BREAKING: Penn State beats out Big Ten rivals for blue-chip edge rusher

Penn State football has been loading up on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage in the 2026 recruiting cycle for the last several months. The Nittany Lions are adding another elite defender to the class on Saturday night, picking up a commitment from four-star Gonzaga (DC) edge rusher Tyson Harley. 

Harley hails from the same high school that produced Penn State football great Olu Fashanu. He chose the Nittany Lions over a trio of Big Ten programs—Maryland, Michigan State, and Rutgers—as well as Virginia Tech.

The four-star prospect is the No. 35 edge and the second-ranked player from the District of Columbia, according to the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2026 class. 

BREAKING: Four-Star EDGE Tyson Harley has Committed to Penn State, he tells me for @rivals

The 6’4 225 EDGE from Washington, DC chose the Nittany Lions over Rutgers, Michigan State, & Virginia Tech

“Thank you God! Ready to work in Happy Valley!”https://t.co/jAC7LvL1yn pic.twitter.com/oRYrmV1Giy

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 5, 2025

Since May, seven of Penn State’s 12 commitments have come from Jim Knowles and the Nittany Lions defense. Last week, the Blue and White earned a pledge from another four-star edge, Malvern Prep’s (PA) Jackson Ford. 

The Nittany Lions also landed four-star New Jersey offensive lineman Marlen Bright earlier in the day on Saturday. Prior to Harley’s decision, Penn State had the No. 14 class in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

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