Hempfield lineman picks Harvard for ‘great balance between academics and football’

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, June 20, 2025 | 2:53 PM

Despite a number of high-end scholarship offers from Power 4 and Group of 5 schools, Brock Heisler has opted to play college football in the nonscholarship Ivy League.

Don’t be too quick to judge the big bruiser from Hempfield. A 4.0 student-athlete, he probably knows something the rest of us do not.

The two-way lineman and long snapper committed Thursday to Harvard.

The Ivy League does not offer athletic scholarships, but Heisler will pursue academic benefits after his verbal pledge to the Crimson.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Heisler sifted through more than 20 offers before the rising senior made his decision.

“I feel like a lot of things made me go the Ivy League route,” he said. “It’s such a great balance between academics and football, and it really felt like the best fit for me. Before going on my visit to Harvard, I was thinking of a certain stereotype for Ivy League guys. I thought it would be a bunch of smart guys who didn’t care much about football. However, on my visits, I realized these guys were just like me and I fit in perfectly.”

His other offers included West Virginia, Arkansas State, Navy, Air Force, Connecticut, Villanova and more.

Other Ivy League programs also pursued him, including Princeton, Cornell and Penn.

Heisler said he strongly considered West Virginia and also entertained Villanova’s offer.

The more he learns about the Ivy League life, the more Heisler believes he belongs.

“One reason was because of how hard these dudes work and how much they care about football, but at the same time, they’re still academically driven,” he said. “I also think the Ivy League is such a great spot because how little they are affected by the transfer portal and how stable the coaches and players are there. I wanna go in with a group of guys who are going to stay all four years and really build great friendships with them. I feel like I always play for the people next to me, so it would be hard to go somewhere that I didn’t have a great connection with the guys.”

Heisler was recruited as a defensive lineman.

Ivy League schools also don’t offer NIL money to athletes, but Heisler could potentially play a fifth year elsewhere after earning his degree.

“I’m incredibly proud of the maturity Brock showed throughout the entire recruiting process,” Hempfield coach Nick Keefer said. “He never panicked, never chased hype. He stayed grounded and focused on finding the right fit. A lot of kids fall in love with the idea of being recruited or playing at certain places, but Brock stayed true to himself. For a 17-year-old to make a decision like that — one based on substance and fit over flash — it says everything.”

Heisler’s sister, Peyton, also is an Ivy League athlete. She plays softball at Penn.

A lot of people are following Heisler’s recruiting. His announcement on X has over 30,000 views and more than 100 likes.

100% committed @HarvardFootball pic.twitter.com/c7kUcBEluM

— Brock Heisler 2026 (@Brock_Heisler) June 19, 2025

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Hempfield