Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546159
5 2 S E P T E M B E R 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 Dowling Catholic in Des Moines, Iowa. Listed at 6-6, 310 pounds, Barrett could play inside or outside at the next level. A consensus four-star prospect, he's ranked No. 199 nationally by Rivals and fourth in Iowa. He visited Penn State in April and June and is expected back on campus this fall. Defensive Tackle The Northeast often lacks the type of depth we see in the South at defensive tackle, but 2028 is shaping up to be a good class for the position. In Massachusetts, Simon Nuamah of Tabor Academy could develop into a five-star prospect. Ranked No. 27 na- tionally and No. 3 at the position, Nua- mah is already closing in on 40 scholar- ship offers. Penn State hosted him in March, while Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State also hosted the 6-2, 260-pound lineman. Maryland is home to two top-100 defensive tackles in Nikolas Stevens of DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville and Tyrone Elee of St. Frances in Baltimore. The 6-2, 280-pound Stevens has vis- ited Penn State twice so far and looks to be a very good fit for the Nittany Li- ons. However, it won't be easy to land the nation's 78th-ranked overall player and ninth-ranked defensive tackle, with schools like Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and Tennessee also firmly in the mix following visits this summer. Elee is the younger brother of former five-star edge rusher Zion Elee, now a freshman at Maryland. Tyrone doesn't have his brother's length and burst, but at 6-2, 250 pounds, the younger Elee looks to be one of the strongest defen- sive tackles in the country. Ranked No. 82 nationally and 10th at the position, Elee has no shortage of offers, but he chose to camp at Penn State in June when he didn't have to and spoke highly of the experience. Defensive End This is shaping up to be one of the deeper positions in the class. The Mid- Atlantic region is home to multiple four-star prospects, including George Parkinson IV of Malvern (Pa.) Prep. Listed at 6-4, 240 pounds, Parkinson is the fifth-ranked prospect in the Key- stone State and is listed at No. 176 in the nation overall. He's also already nar- rowed his list of schools to six: Penn State, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Ten- nessee and Texas A&M. The three Big Ten programs should be considered the favorites, at least for now. Another prospect to know is Cam Toomey of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The 6-3, 245-pound defensive end has to- taled six visits to State College. Ranked No. 75 nationally and No. 9 among edge rushers, he has also visited Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech, among others. Maryland is home to two elite pros- pects, including a potential five-star in Tyzon Swann of Lackey High in Indian Head. Listed at 6-3, 265 pounds, Swann could grow into a defensive tackle but has already shown he possesses the speed and athleticism to have success off the edge. That was evident in mid- June when he put together one of the best camp performances of any player. With top schools like Auburn, Florida and Ohio State also hosting him multi- ple times so far, Swann won't be easy to land. Michigan also hosted him in June. Jermaine Smith Jr. of St. Frances in Baltimore also has Penn State among his top schools early on. The 6-4, Defensive tackle Tyrone Elee of St. Frances Academy in Baltimore is the younger brother of former five-star edge rusher Zion Elee, now a freshman at Maryland. He's listed by Rivals as the No. 82 overall player nationally. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER