Former Penn State Football Commit Places Nittany Lions in New Final 4

Penn State coach Matt Campbell makes strong impression with 4-star lineman Layton von Brandt.

Matt Campbell is announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Matt Campbell has made significant progress on the 2027 recruiting front, bringing the class from 0 to 14 commits and into the national top 10 in about six weeks. That also has re-opened some doors, as the Nittany Lions have made a comeback with a former commit.

Layton von Brandt, a 4-star offensive lineman from Delaware, announced his list of finalists Sunday night, putting Penn State in his top 4. Von Brandt also has Notre Dame, Auburn and Florida on the list and has scheduled official visits later this spring to all four schools, according to Rivals' Ryan Snyder.

By listing Penn State in his final four, von Brandt underscored how Campbell has led a Penn State recruiting turnaround in a short time. Von Brandt, a two-year starting tackle at Appoquinimink High, is among the top-ranked offensive linemen in the nation. He's a 4-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite, who ranks fifth nationally at offensive tackle and 64th overall. He's also the top-ranked player in Delaware.

Von Brandt initially committed to Penn State in November 2024 as the Nittany Lions began their run to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The offensive lineman was part of Penn State's four-player 2027 class that at one point ranked No. 1 in the country.

NEWS: Four-Star OT Layton von Brandt is down to 4 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
⁰The 6’6 285 OT is ranked as a Top 5 OT in the 2027 Rivals Industry Rankings

He’s locked in official visits to each of his finalists https://t.co/nahnWxww3a pic.twitter.com/Czza7ZnsxO

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 4, 2026

But von Brandt decommitted from Penn State in October 2025 after James Franklin's firing. Campbell re-offered the offensive lineman in December, just days after taking over as Penn State's new head coach.

By that point, Notre Dame had offered the lineman, adding its name to a crowded field that includes Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida State, among many others. Among his four finalists, von Brandt has a long recruiting relationship with new Florida offensive line coach Phil Trautwein, who recruited him at Penn State.

Building the 2027 class

The top 10 OL prospects in the SC Next 300 for the class of 2027. These dudes are bullies in the trenches 😤https://t.co/RiMcRHKXWG pic.twitter.com/E0wFvAHfwk

— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) April 29, 2026

Getting von Brandt, the nation's 40th-ranked player according to the ESPN 300, back into the class would be a major recruiting move for Campbell. The Penn State coach began spring practice without a 2027 commit, acknowledging that he was behind after spending the winter racing to fill out the 2026 roster.

But since late March, Penn State has received commitments from 14 players, most recently from Philadelphia defensive lineman Stanley Montgomery, the team's highest-ranked commit. Montgomery, a top-70 player nationally from Archbishop Ryan, propelled Penn State's class into the top 5 for the first time this year.

Following Montgomery's commitment, Penn State ranked fourth nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, and moved ahead of Ohio State for second in the Big Ten. Penn State since has moved to sixth nationally, passed by Notre Dame and UCLA in the very fluid rankings. The Nittany Lions remain ahead of Ohio State (seventh).

Penn State has four 4-star prospects in the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and 10 3-star players.

Campbell has said he wanted to move deliberately with the 2027 class but has gone from playing "catch up" to building out a strong class.

"To me, it's no different than what I said about spring practice: Slow and right is critical," Campbell said about his recruiting approach during spring drills. "And it's all about the human beings that we bring in here. I'm a huge person in relationships: Who fits Penn State, who fits our culture? And so we're going to do it slow and right. And we're going to make sure any young man that we try to bring in here is the right fit for our football program.

"Obviously having the [Penn State] logo and the history of this place certainly gives you great opportunity to recruit in this region, which has some of the best football in the entire world. And that part of it is rewarding. Being a part of the football program at Toledo, we recruited a lot of these areas. So you do have some inroads and know certainly what these areas have stood for over time. But again, I I think it's the process of recruiting the right people, making sure it's the right guys you're bringing in here. We're always going to go slow and right in that process."

Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter and follow us on social media.