Penn State's Newest 2027 Commit Joins 'Long Snapper U.'

Clayton Powell, one of the nation's top-ranked long snappers, commits to Penn State's 2027 recruiting class.

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell speaks at a press conference at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

One of Penn State's most underrated positions over the past six years has been long snapper. New head coach Matt Campbell apparently wants to continue that tradition. The first commitment Penn State received from its first weekend of official visits was from a long snapper.

Clayton Powell, a 2027 long snapper from Lake Charles, Louisiana, announced his commitment to Penn State as the weekend concluded. Powell, the 21st player in Penn State's 2027 recruiting class, committed to Campbell and special teams coach Justin Lustig, one of two assistants who Campbell retained from the Nittany Lions' 2025 coaching staff.

Powell, who also had an offer from Arkansas, was among more than 20 prospects who traveled to Penn State for official visits. In an interview with Blue-White Illustrated, Powell called Penn State "Long Snapper U.," a designation of which the program has been proud recently.

According to the Kohl's Kicking Service, Powell is the 17h-ranked long snapper in the 2027 recruiting class with room to grow. Here's Kohl's most recent scouting report on Powell.

"Powell made a strong impression at the 2025 Kohl’s National Scholarship Camp with his quick release and tight spiral," according to the site. "He finished the charting phase of camp with an average snap time of .68 seconds and the 5th highest charting score in the country for the 2027 class. Powell has a long frame with room to put on quality weight. He was dialed in all weekend and displayed he can make an impact at the next level."

COMMITTED!!!! #WEARE 🦁🦁🦁@CoachMC_PSU @CoachLustig @CoachLang22 @RoryWalling @PennStateFball @Lions247 @tyler_calvaruso @SeanFitzOn3 @SpecialTeamsU @HKA_Tanalski pic.twitter.com/vCB4FA034n

— Clayton Powell (@ClaytonPowell_) June 8, 2026

Penn State can make the unique claim that it has put its last two long snappers in the NFL. Tyler Duzansky, Penn State's starting long snapper for the past three seasons, signed a free-agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders this spring.

Duzansky was one of the most NFL-ready prospects on Penn State's 2025 team. He was a finalist for the Mannelly Award, given annually to the nation's top snapper, and was considered a long-snot prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Duzansky as his No. 1 long snapper in the draft class.

Before Duzansky, Chris Stoll was Penn State's four-year starting long snapper and earned a scholarship after walking on for the Nittany Lions in 2017. In 2022, Stoll won the Mannelly Award as the nation's top snapper.

He signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent in 2023 and has been the team's starting long snapper for three seasons. In February, Stoll won the 66th Super Bowl ring in Penn State football history.

Who's the next long snapper at Penn State? The Nittany Lions have two on the roster: redshirt senior Blaise Sokach-Minnick from West Pittston, Pennsylvania, and redshirt sophomore Andrew Dufault, who played at Massachusetts' Xaverian Brothers High, home of Penn State 2027 quarterback signee William Wood.

Following Powell's commitment and a busy weekend of official visits nationwide, Penn State's 2027 recruiting class ranks eighth in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Nittany Lions still hold the top spot in the Big Ten ahead of UCLA and USC.

State College 📍 #WeAre 🦁 pic.twitter.com/IFj8Euq89N

— Clayton Powell (@ClaytonPowell_) June 5, 2026

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