The Nittany Lions fall short, once again, in a recruiting battle. Their class of 2026 recruitment class will hold just one tight end.
Class of 2026 recruitment continues work against Penn State football’s favor. On July 3, the Nittany Lions missed their most valuable recruit, Immanuel Iheanacho. The five-star plus offensive tackle committed to Oregon. The end of June was also rough in terms of losing out on elite recruits to Notre Dame and USC.
Now, Penn State suffered another big loss in this recruitment cycle. It looks as if the Nittany Lions will have to move forward with only one class of 2026 tight end to their name.
Class of 2026 tight end Brayden Fogle commits to Georgia over Penn State
Brayden Fogle, a four-star tight end from Mansfield, Ohio, announced his commitment to Georgia on July 4. Fogle is the No. 163 ranked recruit from the class of 2026, the No. 10 tight end overall, and No. 7 student-athlete out of his state. He had three visits scheduled for his top schools: Georgia, Penn State, and LSU. Though Happy Valley was his last on the calendar, the Bulldogs had the upper hand in this recruiting battle.
Georgia’s recruitment has been strong this cycle and now its reeled in a productive tight end. Fogle had 49 catches as a junior for 584 yards and four touchdowns.
According to Georgia Bulldogs on SI, Fogle’s athleticism is elite and he’s considered “a pristine route runner.” He also puts together a quality game against defense, able to make separation and come down with passes regardless of where the opponent is.
Tight end Pierce Petersohn committed to Penn State
While nothing is certain until signing day comes around, the Nittany Lions’ only commit in the tight end position is Pierce Petersohn at the moment. Petersohn is a four-star recruit from Dodge Center, Minn. who committed to Penn State on June 25. He’s the No. 342 recruit, No. 21 overall athlete, and No. 3 recruit from Minnesota. This was a big win for the Nittany Lions as they beat out home-state advantage Minnesota for the recruit.
With recent events, Petersohn’s commitment is even more important as he and Fogle were the only two tight ends that Penn State had a real shot at. At Triton High School, Petersohn played as quarterback in his junior year and threw for 1,479 yards and 17 touchdowns. He had additional 382 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. However, he was recruited as a tight end.
His athleticism shouldn’t be a concern for the Nittany Lions as Petersohn is also a three-sport athlete at Triton. He plays basketball and participates in track and field. Petersohn was the MVP of the Minnesota State Track Meet, according to his scouting report. It should be expected that his speed will translate well on the perimeter for Penn State, assuming he signs.
It’s not an ideal situation for the Nittany Lions to have one verbal commit from a tight end, but they can make do with what they have. If he signs, Penn State still has a huge tight end group for next season. Sophomore Luke Reynolds is expected to have a breakout year in 2025-26. If that happens, he’ll be a good mentor for Petersohn in 2026-27.
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