Penn State is in the top eight for Justin Benton, a four-star defensive tackle from Newton High School in Covington, Georgia.
Penn State is in the hunt along with Duke, Georgia, Houston, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Benton (6-foot-2, 285 pounds) also has offers from schools such as Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC and Virginia Tech.
Last Thursday, Benton announced that he’ll be taking his official visit to Penn State Oct. 29-30. Penn State hosts Ohio State Oct. 29 in a game that is expected to mark the school’s annual “Whiteout.”
”I can’t wait to feel the electric energy at Beaver Stadium the 29th,” Benton told Nittany Sports Now via text last week.
Penn State was the first school Benton scheduled an official visit to. Last season, he made official visits to both Penn State and Ohio State, along with South Carolina and Florida State.
Benton would be the first interior defensive lineman to commit to coach James Franklin’s 2023 class. Penn State has 12 players committed, including Roman Catholic High School defensive lineman Jameial Lyons but at the moment, Lyons is expected to be used primarily on the edge and not at defensive tackle.
