Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545007
5 2 J U N E / J U L 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 O ffensive tackle Ryan Robbins originally planned on taking his recruitment into the summer. The three-star prospect from Upper St. Clair High in Pittsburgh had nar- rowed his list down to Ohio State, Penn State and Virginia Tech, with official visits to all three schools scheduled for June. Instead, his low-key recruitment came to an end on April 25, the day of the Blue-White Practice at Bea- ver Stadium. Robbins announced that he planned to stay in-state and attend PSU, a decision that made him the 12th player and third of- fensive lineman to join head coach Matt Campbell's first full recruit- ing class in Happy Valley. Robbins said Penn State boasted "everything that I was looking for going into my commitment." "I really wanted to stay closer to home, and I had all the options that were within the distance that I wanted to stay," he said. "When it comes to why Penn State, it was the coaching staff and the people. That was definitely the biggest thing. To be able to have a coaching staff that you en- joy being around so close to home, that's great for me." The 6-foot-7, 280-pound prospect was a first-team Class 5A All-State choice by the Pennsylvania Football News last fall and earned all-conference honors in the Allegheny Six. He is the No. 59 offensive tackle nationally and the No. 22 prospect in Pennsylvania in the class of 2027 according to Rivals' scouts. Indiana, Nebraska, NC State and Pitt were among his other offers before he announced his com- mitment. Robbins belongs to one of the most athletic families to come through Upper St. Clair. His fa- ther, Tim, was an offensive line- man at Pitt in the 1990s, while his mother, Kim, was a star bas- ketball player at Virginia Tech. His older sister and brother were both 1,000-point scorers in high school and went on to play Divi- sion I basketball. Older brother Tyler Robbins was a freshman on the Miami (Ohio) team that went undefeated in the 2025-26 regular season and won a game in the NCAA Tournament. Ryan Robbins is a standout on the basketball court as well. He was the Trib HSSN Boys Basket- ball Player of the Year after averaging 15.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game to help Upper St. Clair win its third con- secutive WPIAL championship. Shortly after arriving in State College in December as part of the Nittany Lions' staff overhaul, offensive line coach Ryan Clanton checked in on Robbins. The for- mer Iowa State assistant extended an of- fer in mid-February. Robbins already knew the school well. He had camped with PSU's previous staff last summer and attended a game at Bea- ver Stadium in November. While there was interest on both sides, Robbins said Penn State stepped up its pursuit after Clanton took charge of the offensive line. "He was just very enthusiastic and honest about what he thought about me as a player, and we just had a great con- versation," Robbins said. "I was ecstatic to get an offer to go to a school like Penn State and play for a team like that. The staff they brought over and the facilities they have are unbelievable." ■ Pittsburgh Lineman Brings Athleticism To PSU's Offensive Front S E A N F I T Z | S E A N . F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M Robbins is a two-sport standout at Upper St. Clair High in Pittsburgh, excelling at football and basketball. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS COMMITMENT PROFILE RYAN ROBBINS At 6-foot-7, 280 pounds heading into his senior season, Ryan Robbins has one of the big- gest frames for an offensive lineman you'll find anywhere. He has almost comically wide shoulders and long arms, which he showed off at a Penn State camp last June. On top of that, he's naturally powerful as a run blocker. He has good pad level and makes an impact off the snap, and he has the mentality and tenacity to go with his physical skills. It's clear that Robbins has plenty of room to grow, and he'll need to add weight in order to move more explosively through space. He should be able to add another 30 pounds, and he may even have the potential to play in the 330s by the time he's fully developed. That amount of power and natural blocking ability could turn him into a road-grader of an offensive lineman. There's enough on film to make you think that Robbins can play tackle at Penn State. He possesses the necessary length and size, even if he doesn't have elite explosiveness or speed. However, if the Nittany Lions end up landing a slew of elite offensive tackle pros- pects with more potential, Robbins could also play guard. It may not be the most likely scenario, but it's possible. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N