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WHAT HE DID Despite weighing only 215 pounds at the time, E=ner earned a spot on Metea Valley's o=ensive line as a sophomore. He was a team captain by his senior year, but that ;nal high school season didn't get o= to a great start, as he su=ered a lacerated spleen during the preseason. Metea Valley ;nished its 2017 season with a 1-8 record. The Mustangs went 8-19 during E=ner's three years on the varsity team. WHAT HE WON E=ner earned ;rst-team All-DuPage Valley Conference honors his junior and senior seasons. Even though he was injured in the preseason, he went on to become the team's MVP in 2017. Rivals.com has rated him a three- star prospect. He's the 10th-ranked player in Illinois and the 46th-ranked o=ensive tackle in the Class of 2018. WHERE HE VISITED E=ner earned an o=er from Penn State in March 2016, only two days a?er he visited campus for the ;rst time. He also visited Duke, Illi- nois, Northwestern, North Carolina and Iowa State before commit- ting to Penn State in May 2016. The day before PSU's annual Lasch Bash barbe- cue in July, E=ner camped with the sta=. He returned for the game against Ne- braska in November, then for his o>cial visit Dec. 8-10. QUOTABLE E=ner: "The ;rst Big Ten school to o=er me was Penn State, which, you know, is arguably the best in the Big Ten. That was super exciting. I just really, really loved Penn State, but I kind of put my emotions aside and was like, Bryce, I know you love this school but you can't just go with the ;rst one you see and say, yep, this one. I took a step back and was like, I have to [consider] other schools even if I love Penn State this much. I let that take its course, and when I felt com- fortable that I had talked with enough Big Ten schools or other schools in other conferences, I was comfortable with committing to Penn State." PHIL'S TAKE Effner could be one of the most underrated members of Penn State's Class of 2018. I believe that he's the top offensive line prospect in the greater Chicago area and quite possibly the No. 1 offensive lineman in all of Illi- nois in 2018. Effner already stands 6- foot-5, 280 pounds, which means he has the frame to play at between 300 and 310 pounds at Penn State. But his development in the weight room may depend on where he plays, as he's ver- satile enough to see action at either tackle or guard at the college level. A three-year starter in high school, Effner has an excellent punch and keeps his feet moving to sustain his blocks. His senior season film showed a lot of im- provement with his pass-block- ing technique, which is essential in Penn State's RPO offense. He was physically dominant in his final high school season, but I expect him to redshirt as a freshman at Penn State. ■ HEADING EAST Effner is the 10th-ranked prospect in Ili- nois in this year's class. Photo courtesy of Effner family Penn State Athletics BRYCE EFFNER RIVALS ★★★ | POS OL | HT 6-5 | WT 280 | HOME Aurora, Ill. | SCHOOL Metea Valley P L A Y E R B I O S

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