Penn State football fell behind in three-star interior offensive lineman Lucas Rhoa's recruitment. The Nittany Lions were in contention to land him alongside Texas, UCLA, and Oregon. On Thursday, he announced his decision and turned his back on the blue and white.
The Longhorns came out on top as Rhoa committed to their program on June 25.
Rhoa was one of Penn State's last remaining targets on its board. June hasn't been a kind month to head coach Matt Campbell and his recruitment. Even after landing three-star cornerback Dhillon McGee on Wednesday, missing out on Rhoa still stings.
The lineman is ranked No. 602 nationally and No. 46 at his position, according to Rivals Industry Ratings. He's also ranked No. 47 out of recruits from California.
BREAKING: Class of 2027 IOL Lucas Rhoa has Committed to Texas, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 25, 2026
The 6’5 300 IOL chose the Longhorns over Penn State, UCLA, and Oregon
“HOOK EM🤘”https://t.co/YkXSIMWoqQ pic.twitter.com/a4bXv5mPs3
Three-star interior offensive lineman Lucas Rhoa commits to Texas over Penn State, UCLA, and Oregon
As Rhoa's decision neared, Rivals experts Greg Biggins, Adam Gorney, and Eric Nahlin submitted their predictions in favor of Texas. His commitment came after his official visit with the Longhorns on June 19-21.
Penn State was a frontrunner for some time to land Rhoa. The Nittany Lions hosted him seven times throughout his recruitment, including his June 12-14 official visit, which was sound. Texas, though, caused a huge shift in momentum after it hosted the 2027 prospect over the last official visit weekend.
Per Blair Angulo of 247Sports, Rhoa said that he was high on the Longhorns after his visit. Still, Penn State remained in the lead at the time, but it wasn't leading by a lot. The blue and white only had a 36.9 percent chance to land him at the time, giving Texas enough to work with to overtake that top spot.
According to Joe Cook of Inside Texas, the Longhorns' offensive line coach, Kyle Flood, took his opportunity to call up one of his alumni. New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. was the No. 9 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft and played three seasons at Texas from 2022-24.
“Just sitting in meetings with Coach Flood, it’s crazy to see.” Rhoa told Cook. “He pulled up a slide. His track record, he really has done it all. He put me on the phone with [Banks Jr.] and talking to him, just great insight. These are great players that were developed here and it’s exciting to have the opportunity to be another one.”
While the Nittany Lions aren't scraping for offensive linemen in this cycle anymore, missing out on Rhoa is missing out on versatility. He's 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds, which gives him the ability to play almost anywhere in the trenches. Per 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks noted in his report, the 2027 lineman, that versatility to play guard or tackle is what makes him such a valuable prospect. Rhoa could also be used at center given his movement ability.
Penn State still has four offensive linemen committed in its 2027 class, including two interior offensive linemen: three-stars Owen Reilly and Jon Sassic.
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