Penn State Sports Magazine
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N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 6 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M the country and No. 11 overall in Penn- sylvania, according to Rivals. "The White Out atmosphere is truly something else," Howard said. "Obvi- ously, going into the game, USC were the favorites, but what I saw from the team and community was something different. They showed out and played with extreme toughness. That's what Matt Campbell was telling the recruits and parents [he wanted to see from his team] before the game started, so I'm excited to see more from them." Penn State also hosted a handful of 2028 offensive line prospects who rank high on its recruiting board, including Philadelphia native Ty Winn. The 6-7, 255-pound prospect, a four-star recruit according to Rivals, also ranks among the nation's best at No. 133 overall in the Rivals Industry Ranking and 12th at offensive tackle. The Monsignor Bonner prospect has now visited Penn State three times since Campbell took over the program. He made it clear that PSU's struggles through the first half of the season haven't impacted his long- term outlook on the program. "The atmosphere at the game was amazing," Winn said. "It was a really good game, and although Penn State didn't come out with the win, I feel like their offensive line did a great job blocking. USC is a really good team, but I think Penn State held their own. And while it's also a brand-new coaching staff that didn't have much time to re- cruit during the offseason, and a pro- gram still figuring things out, I think they played well and definitely didn't make it easy for USC. It was a great ex- perience." Ohio native Collin Burris is another name Penn State fans need to know. A three-star offensive tackle from Marys- ville, Burris was offered by the Nittany Lions in August and continues to see his stock rise, with more Power Four programs showing interest. The White Out was his first visit to Penn State, and while the atmosphere was unlike any- thing he'd experienced before, Burris also made it clear that it was his time with Campbell that may have left the strongest impression. "Coach Campbell is building this program the right way," Burris said. "I enjoyed my conversation with him, and he left a very good impression on me. He's looking for high-character guys who are going to put Penn State back where it needs to be. "As for the White Out, I've never ex- perienced anything like it at a stadium. The energy was electric, and it was su- per easy to stay engaged and was overall super fun to be at." Burris, who's listed at 6-5, 293 pounds, is the 35th-ranked offensive tackle in the country and No. 13 overall in Ohio for the 2028 class, according to Rivals. Penn State legacy prospect Nick An- derson was also in attendance. An of- fensive guard at the next level, Ander- son holds a three-star rating from Rivals and a four-star grade in the Industry Ranking, which places him No. 212 na- tionally and No. 8 in Pennsylvania. The Nittany Lions are expected to be the team to beat for the 6-3, 260-pound lineman from Kiski Area. "The team definitely showed spurts of being great," Anderson said. "Hav- ing a new coaching staff and adapting to a new playbook is hard, and I know they will get it together. Obviously, the White Out is an amazing atmosphere and the craziest stadium I've been in. The fans definitely love football and are very passionate." Penn State also took the opportunity to extend scholarship offers to more than a dozen prospects in attendance, including 2028 wide receiver Tyler Tru- sel from Brother Rice High in Bloom- field Hills, Mich. The 6-3, 180-pound receiver holds a three-star rating from Rivals, but he also has interest from top programs, totaling 40 offers. Penn State joined Florida, Iowa, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and many others in aggressively pursuing Trusel. "It was a great experience overall," Trusel said. "Being there in person, you could see how much talent Penn State has and how physical they are as a team. The atmosphere was crazy from the moment we got there, and seeing the White Out for the first time was some- thing I'll never forget. The fans were loud the entire game, and you could re- ally feel the energy in the stadium. It was a great experience and definitely something that makes you appreciate college football even more." In addition to all the 2028 talent in attendance, Penn State hosted a hand- ful of players in the 2029 class who rank among the top 100 players in the coun- try. Four-star cornerback Jalen Wallace was among that group of attendees. A 5-11, 175-pound defensive back from St. John's College High in Washington, Corey Smith, a three-star receiver in the 2028 class, had 23 catches for 426 yards and 6 touchdowns in four games during his junior season at Good Counsel in Maryland. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Rivals Industry 2027 Team Recruiting Rankings As of Oct. 12 Rk. School Commits 1. Texas A&M 25 2. Notre Dame 23 3. Miami 20 4. Oregon 25 5. Florida 26 6. Ohio State 19 7. Oklahoma 27 8. Texas Tech 17 9. Texas 21 10. LSU 16 20. Penn State 22