Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
4 2 M A R C H 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 5 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / C oming out of one of Penn State's first prospect camps last June, Brian Kortovich felt he had done all he could do to turn the heads of the Nittany Lions' staff. Having put together a po- sitional MVP performance at the Under Armour camp in his native Ohio the week prior, Kortovich had put his best foot forward. The issue, however, was that the Nittany Lions already had Virginia tight end Matt Henderson com- mitted and were in the mix for in- state standout Andrew Olesh in a class that seemingly had room for only two players at the posi- tion. Penn State tight ends coach Ty Howle told Kortovich the staff would keep an eye on him just in case some- thing opened up. It wasn't just lip service; Kortovich had given Howle a reason to be intrigued. That day, he clocked a 4.54-second 40- yard dash — a time that was better than what Henderson and Olesh had on file — and a ridiculous 4.31-second short shuttle at 225 pounds. At that point, he was mostly an un- known on the recruiting scene. Kor- tovich played his junior year at around 195 pounds and didn't get on the radar for some coaches until the spring eval- uation period. Eventually, he jumped on an offer from Purdue, choosing the Boilermakers over Illinois, Indiana and Northwestern. But Howle stayed in touch with the On3 four-star prospect. After viewing some senior film, he told Kortovich that the Nittany Lions wanted to get him on campus for an official visit later in the season. The issue, once again, was that the Nittany Lions were openly trying to flip Olesh, who had committed to Mich- igan in the meantime. Kortovich quietly set up a visit for early November, only to find that Olesh was also planning on taking in the Nittany Lions' tilt with Ohio State. He pushed it back a week to the White Out, and then once again pushed it to the last week of the regular season at Howle's request. Kortovich still didn't have an offer from the Nittany Lions at the time, and Purdue fired head coach Ryan Walters after the sea- son. Howle played the balancing act as long as he could, keeping Kortovich in the loop every step of the way. As National Signing Day approached, Olesh had yet to make a decision. At that point, Penn State made its call: Regardless of Olesh's choice, the Nittany Lions wanted to take Kortovich. With the door open, he committed on Dec. 3, just ahead of National Signing Day. "[Penn State] kind of fits who I am as a person," Kortovich said. "I like seeing their hard work, the grit, the grind, how seriously they take everything. It was just something I wanted to be a part of. It felt like home." — Sean Fitz Kortovich committed to Purdue last summer but reconsidered his options when the Nittany Lions extended a scholarship offer in November. PHOTO COURTESY BRIAN KORTOVICH BRIAN KORTOVICH An impressive showing at camp leads to a spot in PSU's class TE | 6-4 | 230 Villa Angela-St. Joseph Willoughby, Ohio Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★ 576 28 22 On3 ★★★★ 246 16 11 247Sports ★★★ — 42 37 ESPN ★★★★ 253 9 10 Rivals ★★★ — — — Statistics • Finished his high school career with 1,432 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns Notable • Three-year letterman who served as team captain his senior season • Helped lead his team to a 8-3 record and a playoff win over Hawken last fall • Won positional MVP honors at the Under Ar- mour camp stop in Ohio in 2024 Recruitment • Originally committed to Purdue over Illinois, Indiana and Northwestern • Camped at Penn State in June before his senior season • Offered by the Nittany Lions in November and committed on Dec. 3 • Recruited by tight ends coach Ty Howle 2025 Projection Penn State signed three tight ends in its 2025 class, all of whom have some unique athletic traits. Of that trio, Kortovich is the most reminis- cent of a traditional hand-in-the-dirt tight end. He showcased his athleticism at camp before his senior season, and Penn State was intrigued enough to keep an eye on him throughout the fall. He enrolled in December and practiced with the team through the College Football Playoff. Given what's in front of him on the depth chart, a redshirt season is likely for Kortovich. They Said It On3 scouting director Charles Power: "[Kortovich] came onto my radar when he was committed to Purdue because of the combine numbers he was putting up. This is a guy who ran in the 4.5 range at 220-plus pounds. Penn State's tight end room is already very athletic, and now all three of those [2025 signees] instantly bring even more athleticism to that room." T H E K O R T O V I C H F I L E