In recruiting news, a Class of 2026 EDGE prospect from the WPIAL has locked in an unofficial visit to Penn State.
Saturday evening, Anthony Charles, a 6-foot-5 DE from South Fayette High School, announced that he’s locked in a visit for March 29 during spring practice.
Appreciate the invite!! @PennStateFball March 29th💪🏾💯 Looking forward to it! @DBarnes_18 @CoachTerryPSU @coachjfranklin pic.twitter.com/tAqO85nW1Q
— Anthony Charles (@ACharles00) February 22, 2025
Penn State is one of eight schools to have offered Charles per 247Sports.
The others are Buffalo, Michigan State, Minnesota, Syracuse, Toledo, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Wisconsin was the first to offer him and Penn State was the second. Charles has visited Penn State before, doing so for the team’s Nov. 9 White Out win over Washington and most recently visiting Feb. 1 for one of the team’s Junior Day events.
In Charles’ post to X (formerly Twitter), he tagged head coach James Franklin, defensive line coach Deion Barnes and defensive recruiting coordinator Terry Smith.
The latter of those three is a huge reason Penn State has had success in recruiting the WPIAL.
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Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Terry Smith
Penn State has had a ton of success in recruiting the WPIAL, and a big reason is Smith. Smith, who is Penn State’s cornerbacks coach and associate head coach in addition to being the defensive recruiting coordinator, played in the Pittsburgh Area at Gateway High School, where he later became head coach and athletic director.
Penn State already has the top WPIAL ‘26 player committed in Fort Cherry’s Matt Sieg. Could Charles eventually follow?
Exclusive: Penn State Commit Matt Sieg Tells NSN Why he Picked PSU, Which NFL Safety Inspires Him
DEU?
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now; Deion Barnes.
Would it be a stretch to christen Penn State as defensive end university or DEU for short? Probably. The school historically is better-known for producing quality linebackers, running backs and tight ends than defensive ends. But the No. 1 pick in this spring’s NFL draft could well be a defensive end from Penn State in Abdul Carter. Carter’s former teammate, Dani Dennis-Sutton also has the potential to be the first defensive end off the board in the 2026 draft.
Penn State can produce quality defensive ends, and Charles is looking to further establish himself as one of the WPIAL’s best his senior season.
