Why Stanley Montgomery, Penn State's Top-Ranked 2027 Recruit, Chose the Nittany Lions

Penn State coach Matt Campbell first made contact with 2027 defensive lineman Stanley Montgomery during a wrestling practice at Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia earlier this year. Since then, Montgomery said he has been struck by how good Campbell has been to him personally.

Montgomery said Campbell has always been there for him whenever he needs anything. After committing to Penn State on April 30, Montgomery took his official visit with the team in early June, which he said went great.

“What really stood out to me the most was it really wasn't like a really football-oriented visit,” Montgomery said. “It was more just like getting to know all the commits in there, just building relationships with the staff and all that. I appreciated that a lot.”

A 4-star prospect, Montgomery is the highest-ranked player in Penn State's 2027 recruiting class, which ranks No. 9 nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. Montgomery is the nation’s 70th-ranked overall prospect and the No. 10 defensive lineman, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Montgomery joined the majority of Penn State’s 2027 recruiting class on an official visit to State College during the first weekend in June. He got to spend time with fellow defensive line commit Aniti Paiva, with whom he posted pictures on his Instagram account.

Montgomery also highlighted the relationship he has with his future defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe, saying it’s similar to the one he has with Campbell. Montgomery said that while Malloe is a great technical coach, he’s an even better person.

Montgomery said he always had an interest in the Nittany Lions, but the relationships he has formed with the team and his prior connections to Penn State sealed the deal.

“I had family who also went to Penn State, telling me about it, saying, ‘I love it there,’” Montgomery said. “Stepping away from the football side of it, just like the academics and the alumni network. You can't beat that with any other college, so I felt like it was like a no-brainer.”

Montgomery said relationships were a big part of his recruiting process. He initially committed to Syracuse in June of 2025, as defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson, who played at Penn State, had recruited him since his freshman year of high school.

But after Robinson left for Texas A&M, Montgomery backed off his pledge to Syracuse this past February. He eventually landed with Penn State.

Four-star DL @StanMonte27 surprised many on Thursday when he announced his commitment to Penn State.

As it turns out, that was by design once he learned that multiple assistant coaches would be stopping by his school.

Link ➡️ https://t.co/ntbRhR6sei pic.twitter.com/EpTPWby3Af
— Ryan Snyder (@RyanSnyderOn3) May 1, 2026

Montgomery, who has earned offers from about 20 programs, is the sixth-ranked player in Pennsylvania’s 2027 recruiting class. He’s also currently the highest-ranked in-state player to commit to Penn State. according to 247Sports.

Playing for Archbishop Ryan, Montgomery capped his junior season with 45 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and eight sacks, earning a first-team mention in the Blue Division of the Philadelphia Catholic League. He’s listed at 6-3 and 290 pounds, which is similar to the size the Nittany Lions added at the defensive tackle position this offseason. Montgomery described himself as a “playmaker.”

“(I’m) a real nasty guy,” Montgomery said. “I like to get physical. You can see in my film, I do like to use technique, but I am real physical.”

While he plans to enroll early at Penn State next January, Montgomery said he’s still focused on his senior year of high school.

“[I’m] just enjoying the moment while I'm still in high school, only in high school for four or five more months, and then I'm off to Penn State in January,” Montgomery said. “Just taking it in, enjoying the moment.”

We Are🦁💙🤍 https://t.co/Dkv0WKcTQU
— Stanley J. Montgomery (@StanMonte27) April 30, 2026

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Stanley Montgomery commits to Penn State

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