Ever since [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] took over as head coach of the program, his goal has been to “Dominate the State” in recruiting and keep the best high schools players in Pennsylvania home.
For the most part, he’s done an incredible job of accomplishing that.
The Nittany Lions have been littered with talented in-state prospects during Franklin’s tenure, landing notable five-stars and keeping the majority out of the hands of other programs.
Unfortunately, Penn State has had some trouble keeping the best players in the 2025 class from leaving home.
On July 8, their coveted four-star tight end target [autotag]Andrew Olesh[/autotag] announced his commitment to Michigan, handing the Nittany Lions a major loss on the recruiting trail.
He told EJ Holland of On3 that the Wolverines compared him to one of their current star tight ends and that he could do something similar in this offense. The fact that his position gets the ball so often was a major selling point for Olesh and the official visit was what ultimately pushed Michigan into his No. 1 spot.
What that means for Penn State is clear.
They have let some of the best talent in Pennsylvania get away from them in this 2025 class.
Matt Zollers, Michael Carroll, and now Olesh, the top three players in the state as ranked by On3, have all committed elsewhere. Two are five-stars in quarterback Zollers and offensive tackle Carroll, something that stings even more.
Every cycle is different, so this isn’t a “sky is falling” moment by any means, but it does signal that the Nittany Lions have to continue keeping a stranglehold on recruits in their own state no matter how much they think they have things on cruise control.