Top Penn State offensive line target Tyler Merrill recaps busy spring, when he’ll be back in Happy Valley and much more

One of Penn State’s top offensive line prospects in the Class of 2026, Cumberland Valley’s Tyler Merrill, showcased his progression Thursday night at Susquehanna Twp.’s college showcase. Now up to 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, Merrill has also stacked two dozen offers and counting. The list includes many of the nation’s elite programs.

For Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff, which offered Merrill exactly a year ago to the day, he’s one of a few can’t miss prospects in Central Pennsylvania in the Class of 2026.

“I’m at the point with Penn State where I feel like they’ve shown me almost everything that I can see, so it’s really just about keeping that relationship going,” Merrill said. “They’ve told me everything they love about me and I’ve told them everything I love about them. I’ve been up there for a ton of visits and I’m definitely going to go back up there again. My team is going to do the Big Man Challenge there this summer, so I’ll be back up next month. I could see myself taking an official visit there down the road. I like that it’s close to home and it’ll be a school I definitely consider.”

But just like Central Pennsylvania’s other top offensive lineman, Harrisburg’s Kevin Brown, the competition for Merrill is fierce. This spring he took the opportunity to see a handful of those top programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Notre Dame.

Link: Four-star WR and Penn State target Lex Cyrus updates his recruitment

Alabama: “They actually just came in [to my school Thursday morning]. Coach [Chris Kapilovic] is an awesome guy. They showed me great hospitality when I was there and I enjoyed meeting Coach [Kalen] DeBoer. But it was great seeing their guys work. That program is the elite of the elite in the SEC. They’ve won a ton of championships and whatnot, so it was great seeing another blue blood of college football.”

Michigan: “It was awesome to talk to Michigan after coming off the national championship. I think it was really cool. It was also awesome to see that they haven’t changed one bit since they started recruiting me last June when I got my offer at camp. They’re still that same team and have that same fire, so props to them for winning that championship. They definitely earned it. I’m excited to watch them in this 2024-25 season. But Coach [Sherrone] Moore is a great guy and I’m continuing to build that relationship with them and all the other schools.”

Georgia & Notre Dame: “Coach [Stacy Searels] is an awesome guy. That was a great experience and I know I’d get developed there. At Notre Dame, Coach [Joe] Rudolph is an awesome guy. I’d love to get to work with him and I love Notre Dame. I can’t say anything but positive things about all those places.”

Link: Who are the top recruits expected to visit Penn State this weekend?

Aside from Penn State’s team camp, Merrill has just one prospect camp set for June, as he plans to travel to Clemson on June 5 to work out with Dabo Swinney and his staff. He added that Michigan also wants him to attend its BBQ at the Big House in July.

“I think now it’s just kind of all about finding those details for each of these schools,” Merrill said. “It’ll be about me really going through and seeing what I like. It’s really about fine-tuning things and just seeing what really fits me.”

Merrill is currently the 50th-ranked prospect in the nation by On3. He’s also the sixth-ranked interior offensive lineman and No. 2 overall in Pennsylvania for his class.

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