In a decision that initially wasn’t expected until Saturday, Class of 2023 three-star defensive lineman Tyriq Blanding announced Friday evening that he has committed to Penn State.
110% committed #weare #PSU pic.twitter.com/Q18DRQvZNk
— Tyriq Blanding (@Tyriq58) June 18, 2022
The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder out of Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, New York, chose Penn State over Michigan, Oregon, Syracuse and West Virginia. Blanding is the top- ranked recruit in New York and the No. 89 defensive lineman in the class of 2023, according to 247sports. Rivals.com ranked him as the third-best recruit in his state.
In his junior season, Blanding recorded 49 tackles (47 solo), four sacks and one fumble recovery for the Royals. Blanding has played both defensive end and defensive tackle at Christ the King, and it looks like he projects as a defensive tackle at the next level.
On his game tape, he shows a solid initial first step to explode, get leverage on offensive linemen and chase down ball carriers. Blanding has also shown the ability to pressure quarterbacks on the outside.
Blanding has the size and speed to be a three-technique defensive tackle in new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s scheme, which is aimed at pressuring quarterbacks and causing turnovers.
Blanding is the 13th recruit committed to Penn State’s 2023 class and the only interior defensive lineman of those 13.
Twitter: @bwaklkerdadon
