Recruiting expert raves about Penn State football 2025 TE commit

The Penn State football team missed a key tight-end target in the 2025 recruiting class on Monday. As the No. 1 TE in Pennsylvania, Andrew Olesh, announced his commitment to Michigan. While missing on another in-state target feels like a gut punch to the Nittany Lions, there is no need to panic. James Franklin and his coaching staff have the position solidified by Matt Henderson, who recently received high praise from a national recruiting expert. Henderson also saw a significant increase in his recruiting ranking in the latest edition of the On300.

On Monday, Penn State football verbal commits and future targets in the 2025 recruiting class received the latest On300 Rankings. The Nittany Lions saw players rise and fall among the national leaders, but one of the highest risers was Matt Henderson. Who went from No. 300 to No. 218 overall in the latest rankings.

The four-star tight end from Powhatan (Virginia) is now the No. 6 prospect in the state and the No. 12 tight end in the country according to On3. Henderson made his commitment to Penn State on May 8 and has caught the eye of Charles Power who is the National Director of Scouting for On3.

“Matt Henderson has a lot going for him as a tight-end prospect. I think, for starters, when you turn on the film, his movement skillsrdination really jump and overall coo out. This is a nimble, fluid athlete. He is essentially a big receiver at this point at the high school level, and he really moves well for his size, Power told Ryan Snyder of Blue White Illustrated.

“At over 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, he has the frame to continue adding weight, which is a positive for down the road. But I think, when you look at his fluidity, along with his ball skills, it’s all positive. We consistently see him high-pointing and coming down with catches in traffic, both on jump balls over the middle of the field and winning in tight windows. I think that’s a key skill you need to have a tight end long-term. As the level increases, winning in contested situations is key. He has the strong hands, tracking skills, and overall coordination to be really good there.”

Penn State football misses on Andrew Olesh

Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday evening, the Nittany Lions did suffer a setback in its initiative to “dominate the state.” Andrew Olesh a four-star from Southern Lehigh (Pennsylvania) of the 2025 recruiting class made his commitment to Michigan over Penn State.

Olesh is the No. 4 prospect in the state according to the On3 Industry Rankings. The updated On300 has Olesh listed as a four-star tight end and ranks as the No. 3 tight end in the country (No. 67 overall.) He also serves as the No. 1 TE in Pennsylvania in the 2025 recruiting class.

While having the state’s top tight end prospect leave to play for a Big Ten foe, Matt Henderson has turned enough heads to make one believe that the Nittany Lions have enough firepower to continue to develop one of their strongest assets in tight ends.

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