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Penn State Lands 2nd Commitment of 2028 Recruiting Class

Carter Petri, a highly ranked kicker from Buffalo, joins the Nittany Lions' 2028 class.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell waves to the crowd during a Big Ten wrestling match vs. Nebraska.
Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell waves to the crowd during a Big Ten wrestling match vs. Nebraska. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Penn State football coach Matt Campbell values special teams to the point that he had the size of his office reduced to accommodate new meeting space for his kickers and punters. Campbell's next move was to find a kicker for the 2028 recruiting class.

Campbell made that happen just before the June recruiting period ended, receiving a commitment from New York kicker Carter Petri. A senior at the St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, Petri announced his decision Saturday after visiting Penn State for a workout that generated an offer from special teams coach Justin Lustig.

Petri, who trains at the Hammer Kicking Academy, has been touring colleges for workouts and unofficial visits, making recent stops at Michigan, Georgia, Virginia Tech and Syracuse. He kicked at Virginia Tech in June before returning to Penn State, where he has made multiple visits since January. The most recent earned Petri an offer, which he quickly accepted.

Petri is the No. 9 kicking prospect in the 2028 recruiting class, according to the Kohl's Kicking Academy. Here's what the leading talent evaluator of specialists said about Petri.

"At the 2026 Kohl's Eastern Spring Showcase, Carter Petri demonstrated his hard work with impressive results, scoring 12 total points in field goals," according to Kohl's. "During kickoff charting, he earned 109.6 points, achieving a top kickoff of 74 yards and a hang time of 3.6 seconds. He has huge upside and was one of the top prospects at camp, his ball striking is Elite, and he had a wonderful showing at camp.

"His performance at the 2025 Kohl's Midwest Winter Showcase further highlighted his growth, where he scored 13 points in field goals and posted 101.15 points in kickoff charting, including a standout kick of 65 yards with a hang time of 3.7 seconds. This consistency underscores his technical skills and composure under pressure, traits that coaches at the next level should value."

Petri is the second player to commit to Campbell's 2028 class, joining 4-star cornerback Deonte Flemings Jr. of Erie McDowell High. Petri also is the second specialist to commit to Campbell and Lustig at Penn State. Penn State in June received a 2027 commitment from long snapper Clayton Powell of Louisiana.

Penn State has two young kickers on the 2026 roster. The Nittany Lions signed sophomore Nathan Tiyce from Mississippi State and added freshman Lucas Tenbrock, who previously signed with Campbell's 2026 recruiting class at Iowa State. Tiyce was on campus for spring drills, while Tenbrock will compete for the starting spot during training camp.

Hammer Kicking Academy founder Adan Tanalski said in a social media post that Petri is "[one] of the best ball strikers we ever had."

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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