Penn State continues to dominate tight end recruiting, named finalist for top prospect

A program that has been playing college football since 1889 and with the same head coach for 46 of those seasons, has a firmly entrenched identity. Penn State is known for its linebackers and running backs, but lately, the Nittany Lions have been making their case as Tight End U.

George Kittle may have taken over the title for his offseason positional seminars in Nashville, but as far as college football programs go in recent years, it’s hard to make a case for another school other than Penn State as the most successful tight-end factory. Since James Franklin took the reins in Happy Valley, five Nittany Lion tight ends have been selected in the NFL Draft, and this spring Tyler Warren will almost certainly be the first to break into Round 1.

Warren was so dominant under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki last season that he finished seventh in Heisman voting, which is unheard of for a player at his position. His success has made it easy for Franklin, Kotelnicki, and tight ends coach Ty Howle to convince highly-rated recruits to consider Penn State.

In the 2025 recruiting class, Penn State landed four tight ends, three-star Matt Henderson, three-star Brian Kortovich, four-star Jeff Exinor Jr. and the No. 3 ranked tight end in the nation, Andrew Olesh. Olesh was a signing day flip from Michigan and is considered a five-star by On3.com recruiting.

Now, the Nittany Lion’s offensive recruiting triumvirate has focused its efforts on the 2026 class and four-star tight end Mack Sutter. The 6-foot-5 225-pound tight end is ranked No. 106 nationally by 247Sports Composite rankings and is the No. 6 overall tight end. On Saturday, Sutter released his top-five finalists and included the Nittany Lions.

Penn State now has to beat out Illinois, Ohio State, Alabama, and Ole Miss for the Dunlap, Illinois product. Sutter has scheduled an official visit with all five schools, which is crucial for landing a player of his ilk.

The Nittany Lions have as impressive a tight-end track record as any program in the country, and that’s paying off big time in recruiting. However, if Kotelnicki leaves for a head coaching job next offseason, as he considered this winter, that recent hot streak that Franklin enjoyed in the 2025 class, could come to an abrupt end.