It was a big recruiting win for Penn State on July 5, quite literally speaking. They secured a commitment from 6'6" 270lb class of 2026 offensive lineman Marlen Bright. Rivals has him listed as a four-star recruit, the No. 23 ranked offensive lineman in 2026, and the No. 223 overall recruit.
What is Penn State adding to its future O-line plan with new commit Marlen Bright?@tyler_calvaruso breaks down PSU’s latest pickup (VIP)https://t.co/DDdPrbWfJN pic.twitter.com/82nGgveIbe
— Lions247 (@Lions247) July 5, 2025
Penn State has had a lot of big losses in the recruitment department as of late. Their most recent loss being five-star recruit, Immanuel Iheanacho. They are back in the winning circle with Bright giving the nod to join James Franklin and the Nittany Lions, and it has the potential to be a big win for Penn State.
He is a monster in the run game. He moves people out of the way with ease. And even with his giant frame, in pass protection his footwork is solid. He will have plenty of opportunity to improve and reach his potential as a player, working under offensive line coach Phil Trautwein.
Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein showing the young guns how it's done.
— T-FrankOn3 (@ThomasFrankCarr) March 28, 2024
Practice Highlights: https://t.co/mxTWpnkQg2 pic.twitter.com/3ebAboigvi
This past year Penn State had three offenisve lineman get drafted. Olu Fashanu was drafted 11th overall by the New York Jets, Caedan Wallace was selected in the third round by the New England Patriots, and Hunter Nourzard was picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round. Both Fashanu and Nourzard were three-star recruits coming out of high school. This shows that Trautwein who has been the coach of the Nittany Lions' O-line since 2020, is able to get the most out of his players.
It will be exciting to see what impact Bright can make as a player when he joins Penn State in 2026.
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