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Penn State lands commitment from 2026 New Jersey tackle
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Penn State has landed a commitment from Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic offensive tackle Marlen Bright.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound lineman announced his pledge on Instagram on Saturday. Stanford and Illinois were also in the mix for his verbal, with both schools hosting him on official visits during April and May. Penn State got the last visit, but Bright told Lions247 that James Franklin and his staff were among the earliest coaches to recruit him and that paid dividends.
Bright had been a silent commit for around a month before going public on Saturday.
“They were always there from the beginning,” Bright told Lions247. “That moment is a moment you can never get back with the way it happened.
“I was in Coach Franklin’s office as a rising sophomore, still technically a freshman, and him telling me that in front of all the other coaches and seeing my dad cry, that’s a big moment. That was a huge moment.”
Bright is a 3-star recruit in the industry-generated 247 Composite. He’s ranked as the No. 8 prospect from the state of New Jersey and the No. 47 tackle in the class. In the national player rankings, Bright sits at No. 567 overall.
He gives the Nittany Lions their 24th known commitment for the Class of 2026. Bright is 1 of 5 offensive linemen currently in the class. You can see his highlight tape below, via Hudl:
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