2026 4-star safety Matt Sieg breaks down his commitment to Penn State

Fort Cherry (Pa.) safety Matt Sieg committed Penn State today and before the Ohio State kickoff, he committed to James Franklin and the Nittany Lions.

“My family and I had thought about it all week and decided that this was the best fit for us and to stay close to home,” Seig told On3. “We decided to pull the trigger and we are glad we did.

“The biggest reason I chose Penn State is because all of the coaching staff are great people and I’ve developed some great relationships with them. They were first to enter my recruitment and haven’t let up since jumping in. I feel a genuine connection from everyone there. It’s also close to home for us and family is big for me. My whole family will be able to watch me play which I think will be awesome.”

The No. 233 prospect in the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking out of Mcdonald (Pa.) Fort Cherry committed to Penn State over schools like Pittsburgh, USC, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

“It means the world to be able to play for my in-state school. I grew up as a huge Penn State fan and most of my family are huge fans as well. Being able to someday put on that uniform and run out in front of 107,000 is going to be a dream come true.”

Sieg is a longtime target of Penn State

Sieg has held an offer from the Nittany Lions for over a year and and has been considered a longtime Penn State lean. He made the trip for his second game in Happy Valley this fall on Saturday and already made plans to come back next weekend for the White Out. 

“A lot of my family are huge Penn State fans, so it’s rubbed off on me,” Sieg said last fall. “I’ve loved Penn State since I was old enough to even watch football. My dad could see Beaver Stadium from his house when he grew up out that way, so he’s a pretty big fan, too.

Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Wisconsin, USC, Minnesota, Syracuse, Nebraska, Michigan State and Missouri are among the programs who have offered Sieg, who doubles as a quarterback and defensive back at Fort Cherry. 

“Penn State is exciting because obviously it’s a great program but from a defensive perspective they’re always solid,” Sieg said after a visit in September. “Their safeties are involved with a lot and are big playmakers for them.”

Last fall, Sieg produced one of the best statistical seasons in Pennsylvania high school football history, totaling more than 4,000 yards of offense and scoring 63 touchdowns. He also led Fort Cherry to a runner-up finish in the PIAA 1A state championship game. It was the first time the school had ever advanced that far in the state playoffs.