Penn State lost its first game of the Matt Campbell era Saturday, and in some ways, it spoiled a big recruiting weekend.
The unconventional 5 p.m. kick allowed PSU to host more recruits, and Penn State would have liked for them to see a win.
But the loss didn’t spoil the enthusiasm of one Faraji Tucker.
Tucker is a 3-star, 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end from Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School in Georgia who Penn State offered in March. He also has offers from schools such as Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, LSU, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, NC State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pitt, Purdue, SMU, Syracuse, UCLA, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
He was originally a receiver, but moved to tight end, and now is quite interested in joining that lineage.
“(Penn State is) probably one of the greatest on my list for me,” he told Nittany Sports Now, “like right now, and it’s definitely in my top three.”
Tucker doesn’t have a specific top three in mind yet, but of all of his offers, he’s particularly keen on Alabama, Florida, LSU, Penn State and UCLA.
A big reason Penn State is high on the list is Taylor Mouser.
Mouser isn’t just PSU’s tight ends coach— who was named Football Scoop’s Tight End Coach of the Year last season in his final year at Iowa State— he’s the offensive coordinator.
Tucker liked him right away.
“So I met him during winter, like that winter and spring,” Tucker said. “That’s when he offered me. So I’ve known him since then, and we’ve built a real good connection over the past month. So I could for sure see myself playing under him, winning games under him, everything.”
One thing Tucker is impressed with is Mouser’s honesty.
“He just keeps it real,” Tucker said. “What they do in the offensive game. Everything we were talking about before the game, he told me what they were gonna do and stuff, and they actually did it.”
Tucker remembers watching Tyler Warren become the best tight end in the country at Penn State in 2024, and thought back to that after getting the offer.
“I remember that season he had, because he was going crazy,” Tucker said. “It really made me like watching him and then realizing that (Penn State) offered me. You know, looking back on what he did at this, that really made me want to go there even more.”
So what does Tucker do well as a tight end?
“Just being an all-around tight end,” he said, “like having that twitch to you, the route running, everything, the edge, blocking when you need to. Really, I feel like that fits into Penn State.”
Tucker isn’t in a rush to commit anywhere, but doesn’t plan on having the process last throughout the summer.
“Really, I plan on making it this spring or winter, if I can,” he said. “Really, like the earliest I can.
Penn State currently has three players committed to its 2028 Class and is still looking for its first tight end.
