Penn State Ends Cold Recruiting Stretch With Commitment From 4-Star Tight End

Penn State has added another piece to its tight end corps of the future. Pierce Petersohn, a four-star prospect from Dodge Center, Minnesota, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Wednesday.

Petersohn, who also plays quarterback at Triton High School, is ranked by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 21 athlete and No. 342 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. He chose Penn State over his home-state Minnesota Golden Gophers.

As a high school quarterback soon to transition into a college tight end, Petersohn is following the same trend as Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren and his successor, former five-star Luke Reynolds.

Reynolds should be well established as the leader of the Nittany Lions’ tight end corps by the time Petersohn steps on campus next offseason. That room is expected to be filled with potential after Penn State signed three tight ends — Andrew Olesh, Matt Henderson and Brian Kortovich — in December.

Petersohn’s commitment puts an end to Penn State’s brief but bitter recruiting dryspell. Last week, the Nittany Lions missed out on two of Pennsylvania’s top prospects, defensive back Joey O’Brien and offensive lineman Grayson McKeogh, as well as prized Maryland cornerback Khary Adams. All three committed to Notre Dame.

But perhaps the tides are shifting for the Nittany Lions. Malvern Prep four-star edge rusher Jackson Ford is set to commit on Friday with a strong lean to Penn State. The same can be said for fellow four-star defensive end Tyson Harley, who has a commitment date set for July 5.

The summer months tend to garner some significant energy on the recruiting trail, and Petersohn’s commitment could be the spark the Nittany Lions have been searching for.