Penn State football flips PA’s top 2025 recruit from Michigan

James Franklin and Penn State football are still making a push for several top prospects in the 2025 recruiting cycle after signing the Nittany Lions’ existing 26-commitment class during early National Signing Day on Wednesday. The Nittany Lions significantly boosted that effort Friday afternoon, flipping Pennsylvania’s top recruit, four-star Southern Lehigh tight end Andrew Olesh, from Michigan.

Olesh made his announcement as the early National Signing Period comes to a close after beginning on Wednesday morning.

The 6-5, 215-pound tight end committed to Michigan on July 8. The Penn State football coaching staff continued to pursue Olesh throughout the fall, most recently hosting him for the Nittany Lions’ November 2 matchup with Ohio State.

Olesh made official visits to Notre Dame and Oregon following his trip to Happy Valley. He also visited Alabama in September. While he did not travel to Michigan this fall, the Wolverines were believed to be bolstered after flipping 2025’s top prospect, quarterback Bryce Underwood, from LSU in late November.

Consistently a top-five player in Pennsylvania throughout the cycle, Olesh was recently elevated to the state’s top prospect. On3 ranks the Southern Lehigh product as the No. 43 overall recruit and the No. 2 tight end in the class.

Want to stay up-to-date on all things Penn State football as the Nittany Lions prepare to face the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship Game? Follow us on social media and subscribe to our free newsletter for live news and insights direct from Indianapolis to your feed!

“We’re recruiting the best tight ends in the country,” James Franklin said in November. “We’re developing the best tight ends in the country. It’s a competitive room. You’ve got to embrace that. Then, you just look at what’s happening after they get done playing at Penn State. They’re all getting their degrees, and they’re all getting drafted, and the majority of them are getting drafted very high.

“Then you look at the Tyler Warren situation. Tyler Warren had a pretty high draft grade last year, came back, and I think it’s been a win-win. I think he’s going to be the first tight end drafted, is having a great year, is having a ton of fun with his teammates, and that’s what you want, right? You want it to be a great situation for everybody.

“If you’re a great tight end in the country, and specifically in the state of Pennsylvania, I don’t know how you couldn’t come here. There’s just too much history, there’s too much data, and there’s too many things saying you don’t need to go anywhere else. You can stay at home and get everything you want in terms of your college career and also setting you up for your future.”

Coming into Friday, Penn State football sat just outside the top 15 nationally in the class of 2025 recruiting rankings, coming in at No. 16 on On3 and at No. 17 on 247Sports.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.