In-state Penn State football LB commit shoots up national recruiting rankings

Penn State football has made significant strides in the 2025 recruiting cycle over the last two months, nearly doubling the size of its class since the start of the calendar year. This week, we got a better sense of what these future Nittany Lions may bring to Happy Valley with the release of the latest On300 rankings on Monday. While multiple Penn State commits rose in the updated rankings, the fastest climber was WPIAL LB Alex Tatsch, who moved up over 240 spots and is now a borderline top 50 prospect in the nation. Now the Nittany Lions’ top-ranked commit, Tatsch headlines what is shaping up to be an elite LB haul for Tom Allen and the Penn State defense.

Alex Tatsch is now a top 3 LB in latest On300

Penn State football was thought to have locked down a prospect on the rise when Greater Latrobe LB Alex Tatsch committed to the Nittany Lions on February 4. Now, the secret on the WPIAL product is out, as Tatsch saw one of the quickest ascents out of any player in the nation in the latest On300 recruiting rankings.

Released Monday, Tatsch went from outside the On300 to the No. 52 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle, a jump of over 240 spots. “Penn State LB commit Alex Tatsch is an instinctive, athletic, and productive player,” On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power wrote Monday. “[He] had a strong junior season with 111 tackles, 4 INT, and 8 TD.”

Penn State LB commit Alex Tatsch is an instinctive, athletic and productive player. Had a strong junior season with 111 tackles, 4 INT and 8 TD. Industry Comparison: https://t.co/ilSIS6WYz3 pic.twitter.com/vAIwwnJrRU

— Charles Power (@CharlesPower) February 26, 2024

With the rankings update, On3 now has Alex Tatsch as the No. 3 LB in the country. The four-star prospect is the second-highest-ranked recruit in Pennsylvania in the On300, right behind Penn State football target Matt Zollers.

Tom Allen is assembling an elite LB class for Penn State football in 2025

National Signing Day for the 2025 recruiting cycle may still be 10 months away, but the LB position already has the makings to be the highlight of the class for Penn State football.

With Monday’s update, Alex Tatsch becomes the top-ranked commit for the Nittany Lions in 2025 per the On3 rankings, just ahead of Henry Snyder (NJ) LB DJ McClary. In On3’s industry rankings comparison, McClary, Tatsch, and Imani Christian Academy LB Dayshaun Burnett claim the top three slots for Penn State commits in the cycle.

With this impressive haul of LBs already in tow, it seems that new defensive coordinator Tom Allen is following through on his pledge to make the position the center of his defense.

“That’s the group I’m really going to challenge to run our defense,” Allen said in December. “That’s what LBs do. They make tackles, they make plays, and they lead with leadership and production.”

“[I] love that position. I’m so excited to be able to be a part of a place that is known for that.” 

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