Penn State football enters the race for blue chip 2025 LB, current Duke commit

The Penn State football team is actively working on securing the last few pieces for the 2025 recruiting class. One of those potential prospects could be Bradley Gompers who is a linebacker that is currently committed to Duke and Manny Diaz. The Nittany Lions have targeted multiple prospects that Diaz has recruited even successfully flipping one of those talents. Now, it appears that James Franklin and his coaching staff are working towards the same result.

Bradley Gompers is a four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. He also happens to be a Pennsylvania native which makes him an even more intriguing prospect for Penn State. Gompers attends Catholic Central in Pittsburgh. Standing at 6 foot 4, 215 pounds, Gompers plays both sides of the ball in high school, where he’s a standout tight end and linebacker. Most recruiting sites list him as a projected linebacker at the next level.

Gompers made his commitment to Manny Diaz and Duke on June 16 but it’s not over until pen meets paper on National Signing Day. On Tuesday, Gompers announced on Twitter / X that the Penn State football team has offered him a scholarship.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Gompers is the No. 11 prospect and the No. 13 athlete in the 2025 cycle (No. 392 nationally). He has taken five visits to Happy Valley with his most recent logged on April 4.

After a conversation with @coachjfranklin I’m excited to receive an offer from @PennStateFball!! pic.twitter.com/K3o71DAUrM

— Bradley Gompers (@GompersBradley) September 17, 2024

Penn State has been down this road before

Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t too long ago when James Franklin took a similar path with a 2025 recruiting class linebacker, who also happened to be committed to Manny Diaz and Duke. Cam Smith made his commitment to Duke in February. But it was just last month on August 8 when he announced that he would be flipping his commitment from Duke to Penn State.

Smith like Gompers is a Pennsylvania native, except Smith attends  St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadephia. Smith is the No. 8 player in PA and the No. 25 linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class. As James Franklin continues to work to keep the top talent in the state.

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