Penn State lead race for top 2028 D-lineman

The Nittany Lions will love that not only have they gotten off to a 3-0 start before their Big Ten opener, but they seemed to have made headway with a couple of recruits in the process. While this weekend looks to be huge for the upcoming recruiting cycles with the countless visits scheduled, it seems as if the blue and white have already received some positive news from a top 2028 recruit, one with some ties with a recent Happy Valley legend.

According to 247Sports, Penn State are No. 1 in the race for 2028 defensive lineman Brynnen Thompson. From the state of Delaware, Thompson could be a huge Northeast recruit for the Nittany Lions despite the fact they would like more Pennsylvania recruits. Still, as the No. 2 player in the state, Thompson could offer Penn State the next generation of elite defensive talent. He has countless offers from schools such as Boston College, Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas Tech, but Penn State fans should be happy they lead the race.

When asked about why Penn Stte is so high in his current school rankings, Thompson said, “”I feel like when I went to Penn State, I was treated like I’d been there for a long time. Someone that, like, I wasn’t just another recruit. I felt like I was somebody.” This has seemed to be a common theme for recruits who have interacted with Campbell and the new coaching staff, as they look to build their own culture after the departure of James Franklin. Most importantly, the absence of attractive NIL money in their pitch to Thompson proved that they want him as a player and not a brand.

“It’s like NIL agents and people trying to get a percentage of cuts and things like that,” Thompson said. “And Coach Campbell’s kind of telling me to read through the lines.””He told me not to jump on the first thing and what good agencies do and how the go about percentages when it comes to taking money.”

Another fascinating thing about Thompson is his familiarity with a former Penn State great in Dani Dennis-Sutton. While Sutton played high school ball up in Maryland, he grew up an hour’s drive from Thompson’s hometown. While it will certainly take a little while before Thompson potentially sets foot in Happy Valley as the future of Penn State football, but many Penn State fans could already be dreaming of a player similar and familiar with to one of the best defensive players Penn State has ever seen.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State lead race for top 2028 D-lineman