Class of 2026 three-star defensive lineman Tavian Branch commits to Penn State football, he announced on his official visit Saturday.

The Taylor, Pennsylvania, native was originally committed to Rutgers before decommitting from the Scarlett Knights in early September. Just days after the decommitment, Branch scheduled an official visit to Happy Valley. Penn State was on his top-four list before his prior commitment.

Branch is the No. 21 player in Pennsylvania, the No. 95 defensive lineman, and the No. 841 player in the country, per 247Sports Composite rankings.

Per the same source, Branch joins a Penn State recruiting class ranked No. 16 in the nation and No. 5 in the Big Ten. The former Rutgers commit joins three stars Isaac Chukwurah and Alexander Haskell as the only three defensive linemen commits for Penn State in the class of 2026.

Branch chose the Nittany Lions over schools like Oklahoma, Alabama, and Auburn. To check out what Penn State’s newest defensive lineman brings to Happy Valley, check out his Hudl highlights here.

About the Author

Collin Ward

Collin is a fourth-year majoring in digital/print journalism. He lives in Basking Ridge, New Jersey and enjoys TAYLOR HAM, egg, and cheese. As a New York Giants and Chelsea FC fan you can normally find him yelling at his TV screen on the weekends. Please follow him on X(formerly Twitter) @wardcollinz for Penn State football stuff. You can email him at collin@onwardstate.com.

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