Latest news with #TysonHarley
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does Penn State's Class of 2026 rank after holiday weekend commitments?
Penn State set off some recruiting fireworks over the July 4th weekend with a pair of commitments hopping aboard for the Class of 2026. But was it enough to move the needle at all in the latest recruiting rankings? Penn State received a commitment from four-star edge rusher Tyson Harley out of Washington D.C. on Saturday evening. Harley hails from the same high school program that developed offensive lineman Olu Fashanu, who went on to become a first-round draft pick following his time with the Nittany Lions. Harley is the no. 2 recruit in the Washington D.C. area and was one of the key targets for Penn State's Class of 2026. Earlier in the day, Penn State picked up a commitment from three-star offensive lineman Marlen Bright, form New Jersey. Bright is the no. 8 recruit in the fertile state of New Jersey, which is always a key recruiting territory for the Penn State program. Penn State had been seen as the major favorites for each of these recruits as the commitment announcements were being scheduled, so it was not a surprise to see each follow through with a commitment to James Franklin and his program. So where does Penn State's recruiting class for 2026 sit now in the national picture and within the Big Ten? Despite the addition of two new commitments, Penn State's overall recruiting rankings saw minimal changes in the national rankings. On July 4th, Penn State's Class of 2026 was ranked no. 15 in the nation by On3 and no. 12 according to 247Sports. Both recruiting services had Penn State ranked fifth among Big Ten teams behind USC, Ohio State, Michigan, and Oregon. As the weekend draws to a close, Penn State's ranking actually dipped in each of the updated national rankings. Penn State fell to 16th in the nation according to On3's updated recruiting rankings. The Nittany Lions fell two spots in the latest rankings from 247Sports, falling from no. 12 down to no. 14. Penn State remains fifth among Big Ten programs in each ranking. The reasons for this are due in part to commitments being added to other programs this holiday weekend as well. Penn State was not the only school adding to its recruiting lineup for 2026, of course. Still, Penn State continues to be putting together another respectable recruiting class that will help keep the program in the thick of the Big Ten and College Football Playoff discussion in the coming years. A lack of five-star recruits continues to be the biggest thing holding back Penn State's recruiting ranking compared to others. Michigan, Clemson, Florida State, and Florida are the only other teams ranked ahead of Penn State in the On3 recruiting rankings without a five-star player on the board, for now. Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
MSU target, 4-star edge rusher Tyson Harley commits to Penn State over Spartans
Michigan State battles with Penn State on the field for the Land Grant Trophy, and on Saturday it was the Nittany Lions who beat out the Spartans in a key recruiting battle. Four-star edge rusher Tyson Harley announced his commitment to Penn State on Saturday. The Nittany Lions beat out Michigan State, Maryland, Rutgers and Virginia Tech for the notable commitment from Harley. Harley is a four-star prospect with a recruiting rating of 89.71 in 247Sports' composite system. Harley ranks as the No. 33 edge rusher and No. 349 player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2026 class. He is also ranked as the No. 2 player from Washington, D.C. Harley would have been a massive get for the Spartans but there's no shame in losing out on a high-end east coast prospect to Penn State. Still, this was a big recruiting battle with a program at a level that Michigan State is striving to reach, so they'll eventually need to win this kind of recruiting battle to get to that level. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
