Penn State beats out Big Ten competition for elite edge prospect out of DC

Penn State is working to try to get back to a top-10 recruiting class under James Franklin, and the Nittany Lions picked up a key piece to that end on Saturday.

This time, the commitment comes from Tyson Harley, a prominent edge prospect out of Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C. Harley’s final group came down to Michigan State, Rutgers and Virginia Tech before landing on Penn State.

Harley is listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds and is a 4-star prospect, according to the 247 Sports Composite. The system also rates Harley as the 33rd edge recruit in the country and the No. 2 overall player out of D.C. for the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Here’s a look at what Harley brings to the table via his Hudl highlights:

The addition of Harley brings Penn State up to 25 hard commitments for the cycle, a group that ranks 14th nationally per the team composite. Harley is 1 of 12 players with a 4-star composite rating in that group.

Overall, Penn State looks locked into another top-15 recruiting class, but the program has not landed a top-10 class since 2022. We’ll see if positive results on the field this fall can add to an already strong group on the recruiting trail.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.