Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545007
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 6 51 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M I t was hardly a surprise that Stanley Montgomery committed to Penn State. His interest in the Nittany Lions had long been clear, with the four-star defensive tackle from Arch- bishop Ryan in Philadelphia having camped with the previous staff twice in a three-week span last summer. What was surprising was the tim- ing of Montgomery's commitment. He had been expected to take official visits in June, but with Penn State de- fensive assistants Ikaika Malloe and Christian Smith planning to visit him at his school on April 30, Montgomery and his father talked it over before the coaches arrived in Philadelphia. In- stead of listening to another recruit- ing pitch, they decided to spring a surprise on the new PSU assistants. "They came in, ready to give their pitch, but the night before he had al- ready made the decision with his father," Archbishop Ryan head coach Mark Osta- szewski said. "So, he let them know that he wanted to commit to Penn State when they got here, and then it became a cel- ebration. Their D-line coach, Coach Mal- loe, he's a great guy. He was so pumped up. For Stanley, that was a big part of his decision — the relationship with Malloe." Montgomery said Malloe "has a very unique approach to teaching D-line, but it's really proving to be effective, which I like." The Philadelphia pros- pect took a handful of visits elsewhere before eventually settling on Kentucky, Penn State and Virginia as his top three. When head coach Matt Campbell vis- ited Archbishop Ryan in January, PSU became the leader. "I think that really put Penn State in a great position," Ostaszewski said. "[Stan- ley] had always liked Penn State, but once they came down and showed up that one day, he was pretty committed to go- ing there. He really likes the culture that Campbell is bringing there." A consensus four-star prospect, Mont- gomery is listed by Rivals as the No. 104 overall player nationally, No. 10 defensive lineman and No. 5 player in Pennsylva- nia. Making those rankings all the more impressive is the fact that the 6-foot-3, 300-pound prospect wasn't on a path to four-star status when he arrived at Arch- bishop Ryan. "When he came into our program, he was at around 319 pounds," Ostaszewski said. "It wasn't good weight, but he still started for us halfway through the season as a freshman. He worked off some of that weight during the season and then decided to wrestle. He went from probably 305 down to 285 so he could wrestle at heavyweight a few months into their season. "But even after that, he would still come back to work with us while throwing shot put in the spring. When you talk about work ethic, what Stanley has done off the field has been impressive. He deserves so much credit for working his way to where he is." Montgomery lined up primarily at the three-technique spot during his junior season, totaling 45 tackles, in- cluding 19 for loss and 8 sacks. Osta- szewski said his physical strength and quick first step created problems for opponents. "A lot of kids in our league just can't handle that," the coach said. "Even when he takes on a double team, he'll still split them because of the sheer power he has. "His first two years, he was still really raw. Last year, we were just waiting for him to take over games, and there were a few times where he became an absolute wrecking ball in the middle. There was nothing the opposing team could do with this kid coming up through the middle and wrecking everything." ■ Philadelphia Prospect Likes Lions' Defensive Approach RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Montgomery is a consensus four-star prospect following a junior season at Archbishop Ryan in which he totaled 19 tackles for loss and 8 sacks. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS COMMITMENT PROFILE STANLEY MONTGOMERY Stanley Montgomery is an incredibly impressive athlete. He's 6-foot-3 and a lean 300 pounds, and his work in the weight room translates directly to the field. Even when he's not making plays in the backfield, he's dominating his blocker more often than not. Montgomery could develop into a player similar to current PSU redshirt sophomore de- fensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim. Both are on the shorter side for the position but are powerhouses. A key to Montgomery's development at the college level will be to refine his closing burst. Once he's through the line, he can sometimes lose his bearing on the football. He misses more plays than you'd expect from a player with such dominant traits. It doesn't show up in his highlights, but full game films reveal the issue. The plays are there to be made — he just needs to learn to finish them. That will become more pressing at Penn State, where easy wins up front will be far less frequent. Montgomery is versatile enough to play either the one- or three-technique position. He's already close to being a Big Ten-sized nose tackle, but his movement skills and explosive first step give him the profile of a playmaking three-technique defensive tackle. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N