Penn State has built a reputation of having elite linebackers in college to the point of getting their infamous nickname “Linebacker U.”
The job description of that position has changed from primarily being a run stopping role to doing that as well as being involved in stopping the passing game.
With more explosive offenses joining the Big Ten going forward and once archaic offensive schemes becoming more modern, it’s never been more important for the Nittany Lions to continue to recruit and develop the position at a high level.
That’s why being included in the Top-8 of 2025 four-star linebacker, [autotag]Elijah Melendez[/autotag], was such a huge deal.
The Florida native is 6’2″ 210 pounds and is one of the best players in his state and has wracked up just shy of 40 scholarship offers from some of the best programs across the country.
Melendez cut his list of schools down to eight on Thursday and included Penn State along with Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, USC, Miami and Colorado.
⌛️Time is here, let’s do it‼️‼️ GOD is great pic.twitter.com/Tw1rzqeyeD
— Elijah melendez (@Babyman3J) December 14, 2023
The interesting thing about Melendez as a prospect is that On3 is much higher on him in their evaluations than the other three major recruiting sites.
By their rankings, the linebacker is the No. 48 overall player in the 2025 class and ninth best at his position. But, their industry rankings have him as 119th player in the country and 14th best linebacker.
Still, there’s no doubt that this is a coveted prospect who Penn State would love to add to their 2025 class.
According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Nittany Lions have the third-best and third-worst odds to land Melendez with less than one percent. Miami is the massive favorite to pick up a commitment with a 68.9% chance.
It’s still very early in his recruitment and the RPM isn’t all the way representative of where he’s leaning since there are only four teams listed according to them.
Melendez’s recruitment will certainly be one to monitor.