ways for DePaul, also excelling as a defensive lineman Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on Feb. 11, 2024 • Earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in May 2023 • Recruited by offensive line coach Phil Trautwein • Chose the Nittany Lions over Duke and Rutgers • Enrolled at Penn State in December 2025 Projection Penn State has gotten bigger and better on the offensive line under Phil Trautwein, so it was a bit of a surprise to see the Nittany Lions take a commitment from a smaller interior player like the 6-foot-2, 285-pound Troutman so early in the cycle. But one look at the tape and it's not hard to see why. He has some of the best film of anyone in Penn State's class. He's technically sound, tough and has more- than-adequate length despite his height. Troutman has a high floor and could be used early in his career if the Nittany Lions needed some help at guard or center. They Said It Penn State director of player personnel Kenny Sanders: "What an unbelievable kid and family. I think that kid, coming from the program he does, he's played a ton of foot- ball. He's super smart and can play all three positions on the inside and he's all the way bought in." T H E T R O U T M A N F I L E