While the majority of recruiting focus is on the current 2025 class, it’s never too early for programs around the country to start developing relationships with players in the later classes as well.
That’s what Penn State and offensive line coach [autotag]Phil Trautwein[/autotag] is doing with a specific class of 2026 offensive line prospect.
[autotag]Darius Gray[/autotag] is a 6’3″ 285-pounder from Richmond, VA.
Because it’s so early in their recruiting process, only On3 and Rivals have rankings for him at the moment, but both list him as a four-star and inside the top-100 of the class.
With the depth that the Nittany Lions have been able to accumulate in their offensive line room, they can afford the luxury of looking ahead and handpicking some of their favorite targets.
Gray has already been to campus twice before and has told Ryan Snyder of On3 that he will be back again in March. As expected, Trautwein is a big reason for his interest in the program with the prospect telling Synder that he likes the temperament of the coach, while also thinking he does a great job on the field with development (subscription required).
The Richmond native figures to be a highly-sought after recruit in his class, already racking up around 30 scholarship offers from programs around the country before his junior season of high school.
On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Penn State with the third-best chance of landing a commitment from Gray with a 12.3% chance. South Carolina leads the way at 32.1% and North Carolina is second with a 14.4% chance.
Again, it’s very early in the process, but the Nittany Lions are positioning themselves well to land one of the top lineman in the class of 2026.
