DE Rodney McGraw Switches Commitment to Penn State

James Franklin and his staff picked up another big commitment Sunday when three-star defensive end Rodney McGraw announced that he had switched his commitment from Indiana to Penn State.

McGraw tweeted, "I want to thank Coach Allen and Indiana University for the opportunity. Recent events have lead me to reevaluate my opportunities and take a close look at some great programs. Thank you to my teammates and coaches for helping me reach this point. The best choice for me is clear! I'm officially committed to Penn State. Thank you to Coach Franklin for the opportunity to play in front of the best fans in college football! Recruiting is officially shut down! Excited to call Happy Valley home!"

A resident of Elkhart, Ind., McGraw visited Penn State this past October for the game against Michigan. He then committed to Indiana in January but kept in contact with Penn State throughout. At 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, his frame is exactly what John Scott Jr. and the rest of Penn State's defensive staff is looking for at the defensive end position this year.

"Elkhart is in the extreme northern part of the state of Indiana, not far from South Bend and the University of Notre Dame's campus," said Rivals analyst Josh Helmholdt. "There are some decent teams up there, but Rodney's not playing against other Division I talent every week. He's lucky if he sees one player of that caliber in the regular season. Your opposition does not dictate your talent, though, and Rodney being on a different size/athleticism level than everyone else he plays with has given him the time he needs to develop in his game.

"He is still raw and has not tapped into the full potential of his abilities, but he is learning how to dominate and create chaos in the offense's backfield. Time is needed to develop, not just fundamentally, but also physically. The good news is that when he does iron out the rough edges in his game and fills out his frame, the ceiling for McGraw at the next level is extremely high."

Following his visit for the game against Michigan in October, McGraw said, "I absolutely loved the atmosphere and the vibe around Penn State football. The stadium was electric and the fans were great! I spent a lot of time with the staff. They're down-to-earth guys."

McGraw earned over a dozen scholarship offers. In addition to Indiana, multiple Big Ten schools, including Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin all extended offers. He also visited most of those schools this past season.

Sources suggested recently that McGraw was Scott's top remaining target at the position, but if all goes to plan, he'd like to add at least two more defensive linemen. Virginia prospect George Wilson and North Carolina native Travali Price are also still in the mix.

McGraw is the fifth defensive prospect to commit to Penn State's Class of 2021. He joins linebacker Kobe King, as well as defensive backs Kalen King, Jaylen Reed and Zakee Wheatley. The Nittany Lions also moved up two spots in the Rivals Team Rankings, surpassing Georgia and Texas at No. 12 overall.

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