Penn State emerging as the early favorite for 2027 West Coast OT

James Franklin has made a habit of hot starts on the recruiting trail. The 2026 Penn State recruiting class may have faded to No. 16 in the country, but Franklin’s 2027 group, which at this point consists of three commits, sits at No. 2. 

That 2027 class could be getting a significant boost in the near future as the Nittany Lions are emerging as the early favorite for four-star offensive tackle Lucas Rhoa. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound offensive tackle from Orange Lutheran High School in Southern California is ranked 323rd nationally and is considered the 30th best offensive tackle by 247Sports Composite Rankings. 

Rivals projects Penn State with a 44.2 percent chance to land his commitment, a considerable gap over USC, which slots second in the running at 13.7 percent. 

Phil Trautwein making a strong first impression with 4-star Lucas Rhoa

Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein has been a stalwart on Franklin’s staff for the last five seasons. He currently has one of the deepest offensive line groups in the country after returning four starters from last season’s team and replacing Sal Wormley with 2024 five-star Cooper Cousins. 

Even beyond that starting group, Trautwein has a stable of top recruits with J’Ven Williams and Alex Birchmeier, the Nittany Lions’ two highest-rated commits in the 2023 recruiting class. There may not be a team in the country that boasts such depth in the trenches, and Trautwein isn’t done restocking the shelves. 

The 2026 recruiting class includes a relatively modest offensive line haul by Trautwein and Franklin’s standards. Kevin Brown is a four-star and a top 100 player in the country, but Penn State’s three other offensive line commits are three-stars. With momentum building for Rhoa, 2027 appears to be a bounce-back. 

Penn State’s 2027 recruiting ranking is buoyed by five-star running back and the class’s first commit, Kemon Spell. However, four-star offensive tackle Layton Von Brandt joined the fray just a few months after Spell in November 2024. If the coaching staff can pair Rhoa with Von Brandt, they will have the foundation of another elite O-line group. 

While the Nittany Lions’ depth up front is relatively unmatched this season, it could get tested going forward with starting left tackle Drew Shelton, right tackle Nolan Rucci, and center Nick Dawkins all entering their final season of eligibility. Aside from Rucci, who will likely spend the year in a rotation with redshirt sophomore Anthony Donkoh, that group will not be easy to replace.