Penn State football’s reputation of developing NFL-caliber linebackers is well-known.
Many of those players such as LaVar Arrington, Brandon Short, Dan Connor, Sean Lee, Paul Posluszny and Micah Parsons are from Pennsylvania.
Penn State will be adding another linebacker next season from the Keystone State that many are excited about.
4-star LB Alex Tastch (Latrobe High School) is one of the highest-ranked players in Penn State’s Class of 2025 and working hard to become the next great linebacker at Penn State.
Courtesy Alex Tatsch
“I’m practicing three days a week with our high school team now and also have been doing personal training throughout the summer,” Tatsch tells NSN. “It’s been going well. I’m getting faster and stronger and have been able to get a lot of strength back. I had shoulder surgery in January and have been able to get a lot of my strength back. Overall, I’m doing good.”
“I’m not really training to get down to a specific time. With the guy I’m training with, it’s for explosiveness and speed overall. Change of direction, linear speed, vertical jumping, all that stuff.”
When he’s not working on getting himself better, Tatsch is working to make money at his job. Aside from that, Tatsch is living in the moment before life changes next summer.
“I have a job so I’m working but really just hanging out with my buddies a lot since this is our last summer together,” said Tatsch. “I don’t want things to speed up, just trying to take in every moment I can this summer. I’m going to enjoy the summer, enjoy being in high school and try to take everything slow.”
Check out this highlight! https://t.co/pQ2jf7F0Ps
— Alex Tatsch (@AlexTatsch5) September 5, 2023
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.It should be an enjoyable season for the Latrobe High School football team. It will field one of the most talented teams in the WPIAL. Before leaving for State College, Tatsch’s goal is to win a WPIAL championship.
“I’m really excited for this year,” he said. “We get to play new competition this year, moving up to 5A, and getting a chance to compete against better players. We’re excited and I think the boys are ready.”
”We’ve had a great core group of guys here since I was a freshman. I know our quarterback (John Wetzel) is ready, he’s already committed to Marshall, and he’ll be playing safety there. We also have a bunch of other talented players on this team and we’re preparing for a great season. Everybody is bonding. This team has been together for a long time, and I think this is our year. Going out as a champion would be a perfect way to end things.”
Graphic by Penn State Athletics: Alex Tatsch
Tatsch has been committed to Penn State since February, as he gave an early commitment to James Franklin’s program.
Despite holding offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Pitt, South Carolina, Stanford, USC, Virginia , Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin; Tatsch choose not to take any other official visits and shutdown his recruitment.
“First of all, the coaching staff a Penn State, that was the biggest reason,” said Tatsch. “Then the culture that they have at Penn State. Being from Pennsylvania, I just feel that everyone has the same standards and goals. I believe it’s a lot different there than at a lot of other programs. I just felt super comfortable and as soon as I visited a couple of times, I just knew that Penn State was where I wanted to be.”
Last season, Tatsch totaled 85 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions and three forced fumbles and hopes to improve those numbers this season before becoming a member of Tom Allen’s defense.
