Penn State Football gets rare recommitment from Mathias Barnwell

Penn State Football 2023 recruiting class got a boost Saturday, when four-star Mathias Barnwell rejoined it

For the second straight week, Penn State football received a 2023 commitment on gameday.

Just minutes before the Nittany Lions took on Villanova on Saturday, 4-star tight end Mathias Barnwell tweeted that he was recommitting to Penn State.

Originally the first commit in Penn State’s 2023 class, Barnwell decommitted in January, shortly after tight ends coach Tyler Bowen left for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite no longer being committed, this past Saturday was the fourth time Barnwell visited Happy Valley since January, a sign that there may be a reunion in sights.

The 247 Sports composite ranks Barnwell as the No. 16 tight end in the country and the No. 223 player overall. 247 Sports has Barnwell a bit lower, as a high 3-star and the No. 18 tight end. He has a solid offer sheet that includes Notre Dame, Oregon, Ohio State and USC.

Listed on his 247 Sports profile as 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, the Fredericksburg, Va native has quite the size for a tight end, especially considering Barnwell is just a high school junior. This begs the question of is Barnwell  an offensive tackle, or even defensive lineman, at the next level.

Also being a good basketball player, Barnwell is certainly athletic enough for tight end, but how much more he grows before getting to college could change things.

Barnwell joins a small number of decommits to recommit to Penn State under James Franklin. The most notable is Micah Parsons, who had one wild recruitment before coming back to the Nittany Lions on signing day back in December of 2017. There was also the interesting case of Nate Bruce, who decommitted from Penn State for no more than a few hours last Fall before coming back on board.

With Barnwell back in the fold, Penn State’s 2023 class now has three members and ranks seventh nationally and first in the Big Ten.

It looks like the hot recruiting success Penn State has enjoyed in 2022 is flowing over to 2023.