4-star tight end commits to Penn State after long recruiting drought

Four-star tight end Pierce Petersohn of Triton High School in Minnesota committed to Penn State on Wednesday. The 6-foot-5 athlete plays quarterback currently, but with his basketball background, he projects well to tight end at the next level.

The 247Sports Composite has him as the third-best player in Minnesota and the No. 342 player overall.

Petersohn became Penn State’s 21st commit in the 2026 cycle, a class that ranked No. 8 before his pledge. Somewhat surprisingly due to extreme recent success, Petersohn joins as the only tight end in the group. Penn State signed three at the position — Andrew Olesh, Matt Henderson and Brian Kortovich — in 2025.

Petersohn chose Penn State over hometown Minnesota. He made just two visits to Penn State, one in April and an official visit on June 20.

James Franklin needed some good news on the recruiting trail after missing out on a number of recent top targets from inside his typical recruiting footprint. La Salle (Philadelphia) teammates Grayson McKeogh and Joey O’Brien each chose Notre Dame, while Loyola Blakefield (Md.) corner Khary Adams joined them with the Irish. New Jersey defensive end Luke Wafle additionally went toward USC instead of joining his brother Owen Wafle at Penn State.

With Petersohn in tow, Penn State could keep rolling this week. Defensive end target Jackson Ford and defensive tackle target Damari Simeon are set to announce their commitments on Friday with the Lions in play.