Tag: Alex Birchmeier

This Penn State Class of 2023 commit was just upgraded to five stars

Penn State now has two five-star offensive linemen on the board for the Class of 2023.

Penn State has made a big focus early on in the Class of 2023 on improving its offensive line. The first commitment on board for the current recruiting cycle was five-star Alex Birchmeier. But he is no longer the only five-star offensive lineman on the board for the Nittany Lions.

Jven Williams, one of the top-rated players in Pennsylvania, was elevated to five-star status on Thursday by analysts for On3. But that’s not all. According to the latest recruit rankings from On3, Willims is the highest-ranked interior offensive lineman in the country. Birchmeier, as a result, is the nation’s second-ranked interior offensive lineman in the country for the Class of 2023 as of today.

The tandem of Birchmeier and Williams lining up side-by-side on the Penn State offensive line in the years to come is plenty of reason to be excited. Penn State is in the midst of signing arguably its best offensive line class in program history, and it could not have come at a better time. Penn State’s Class of 2022 was full of talented players at skill positions, but even players like quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nicholas Singleton are going to need an offensive line allowing them to thrive.

The offensive line has been a concerning weak spot for Penn State for years. Despite having some quality linemen who have gone off to the NFL, one of the biggest units holding Penn State back from taking the next step has been the performance of the offensive line. Last year, after struggling so much with the running game and seeing quarterback Sean Clifford take a beating far too often, it was essential to hit the recruiting trail as hard as Penn State could to address this lingering concern. The Class of 2022 did a terrific job of padding the depth chart with high-end quality, but the offensive line had to be a primary focus in 2023.

So far, so good for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions.

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Nation’s No. 1 offensive lineman locks down recruitment with Penn State

Nation’s top-ranked offensive lineman shuts down recruitment and locks in his commitment to Penn State

The first massive piece of Penn State’s Class of 2023 says his commitment is locked in. Alex Birchmeier, who was the first commitment in Penn State’s Class of 2023, announced on Twitter his recruitment is now done and his commitment to Penn State is as firm as they come.

Not that there was much question on how much Birchmeier was committed to Penn State, but having a player say he will no longer go through the recruiting process is encouraging to see for head coach James Franklin and the staff. It still makes sense to keep in touch with Birchmeier now through the early signing period in December, when it is assumed Birchmeier will sign his national letter of intent, but knowing Birchmeier is this comfortable with his decision means the staff can allow for a little more focus on other potential recruits.

Birchmeier, at 6’6″ and 275 pounds, is the nation’s top-rated interior offensive lineman according to the 247Sports composite rankings. The same rating system graded Birchmeier a five-star composite ranked player, although 247Sports rates him as a four-star prospect. The On3 composite ranking also ranks Birchmeier as a five-star recruit despite On3 only ranking him with four stars.

Knowing just how much Penn State needs to improve its offensive line, and after not quite addressing their line as much in the Class of 2022 as much as other positions, the Class of 2023 is already shaping up to be a class that will address the offensive line. In addition to Birchmeier, Penn State has already received a verbal commitment from Joshua Miller. Miller also made it known he is locking down his recruitment as well with a similar statement to Birchmeier’s.

Penn State added a third offensive line commitment more recently from Anthony Donkoh, with all three linemen coming out of Virginia.

Penn State’s first commitment on the board for the Class of 2024 is also an offensive lineman with Cooper Cousins staying in-state for his early commitment.

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Penn State’s first commitment for 2023 is a big one

Penn State is already off and running with the Class of 2023 with a massive OL commitment

While Penn State is still crushing things with its Class of 2022, the first building block for the Class of 2023 has been locked in. And it’s a pretty big one.

Alex Birchmeier of Ashburn, Virginia, offered his commitment to the Nittany Lions this week. The four-star interior offensive lineman is ranked as the best at the position according to 247 Sports. Birchmeier is also rated as the 42nd best recruit overall in the nation and the top-ranked recruit from the state of Virginia.

Birchmeier selected Penn State over offers from a number of schools, with Notre Dame and Virginia Tech considered the other serious contenders this far out. At 6′-5″ and 275 pounds, Birchmeier should fit right in as Penn State continues to improve its quality and depth on the offensive line.

Just this week, Penn State also added a future grad transfer from Harvard to the offensive line with a commitment from Spencer Rolland. Rolland will be a member of the Class of 2022.

Penn State’s success with its Class of 2022 may have helped sway Birchmeier to be a part of the next recruiting class as well, but the experience of offensive line coach Phil Trautwein certainly came into play too. And the ability to play multiple offensive line positions makes Birchmeier a very valuable recruit for Penn State’s Class of 2023.

Yeah, this is a nice way to start off your Class of 2023.

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Michigan State football offers 2023 4-star OT Alex Birchmeier

Michigan State football has made an offer to 2023 4-star OT Alex Birchmeier out of Ashburn, VA. Read more details about this prospect.

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Mel Tucker and the Michigan State football staff are sending out plenty of offers to 2022 and 2023 football recruits lately. Today, 2023 4-star OT Alex Birchmeier announced he has received an offer from the Spartans.

Alex Birchmeier stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 265-pounds. He is from Ashburn, VA, where he currently plays for Broad Run high school. According to 247Sports Rankings, he is the No. 1 prospect in all of VA and the no. 2 OT in the entire 2023 class.

Right now, he also has offers from Penn State, Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. 247Sports recruiting analyst Brian Dohn projects Birchmeier as a Power Five starter.

You can watch some of Birchmeier’s highlights here.

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