It’s important to keep a legacy growing for any family. In college football, it’s the same concept, if a father plays at a school and their son has a chance to do the same thing it’s a special feeling and tradition. The Penn State football team currently has Nolan Rucci who just transferred in from Wisconsin on the roster. His father (Todd Rucci) played college football for the Nittany Lions. Now, 2025 recruiting class member Michael Carroll has a chance to follow in his father’s footsteps by playing football in Happy Valley.
Son of Penn State football legacy zeros in on college decision
Michael Carroll is the son of Michael Carroll Sr. who played linebacker for Joe Paterno and the Penn State football team in the late 1990s. Now, Carroll has the chance to potentially commit to the Nittany Lions to continue his football career. That opportunity took a step forward today as Carroll announced that he is down to his final 12 schools. He included Georgia, Florida, Clemson, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Alabama, UCLA, South Carolina, Michigan, Rutgers, Texas, and Penn State.
Carroll is a four-star prospect according to the On3 Industry Ranking in the 2025 recruiting class. Carroll is the No. 3 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 3 interior offensive lineman in the country. A native of Doylestown, PA standing at 6’6 300 pounds, Carroll is a player that Phil Trautwein could mold into a future star if he chose to commit to the Nittany Lions.
A ‘must get’ prospect according to James Franklin
James Franklin is hopeful that most recruits that he targets end up landing at Penn State. But that’s not the reality, so for him to call any player a ‘must get’ prospect shows the respect he has for this player. That’s exactly what the Nittany Lion head coach said about Michael Carroll.
Carroll reported to Brian Dohn of 247Sports in late January about his conversation with the Penn State coaches.
“They talked about how much they wanted me and how Coach (James) Franklin said I am a “must-get” prospect for them.”
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