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Penn State gets commitment from 4-star in-state defensive end, 3-star tackle

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Penn State coach James Franklin watches from the sideline during the first half of the 2024 Big Ten championship game.

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster this week for Penn State recruiting, but some more good news for the Nittany Lions came Friday afternoon.

Four-star Malvern Prep defensive end Jackson Ford and three-star offensive tackle Jack Fuchs from Tennessee committed to Penn State.

Ford’s other finalists were Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin — a nice recruiting win for James Franklin.

Ford has high upside off the edge with a 6-foor-4, 240-pound frame. The 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 301 player nationally and the No. 8 player in Pennsylvania.

Ford made five trips over his recruitment to Penn State, including an official visit June 6.

This is an important get for Penn State, as the Nittany Lions did not yet hold a verbal pledge from a defensive end in the 2026 class. They once had four-star Daniel Jennings in tow, but he reclassified to the 2025 group. They also missed out last week on one of their top overall targets in New Jersey DE Luke Wafle.

Fuchs, standing at a huge 6-8 and 290 pounds, ranks as the 247Sports Composite’s No. 57 OT and No. 658 player overall. He hails from Beech High School in Hendersonville, Tenn.

Fuchs has a close tie to the Penn State coaching staff. His father, Tennessee Titans offensive line coach Scott Fuchs, coached OL at Buffalo and Kansas with Lions offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.

Jack Fuchs, meanwhile, visited Penn State three times, including an official trip this past weekend. He also took visits to Indiana and Kentucky.

Penn State has targeted several tackles over the past few weeks without much luck. Fuchs is also the fourth offensive lineman in the class thus far.

Penn State now has 22 commits this cycle in a group ranking ninth nationally. James Franklin added four-star tight end Pierce Petersohn on Wednesday, but he lost four-star Nazareth quarterback Peyton Falzone to Auburn on Thursday.

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