Top Penn State commit Max Granville will reclassify, join Nittany Lions for 2024 season
Penn State picked up a massive commitment for its future defensive line last month when Sugar Land (Texas) Fort Bend Christian Academy defensive end Max Granville committed to the Nittany Lions. Now, he’s taken the next step.
Granville has reclassified into the Class of 2024 and will join the Nittany Lions for the upcoming 2024 season. He will be with the team when the Nittany Lions open camp next week. Penn State officially announced the news on Thursday afternoon.
The 6-foot-2.5, 225-pound prospect was Deion Barnes’ top defensive end target in the Class of 2025 and was a massive recruiting win over Oklahoma, Texas A&M and others this summer. He picked the Nittany Lions because of his eventual role as a pass-rusher under Barnes and Tom Allen.
“I would say the scheme fit at Penn State was the difference-maker, but there are a lot of other things I like. That’s not to say that OU or A&M didn’t have those things, but it built on what I liked about Penn State. Coach [Tom] Allen, the new defensive coordinator, I really like. He’s a great coach and a great man. I felt like I built a good relationship with him on my [official visit],” Granville said earlier this month.
“But also, with Coach [Deion] Barnes, the one thing I really like about him is that he’s just real. I wouldn’t say he really tries to go out of his way and recruit you, if that makes sense. He shows you what it is and if you want to be a part of it, you’ll understand it and want to be there. There wasn’t any fakeness to him.”
Link: Max Granville opens up about Penn State commitment
Penn State overcame the opposition, as well as location, NIL and a host of other challenges to earn a commitment from Granville after just two visits. He was first on campus this spring, then returned for an official visit in June. He also took official visits to Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and USC.
“On that first visit to Penn State, it was a multi-day visit,” Granville said. “After that first day, I thought, ‘Ok, this is cool, but I’m not sure it’s enough to get me out of the south.’ But the next day, we started going over film and I realized then that Penn State is such a good opportunity for me. I knew then that I had to really think about them. At that point, I wouldn’t say they became my favorite, but they were a legit contender.”
Granville is still ranked as a 2025 prospect by On3 and the other services. As of Thursday afternoon, he is the No. 168 prospect nationally in the Class of 2025 according to the On3 Industry rankings. He’s the No. 18 linebacker nationally and the No. 28 prospect in the current cycle.
Penn State signed the nation’s No. 16 class in the Class of 2024 according to the On3 rankings.
