In recruiting news, Penn State is right in the mix for one of the top offensive linemen in the country and a former commit.
Layton Von Brandt told Nittany Sports Now in a direct message on X that he plans on releasing his top schools before the end of the year.
When NSN asked Von Brandt if he planned on including Penn State on that list, he replied:
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they were 👀.”
“I have continued to build my relationship with the new staff at PSU,” Von Brandt said, “and I would say even though it’s still early in the process with them it’s been going very well.
Von Brandt, a high-end four-star OT from Appoquinimink High School in Middletown, Delaware, was committed to Penn State and had no intention of going anywhere else.
Then, James Franklin was fired, and everything changed.
Von Brandt re-opened his recruitment, and waited to see who Franklin’s successor would be.
54 days after Franklin’s firing, Penn State found its guy, hiring Matt Campbell from Iowa State.
Less than 48 hours after Campbell accepted the job, he and Von Brandt talked on the phone.
By the end of the next work week, Von Brandt had been re-offered by Penn State.
Von Brandt— the No. 5 OT in the country and No. 38 overall player per 247Sports— chatted with NSN about his experience talking with new Penn State HC Matt Campbell two days after Penn State hired him.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“I had a chance to talk to him briefly which I really appreciated him taking the time to call me,” Von Brandt said.
“(Campbell) Seems like a very disciplined and principled coach that is about team success coming first over individual success,” Von Brandt said. “That’s all something as an OL I can identify with as that’s basically what playing OL is all about.”
Penn State now has a new offensive line coach in Ryan Clanton.
Von Brandt is still close with former Penn State OL coach Phil Trautwein, as evidence by the fact that Von Brandt has been offered by Trautwein’s new employer, the University of Florida.
But Clanton has made an impression on Von Brandt, too.
“Coach Clanton seems like a good guy and coach and I enjoyed talking ball with him,” Von Brandt said. “He called to introduce himself and let me know what he thought of my game and that they weren’t offering me just because the previous staff did . They were evaluating film and identified me as a guy they wanted. That meant a lot to me. Where it goes from here only time will tell but I look forward to talking to them more in the future and seeing where it goes for sure.”
When Penn State fired Franklin, Von Brandt was disappointed, along with many other recruits.
He has no ill will toward the school, and Penn State is still in the hunt.
“Penn State is a special place with a lot of great people and tradition and I wish (Campbell) the best,” Von Brandt said. “I will always have love for Penn State It was just an unfortunate situation with how things ended with coach Franklin but none of that was Coach Campbell’s fault. There was no hard feelings between myself and the school just things changed so quickly and I had to do what I felt was best for me just as they did . The past is the past, and I’m excited for my future just like PSU is and only time will tell what the future holds. But I will always have a lot of love for the program and a lot of people in the Lasch Building, some that may stay and some that I’m sure will be moving on.”
“My recruitment is open right now so I’m open to building relationships with any school and staff that has interest in me and seeing where that leads.”
Follow more Penn State recruiting coverage here.
