Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534903
4 8 M A Y 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 D efensive tackle Isaac Chuk- wurah snuck up on many re- cruiting observers when he committed to Penn State on April 22. A 6-foot-2, 260-pound pros- pect from Caravel Academy in Bear, Del., Chukwurah visited with Penn State's staff for the first time on April 9. Since no practice was scheduled, he had the staff's attention nearly the entire day. That included head coach James Franklin and defensive line coach Deion Barnes. By the time the visit was over, both sides realized that Chukwurah would be a great ad- dition to PSU's 2026 class. However, it takes more than a good fit to play at a program like Penn State. With the spring con- tact period starting up, PSU's staff could have waited for Chukwurah to attend camp in June. But that approach would have given other schools an opportunity to extend offers in May, so the staff decided to use its "virtual combine" to gain that information within days. Devised during COVID when in-person gatherings were forbidden, the virtual combine gives players a chance to work out remotely and provide testing infor- mation to the staff. Chukwurah teamed up with his trainer back home to do the tests and sent the results to Penn State. That led to the offer, followed by a second visit on April 18 and eventually a com- mitment. "I've been thinking about it ever since I left," Chukwurah said. "At first, I didn't make anything official with the coaches. I took a couple of days. I didn't want to make [a decision] off of emotion. "I went through all of it and checked my boxes, and that's when I realized that this is the right spot for me. It also just happens to be at a school that I always really wanted to go to." Before Penn State got involved, Chukwurah had earned Power Four offers from Boston College, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. He also visited a handful of no- table programs this spring, in- cluding Duke, Syracuse and Wis- consin. In addition, Chukwurah said that Michigan State and Pitt were planning to come to Cara- vel Academy in the near future to evaluate him during the contact period. Although Chukwurah grew up watching the Nittany Lions regu- larly, his decision to commit was based on much more than just a familiarity with the program's re- cent history. "I remember watching Micah Parsons, but I mainly picked Penn State because of their coaching staff," he said. "I think Coach Barnes is really good. Also, Penn State in general and their cul- ture [were influential]. What they have going at Penn State is something I want to be a part of. The love is real at Penn State." Though unrated by On3, Chukwurah enjoyed a strong junior season at Caravel, totaling 65 tackles, including 25 for loss and 17 sacks, to help the Buccaneers win the Class 2A state championship. He's the third Delaware prospect who has committed to Penn State in recent months. The others are four-star 2026 wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers and four- star 2027 offensive lineman Layton von Brandt, both of whom play at Appo- quinimink, which is about 13 miles south of Caravel. "I know Layton and Jahsiear. We all played youth football," Chukwurah said. "Layton was on a younger team, and I played Jahsiear's team ever since I started playing youth football. I wouldn't say we talk regularly, but we all know each other and are cool with each other." ■ Verbal Pledge Ends Lineman's Whirlwind Recruitment RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Chukwurah totaled 25 tackles for loss and 17 sacks as a junior, helping Caravel Academy win the Delaware Class 2A state title. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 COMMITMENT PROFILE ISAAC CHUKWURAH While bigger is generally better in football, 6-foot-2 is not too short to play defensive tackle at the Power Four level. We've seen Penn State find success with plenty of shorter tackles over the years. However, not every short defensive tackle has the wingspan that Isaac Chukwurah possesses. The Dela- ware native has incredibly long arms for his height, measuring 34 inches. That's a massive advantage. If he's close to 300 pounds, his natural strength and leverage would make Chukwurah a devastating run defender. Arm length is also particularly helpful with pass rushing because winning the hand- fighting battle starts with winning initial contact. The Penn State defense has struggled to produce consistent pressure up the middle of the pocket. Any time there's a player with the physical potential to make that happen, it's notable. There's a long, long way to go, but nothing on film says Chukwurah can't be a complete defensive tackle who plays the run and pass at an elite level. Now, we'll watch over the next few years to see if he can get there. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N