Penn State adds commitment from transfer OL Hunter Nourzad

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State continued its run of success along the offensive line on the recruiting trail with yet another addition Monday. And this commitment comes from an experienced veteran player who can play right away in 2022.

Former Cornell offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad announced his commitment to Penn State on Monday afternoon, giving the Nittany Lions a player who can factor into the competition in the trenches this fall.

“Thank you to everyone who recruited me during this process! I’ve decided to commit to PennStateFball to continue my football career!” Nourzad wrote on Twitter.

Thank you to everyone who recruited me during this process! I've decided to commit to @PennStateFball to continue my football career! #WeAre @CoachTrautFB @coachjfranklin pic.twitter.com/Ft0deaYixa

— Hunter Nourzad ???????? (@NourzadHunter) February 7, 2022

The 6-foot-4, 298-pound Nourzad picked Penn State out of a top five that also included Virginia Tech, Auburn, Iowa and Illinois. Nourzad was a three-star recruit in the 247Sports transfer rankings.

Nourzad, a Marietta, Ga., native, was a decorated player at Cornell, where he started the final 20 games of his career at right tackle. He was an All-Ivy League first-team selection for his play in 2021 after earning second-team honors in 2019.

Nourzad was also named to the American Football Coaches Association All-America second team, making him the first member of the Big Red to earn All-America honors since 2005. Analyst Phil Steele named him the Ivy League Offensive Lineman of the Year and a third-team All-American.

Penn State has now made two additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Western Kentucky wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley announced his transfer in December and officially joined the program last month. He’s made an early impression on coach James Franklin.

The Nittany Lions have now added an Ivy League offensive lineman through the transfer portal in two straight offseasons. Harvard transfer Eric Wilson started 11 games at left guard in 2021.

Nourzad should help boost a position group that struggled last fall. Penn State needs to replace three starters, and center/guard Juice Scruggs and right tackle Caedan Wallace are the lone returners at the position.

According to Lions247, Nourzad will play on the interior of the offensive line at Penn State, and he has two years of eligibility remaining.

Nourzad’s announcement continues an impressive run of additions for offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. In the past two weeks, Penn State has made four additions across the Classes of 2022 (three-star Vega Ioane), 2023 ( four-star Jven Williams, three-star Anthony Donkoh) and 2024 (McDowell’s Cooper Cousins) along the offensive line.

While Penn State will need to wait on all of those additions except for Ioane, who signed his national letter of intent last week, Penn State should get an instant impact from Nourzad.