The state of Penn State's Class of 2026 is slowly but surely looking better as Iowa State commits reopen their recruitment following head coach Matt Campbell's arrival in Happy Valley.
Alongside three-star safety Bryson Williams who the Nittany Lions are in a battle for with Vanderbilt, three-star offensive tackle Pete Eglitis also put himself back on the market. The high school senior is the 78th ranked recruit out of Ohio and 1,607th overall student-athlete from his class, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.
Penn State has hope to land three-star offensive lineman Pete Eglitis
Eglitis signed with the Cyclones with three other recruits from his class. He committed to Iowa State on June 8. However, after about one week since signing, Eglitis reopened his recruitment. According to Iowa State Cyclones on SI, he is on route to hopefully play for the blue and white.
Other schools he expressed interest in, but ultimately forwent, were Pittsburgh and Louisville. After choosing the Cyclones over those two, it's unlikely that Eglitis blindsides Campbell and the Nittany Lions.
According to Kenneth Teape, the offensive lineman said there is no news of a scheduled visit, but things are trending in a positive direction from a Penn State standpoint. Eglitis said it's "a waiting game" as the dust settles in Happy Valley after a whirlwind hiring process.
Another encouraging piece to Eglitis' status for the Nittany Lions is Iowa State offensive line coach Ryan Clanton following Campbell. Clanton recruited Eglitis while he and Campbell were with the Cyclones, so it's likely Penn State has another recruit on his way to State College.
While the Nittany Lions, under Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin, vied for four-star prospects and sought out a five-star headliner for its Class of 2026, the tumble of a 2025 season derailed recruitment plans drastically. Rallying solid three-star recruits is the path the Nittany Lions are on while trying to retain their two signees.
Aside from the two who signed, four-stars edge rusher Jackson Ford and quarterback Peyton Falzone, Penn State has four hard commits. This includes safeties Williams and Tyrell Chatman, quarterback Kase Evans, and punter Lucas Tenbrock. Williams committed on Dec. 13 and the other three followed suit one day after.