Nation's No. 37 Overall Recruit is Down to Six Schools

One of the blue-chip offensive linemen in the 2027 college football recruiting class is attracting serious interest from several elite programs.

Including from the school he recently decommitted from.

Four-star Middletown (Del.) offensive tackle Layton Von Brandt appears to have narrowed his interest to six genuine contenders, according to Rivals.

Big Ten program in play

Penn State initially earned Von Brandt’s commitment until he decided against it after the school underwent a coaching change following the dismissal of James Franklin.

Matt Campbell was brought on as his replacement from Iowa State, and he and his staff immediately set about getting in touch with the lineman.

Offensive line coach Ryan Clanton has been involved alongside Campbell and Von Brandt revealed that both have told him that he remains a priority for the program.

“I am excited to get up and meet the rest of the staff and see how they coach for myself and talk to the players I know on the team and see their thoughts about the new staff,” he told Rivals.

James Franklin still involved

The man who left Penn State when Von Brandt originally committed is still very much in the picture for the prospect after the coach took the same position at Virginia Tech.

“Coach Franklin has been recruiting me since I was 14 years old, so there’s definitely a comfort level there and I have faith he will have Virginia Tech near the top of the ACC soon, and I know that he values high school recruits,” Von Brandt said.

SEC programs are in pursuit

A trio of Southeastern Conference teams are looking to grab Von Brandt.

Tennessee has been after the lineman even after he originally pledged to Penn State and has been in almost constant contact with him.

Among the top dozen schools in the industry-average 2027 recruiting rankings, the Volunteers’ best commit is a blocker, four-star Murfreesboro (Tenn.) offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo.

Rocky Top’s rival is also interested in Von Brandt, as Florida and new offensive line coach Phil Trautwein have made a good impression.

He could be the Gators’ best advantage, as Trautwein held the same position at Penn State when Von Brandt originally committed there before heading south to join first-year Florida coach Jon Sumrall.

“Coach Traut is my guy. Our relationship is very strong,” the player told Rivals.

“I committed to him before because of how he develops offensive linemen and puts them in the league and how close we became.”

He added: “SEC football is as big as it gets and I have family in Florida, so they check almost every box for me.”

A new contender in the South could be Auburn, also under new management as Alex Golesh takes over, and has made Von Brandt a “priority recruit,” he revealed.

‘Elite’ Irish still a contender

Notre Dame sits in the top-five of the 2027 team recruiting rankings, a lofty position buoyed in part by the presence of four-star Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic offensive tackle James Halter.

Von Brandt called the Irish “an elite program in college football” that develops offensive linemen from high school and consistently puts them in the National Football League.

“They compete for playoffs pretty much every year under Coach Freeman,” he said.

“They are consistently showing me love and letting me know how much they want me and value me as a player, which is a huge blessing.”

How he ranks as a recruit

Von Brandt has been one of the most highly-considered offensive tackles in the country since the beginning, and one of the top 50 prospects overall in 2027.

The native of Delaware is currently ranked as the No. 6 offensive tackle in the class, according to an average of the national recruiting services.

That average also considers Von Brandt the top-ranked player from the state and as the No. 48 overall recruit in the nation regardless of position.

Von Brandt is listed as a four-star prospect and the fifth-ranked offensive tackle and No. 38 player overall, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

What the experts are saying

So far, a Big Ten program undergoing a coaching change seems to be out in front for the coveted offensive lineman.

Penn State is way out in front in the race to sign Von Brandt, with a purported 62.1 percent chance to earn his pledge, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Notre Dame is further down the list, currently sitting at 3.8 percent odds to acquire the blocker, according to that metric.

But the Irish are projected to get the tackle, according to the latest 247Sports Crystal Ball.

Eric Thomas, who is 15 of 19 all-time in his recruiting predictions, suggests Von Brandt will land with Notre Dame with 6 out of 10 confidence.

Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph is leading the charge for the Fighting Irish to get Von Brandt.

“Notre Dame checks a lot of boxes,” the player said, via Rivals. “I’m super excited about Notre Dame and can’t wait to get back to campus.”

(Rivals)

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks