Five Pennsylvania prospects who could end up in Penn State’s Class of 2026
Penn State is already off to an excellent start in Pennsylvania for its Class of 2026. Both On3 and the Industry Rankings credit the Nittany Lions with commitments from two of the top three players in the state in Harrisburg teammates Kevin Brown and Messiah Mickens.
But there are plenty of other talented prospects in the Keystone State who deserve the attention of fans. Like every player entering their junior season, there’s still plenty of scouting to be done, but as of now, Penn State finds itself in a strong position with a handful of intriguing recruits, including three four-star players in the Industry Rankings.
Here’s who I believe the Nittany Lions are off to a great start with.
RB David Davis
Imani Christian athlete David Davis is currently the sixth-ranked prospect in Pennsylvania by both On3 and the Industry Rankings. I think if you were able to ask Penn State’s staff if that’s fair, they’d likely tell you that’s still a bit too low.
Davis had an elbow injury that limited his sophomore season. That could actually prove to be a good thing for Penn State, as it’s limited the amount of powerhouse programs nationally who have offered so far. However, if he performs the way many expect him to this fall, that could quickly change.
Davis wasn’t able to make it to State College in July for the Lasch Bash, but he’s still visited Penn State five times already and will surely be back for a game this season. Also, both he and his coach would tell you that no school has recruited him as consistently as Penn State over the past year.
The Lions do have Mickens already committed, but that shouldn’t impact Davis too much. He’s also talented enough that he could play cornerback at the next level, making him all the more valuable in the staff’s eyes.
As of now, I think Penn State should be considered the team to beat with the Pittsburgh native.
OL Tavian Branch
Offensive lineman Tavian Branch isn’t ranked yet, but his testing numbers were very good for someone who’s already 6-foot-3, 300 pounds. He’s proven that to the staff multiple times, too, camping at Penn State three times this summer alone. A native of Taylor, Pa., Branch grabbed our attention during his first camp on June 2 and got better at each of the following two camps. His coachability, along with his athleticism, is what excites Phil Trautwein the most.
Junior season film is always important, and that’s true for all of these players listed, but as of right now, if Branch called up Trautwein to commit, I have no doubts that Penn State would take him. That’s how much he impressed them this summer.
“I always loved Penn State and people around me love it, too,” Branch said following his offer. “I watched a bunch of their games growing up, especially when Saquan [Barkley] was there. After my first camp at Penn State when I was an incoming freshman, I said to myself, after having a good time at camp, ‘I’m gonna get an offer from here by the time I graduate high school.’ So, I worked up to that statement.”
DL Cameron Brickle & DE Jackson Ford
Okay, I lied. There are actually six players on this list because it was hard to pick between the two Malvern Prep teammates. As of now, Cameron Brickle should be considered one of Deion Barnes’ top defensive tackle prospects in the class. St. Joseph Prep prospect Alex Haskell is also among that group, but he’s been much more reserved about his recruitment than Brickle. That’s the main reason I don’t have Haskell on this list currently, but he’s another one sources speak highly of.
But when it comes to Brickle, he’s been a consistent visitor over the years, totaling seven trips since the 2022 season. Considering he was in California playing for Santa Margarita last fall, that’s a heck of a start. Add in the fact that he hasn’t been visiting other schools all that often and it bodes well for the Lions.
As for Ford, he just picked up an offer following the Whiteout Camp. Athletically, he was excellent that evening, and although more visits are needed to get a better feel for where he’ll ultimately rank on PSU’s board, Ford admitted that he’s ‘always been a huge Penn State fan.’
It’s still early, but have to like Barnes’ chances with each of these two.
LB Colsen Gatten
Penn State has targeted a bunch of linebacker prospects from outside the region so far, but the Lions also like what they’ve seen from Central Catholic prospect Colsen Gatten so far. Listed at 6-foot, 210 pounds, Gatten is also a legacy prospect, as his father, Aaron, played for the Nittany Lions in the late 90s.
So far, Gatten has visited seven other schools, so he has been actively looking around, but his five visits to Penn State are by far the most to any program so far. Gatten has been quiet this summer, focusing primarily on his upcoming season, but this sets up well for the Nittany Lions as long as he continues to progress as expected.
“We went a lot,” Gatten said when asked how many times he’s been to Penn State games growing up. “When I was playing youth league, I’d play on Saturday, so we weren’t able to make it up as much then, but I’ve been to a bunch of big-time White Out games. We also went to the Big 10 Championship.”
Saf. Matt Sieg
Fort Cherry safety Matt Sieg may be the most underrated player in the state currently when I look at On3’s rankings. Despite ranking fifth overall in Pennsylvania in the Industry Rankings, Sieg is ranked No. 21 by On3. Personally, I would have him somewhere in between those numbers, probably in that 7-10 range.
Either way, Penn State is off to a great start. Baseball kept Sieg busy throughout the spring and summer, but he’s also been to State College six times already and will surely be back on campus for games this season. That’s twice as much as any other school. At one point, we wondered if he could be the second player to join the class following Mickens.
It’s since become clear that Sieg is in no rush, but that shouldn’t be an issue for Penn State. The Nittany Lions will be a serious contender here.
“A lot of my family are huge Penn State fans, so it’s rubbed off on me,” Sieg said last fall. “I’ve loved Penn State since I was old enough to even watch football. My dad could see Beaver Stadium from his house when he grew up out that way, so he’s a pretty big fan, too.”
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