STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Out on the practice field at Fort Bend Christian Academy in Sugar Land, Texas, head coach Jordan Black suited up in a helmet and shoulder pads.
The 44-year-old is a former NFL offensive tackle who played college football at Notre Dame before spending a decade in the league. As a high school coach, he knows that getting his elite Class of 2025 edge rusher Max Granville quality work against his peers can be challenging. So, Black wanted Granville to work against him to see how the teen would respond to a savvy NFL vet who could use his hands and still has a strong punch.
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“That’s how I know he’s elite because not only do I see what he does, I’ve experienced it as well,” Black said. “He’s very, very talented. … As far as a pure pass rusher, there’s not a kid that’s better in the county.”
Granville, a four-star prospect who is ranked 166th nationally per the 247Sports Composite, is one of three edge rushers committed to Penn State in the 2025 cycle. All three have committed since June 23 and rate among the top 250 prospects nationally with Jayden Woods checking in at 215 and Cortez Harris at 248, respectively.
The players from Texas, Kansas and Maryland not only bolster a recruiting class that’s ranked sixth nationally, but their pledges also shed light on what defensive coordinator Tom Allen and defensive line coach Deion Barnes are looking for in the years ahead. Penn State is prioritizing edge rushers of different shapes and sizes knowing that one of its best assets is building a room where each edge rusher is going to attack the quarterback differently. Penn State wants variety and is getting it with this trio.
“Most schools, they’re looking for a prototype of what they have in their minds as far as a defensive end or outside linebacker, whatever,” Black said. “Talking with Penn State, what they understand is there is nothing that an offensive tackle hates more than having a whole bunch of different size guys that they have to deal with during a game. … The one thing Penn State emphasized is that he does not want everyone in his defensive end room or everyone in his pass rush room to look the same, and I think that is absolutely the way you want to approach attacking the quarterback.”
Granville is 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds while Woods is 6-3, 240 and Harris is 6-2, 200. Woods recently posted a 40-inch vertical jump in a workout.
Mill Valley 🏈’s @Atm_Jayden is the newest member of the #TeamTopSpeed 40-inch Jump Club 👏
At 235 pounds, he might also be the largest athlete to go 40+ also 💪 pic.twitter.com/bLnysKjFLh
— Joseph Potts (@TopSpeedLLC) May 31, 2024
Barnes can point to what Penn State did last season with Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac as examples of two players with different skills who were able to succeed. In all likelihood, Abdul Carter’s position switch from linebacker to defensive end will be a good case study of how Penn State wants to take a standout athlete and move him around to create mismatches. The Nittany Lions have done it before with their most explosive linemen like when they moved interior defensive lineman Kevin Givens around or when they did the same with Yetur Gross-Matos. It’s what they had planned to do more of with Micah Parsons during his junior season that never materialized.
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“Everybody wants their own Micah Parsons. Everybody wants their own Myles Garrett,” Black said. “Your undersized guys are people that aren’t your typical defensive end and it’s not like they’re just playing defensive end and that’s it. They’re moving them everywhere. They’re putting them on the weak link of the offensive line and letting them get after it. … Let’s put our best guy on your weak link and his athleticism, his speed, his bend is going to beat him every time.”
GO DEEPER
Penn State adds its ninth commitment of June in 4-star edge Jayden Woods
Other notes from Penn State’s recruiting surge:
• Quarterback Troy Huhn won the starting varsity job last year at the beginning of his sophomore season at Mission Hills (Calif.). Huhn, a 2026 Penn State commit, is just 16 years old. Last summer his coaches were unsure how he’d respond in a game where most of his teammates are older and he’d need to step up.
Their questions about him were answered during the first game.
“They were doing a really good job of controlling the line of scrimmage on us so I had to put the decision in Troy’s hands and start with the quick game and throwing RPOs,” said Mission Hills head coach Chris Hauser. “Just watching him navigate our team down the field and making decisions and throwing lasers when they need to be lasers and touch balls when they need to be touch balls, I go, ‘This kid’s damn good.’”
• One of the narratives I’ve heard from fans, and it’s followed every decommitment in this class, is that players are flipping elsewhere solely for better name, image and likeness opportunities. With linebacker DJ McClary heading to Rutgers and running back Alvin Henderson flipping to Auburn, Penn State’s NIL efforts have jumped back into focus.
Keep in mind the financial figures associated with NIL are rarely made public. Here’s what I do know: When Henderson committed to Penn State in April it was not his best financial offer. When Huhn picked Penn State, there were stronger NIL opportunities elsewhere, too.
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The detail to keep in mind, and it’s especially relevant given all the additions in this class, is that not every recruit is heavily focused on NIL. For sure, some are and that’s where Penn State has struggled. This week though is a reminder that relationships and due diligence on the recruiting trail still matter a ton and in some cases can win out.
• Penn State’s commitment to taking three running backs in this class didn’t change. How they arrived was in a different way after Henderson’s flip to Auburn. With four-star back Jabree Wallace-Coleman committing and joining a pair of three-stars in Tiqwai Hayes and Kiandrea Barker the seemingly never-ending restock of talent for Ja’Juan Seider to work with continues.
• Is the expanded Big Ten the reason why Penn State is suddenly an attractive spot for Mater Dei cornerback Daryus Dixson and Huhn, the San Marcos, California quarterback? It certainly doesn’t hurt that Penn State will be playing on the West Coast. However, there are two premier conferences left in this sport and players want to be in one of those two.
GO DEEPER
Penn State adds its ninth commitment of June in 4-star edge Jayden Woods
It’s seemingly less and less about proximity to home and more about being in the Big Ten or the SEC. Looking at a class like this speaks to the staff’s ability and to Penn State’s brand, with a player from Kansas, Texas, California and Arkansas, plus players coming from the usual areas like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut and Florida. Quarterback Bekkem Kritza, who is back at Miami Central but is from Colorado, is another example of the national appeal of Penn State and players’ desire to be in the Big Ten.
With recruitments starting sooner, prospects are able to visit campuses earlier and often. Viral moments litter their timelines and enhanced recruiting graphics and virtual tours have helped prospects feel at ease playing for teams on the other side of the country.
“In the past, a lot of these top kids would try and stay on the West Coast,” said Danny Hernandez, a quarterback trainer who works with Huhn. “USC, UCLA, those schools would have first crack at a lot of these kids. That’s completely out the window. Once these kids started getting out there traveling and visiting you go to a game like the White Out and you go to some of these games in the SEC or whatever it is. You end up realizing: ‘I’m totally comfortable playing on the other side of the country.’”
• Four-star wide receiver Jeff Exinor Jr. of Maryland’s McDonogh School will announce his commitment Friday. Exinor closed out his June official visits with trips to Penn State and Maryland. Wide receiver Corey Simms of St. Louis’ Christian Brothers College will announce Monday. These are two significant announcements. Penn State has one committed receiver in this class in four-star prospect Lyrick Samuel. Wide receiver remains a position of need and at this point, it’s the top remaining priority for this class.
(Photo: Matthew O’Haren / USA Today)
