When four-star defensive end Max Granville committed to Penn State football in 2024, there was a lot of excitement as to what kind of force he'll bring to the defensive line over his collegiate career.
At the time of his commitment, Granville was about 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. He redshirted his true freshman season, making seven game appearances and logging just one tackle, one pass breakup, and one pass defended. Granville was poised to be a major impact player for the Nittany Lions in 2025, but was sidelined due to a lower body injury he sustained in the summer before the season.
Entering his redshirt sophomore season, Granville is ready to be the star he was projected to be when he came to Happy Valley. He has completed rehab for his injury and is expected to be a starter come the fall. He's one of the many young defenders Penn State has this season, and a breakout year is a great way for defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn to find stability early on in this new Nittany Lion era.
Penn State DE Max Granville is huge https://t.co/vSyLBGJFQX pic.twitter.com/AmqkmLMN75
— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) June 27, 2026
Granville enters this 2026 season at 252 pounds, which makes him an ideal size at defensive end. The team shared photos of workouts towards the end of June as well, and it's clear Granville will be a force on the defensive line.
Director of football strength and conditioning Reid Kagy shared his thoughts on Granville and his growth to reporters at the start of the July.
“I've been super impressed with his work ethic,” Kagy said. “Coming back from injury is hard. You can get caught in a lot of space, you can get lost in the whole process of it. Sometimes you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Granville is expected to be fully back in action come fall camp. According to Penn State Nittany Lions on SI, he dealt with a minor back issue during the spring, but was not sidelined entirely.
Leaning on his new coaching staff has prepared him to be the impact player former head coach James Franklin had in mind when he recruited Granville. Now, head coach Matt Campbell's staff gets to reap the benefits of the young defensive end and are anticipating his work ethic paying off.
“[He] is somebody we were super excited about when we stepped in here,” Kagy said. “I know [Granville] was coming back from injury as well when we first got here, and [this is] the biggest thing about [him]: [Granville] is super humble, and [he] goes to work . . . We're excited for what he's gonna do this fall."
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