Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542734
5 6 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Penn State had been without an of- fensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting cycle after its class fell apart in the wake of James Franklin's dismissal in October. Then, on Dec. 23, the Nittany Lions added two in one day, flipping a pair of three- star Iowa State signees in Mason Band- hauer and Pete Eglitis. Bandhauer is the more highly rated of the two prospects, ranking No. 59 among offensive tackles and No. 11 in his home state of Colorado, per Rivals. A standout at Fort Collins High, Band- hauer was the first player to join Iowa State's 2026 class, announcing his com- mitment more than two years ahead of signing day, in October 2024. Boston Col- lege, Kansas State, Kansas, Mississippi State, Nebraska and Oklahoma State were the other Power Four schools that had extended offers. Bandhauer's decision to join head coach Matt Campbell and of- fensive line coach Ryan Clanton at Penn State is even more notable given that Bandhauer's father, Todd, was a two- year starter at quarter- back for Iowa State in the mid-1990s. "He's been a great leader of this recruit- ing class, and it's been awesome to watch him," Campbell said when asked about Bandhauer during Iowa State's signing day press conference in December. "He'll be a great leader on this football team someday. He's got that kind of ability and potential." During his senior season, Bandhauer earned first-team All-CHSAA Class 5A honors. Listed at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, he told CycloneReport's Bill Seals that he will play wherever he's needed at the col- lege level. "They told me just be ready to play any position when I walk in," he said. "I know how to snap, and I've been doing that a lot this offseason, so if they need me to snap, I can snap. If they need me to play guard, I can play guard." — Ryan Snyder Offensive tackle Pete Eglitis is bring- ing a championship pedigree with him to State College. The 6-foot-7, 290-pound prospect grew up in Co- lumbus, Ohio, where he helped lead Bishop Watterson to back-to-back OHSAA Division III state titles the past two seasons. Eglitis had been hoping to vie for Big 12 championships, too, but his plans changed when Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell and offensive line coach Ryan Clanton headed to Penn State shortly after signing day. Eglitis had committed to Iowa State following an official visit to Ames in early June. He previously took an official visit to Louisville and was planning to check out Pitt, too, but canceled after he announced he had chosen the Cyclones. One school that Eglitis hadn't visited at any point was Penn State. He had earned 20 scholarship offers through- out the recruiting process and took un- official visits to nearly as many schools but had never been to State College. However, when Campbell and Clan- ton expressed interest in welcoming him into the Nittany L i o n s ' p rog ra m , h e jumped at the chance. "The opportunity to play for them in the best conference in college football is going to be crazy," he said. Eglitis had been impressed with what he heard during Campbell's introduc- tory press conference at Penn State and was eager to come aboard, noting that "the culture he builds, the development he and his coaches provide is second to none." A three-star prospect, Eglitis is listed by Rivals as the No. 104 offensive tackle nationally and No. 64 prospect in Ohio. He's eager to get his career started at PSU. "I've only heard great things about the program from the current commits," he said. "I can't wait to get to work." — Ryan Snyder COMMITMENT PROFILE MASON BANDHAUER COMMITMENT PROFILE PETE EGLITIS Versatile Lineman Could Play Any Position Up Front Ohio Prospect Is Eager To Get Started At PSU Despite standing 6-foot-7, Eglitis is more likely to end up at guard than tackle un- less he fixes his mobility issues. He's tall for a guard, but with work in the weight room, he can learn to play with a lower pad level. If he does that, he could be a devastating run blocker and a quality pass protector with good instincts. He's got the mind and work ethic for the position, be- cause few high school offensive linemen have put in the time to be as technically aware as Eglitis appears to be. If he progresses in the weight room and can play with more fluidity and grace, there's a chance he could stick at right tackle. He has the necessary size, but it will take work to get there. — Thomas Frank Carr Penn State lists Bandhauer at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, but without length information, we're a bit blind as to his upside and ability to hold the edge as a tackle in the Big Ten. What we do know is that he's sufficiently big and athletic to profile as a guard. Typically, offensive line coaches prefer to put their most athletic players on the left side, which would make sense for Bandhauer. There's also a chance he could fit at center if his arms aren't long enough to play guard. Either way, he appears to have great athletic traits and growth potential, making him an asset in the run and pass game. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N