Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 10 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State experienced both success and disappointment during the hectic recruiting period that fol- lowed the conclusion of spring practice. May and June have become two of the busiest months of the recruiting calen- dar, and that was certainly the case for the Nittany Lions this year. Penn State earned five verbal commitments in May and seven in June. In addition, another two players chose PSU in the first two weeks of July. Even with four-star quar- terback Peyton Falzone and three-star offensive tackle Roseby Lubintus de- committing, the Lions more than dou- bled the size of their 2026 contingent from early May to mid-July. Penn State's class numbered 24 play- ers as of July 14 and appeared to be nearly complete. It was ranked 16th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten by Rivals, which merged with On3 in July. Here's a look at the 10 players who have committed to Penn State since May 22. Marlen Bright OL | 6-6 | 270 | Wayne, N.J. Penn State added what could be its final offensive lineman on July 5 when it picked up a commitment from Bright of DePaul Catholic. A four-star prospect as rated by Rivals' scouts, Bright earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in June 2023 following a camp performance. After the staff reviewed film from his sophomore and junior seasons, he climbed Penn State's recruiting board and emerged as one of position coach Phil Trautwein's top targets in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Bright totaled 30 offers and took offi- cial visits to Illinois and West Virginia in April. But as evidenced by his 12 visits to State College, Penn State was always a heavy favorite. Bright canceled his final official visit to Rutgers after taking his OV to Penn State. Bright is ranked No. 222 nationally by Rivals' scouts. He's the No. 21 offen- sive tackle nationally and No. 3 player in New Jersey. Benjamin Eziuka OL | 6-3 | 295 | Detroit, Mich. Eziuka earned an offer from Penn State in July 2024 after attending the pro- gram's White Out Camp. For months, he made it clear that PSU was his top school, but it wasn't until he camped again on June 1 that the Nittany Lions realized they couldn't pass up the Detroit Catholic Central offensive lineman. A three-star prospect, Eziuka is the No. 71 interior offensive lineman and No. 20 player in Michigan. He totaled 15 offers up until the time of his commit- ment, with Cincinnati, Stanford and Wake Forest all hosting him for visits this past spring. "I've always played on winning teams. I used to travel two hours every night to play on the best youth team in my state. I travel an hour every day to go to one of the best schools for football in the state. My wrestling team is nationally ranked," he said. "Being part of a winning cul- ture brings the best out of me, and that's something I really needed to be a part of." Jackson Ford DE | 6-3 | 240 | Phoenixville, Pa. Penn State filled an important need along its defensive front on June 27 with the addition of Ford from Malvern Prep. The Nittany Lions became the second Summer Commitment Surge Boosts 2026 Class RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Michigan and Ohio State had appeared to be Penn State's primary competitors for four-star defensive end Jackson Ford. But after committing to the Lions in late June, he admitted that Wisconsin was the other school he was seriously considering. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER