Penn State is trying to figure out how to backfill their loss of Antonio Branch who flipped to Colorado this past weekend after his official visit to Boulder. Whenever commits take trips to see other programs before they have signed their national letter of intent, there’s a possibility of that happening.
The Nittany Lions might have been a bit caught off guard, but based on the reporting of recruiting insiders, they also might have foreseen this coming based on who they have been in communication with at that position.
With Branch no longer part of the 2025 class, Penn State is turning to some other options and might be trying to pull off a flip of their own.
According to Brian Dohn of 247Sports, they have began ramping up their pursuit of current Indiana commit Byron Baldwin by extending him a scholarship offer earlier in the week. The Nittany Lions aren’t the only ones going after him either, with Colorado having him on campus last weekend in an official capacity. Baldwin said he’s still “firmly committed” (subscription required).
Ranked as a four-star prospect by 247Sports, Penn State has had the Baltimore native on their radar for a while, tracking him while he was enrolled at his previous school before he transferred to St. Frances Academy for his senior season.
Following the scholarship offer, the Nittany Lion will look to get him on campus for a visit, trying to build a relationship and potentially getting him into this class.
Ranked as the 20th-best safety in the cycle, he would certainly be a great backfill for the departed Branch.