Offensive lineman Alan Herron flips commitment from Penn State to Maryland
Penn State hasn’t dealt with much drama on the recruiting trail over the past year. For the Class of 2024, James Franklin and his staff saw just one player decommit this year in offensive lineman Deryc Plazz.
That commitment surprised some when he announced his decision following his official visit to Penn State the first weekend in June. However, just over a week later, on June. 15, Plazz backed out of that commitment, noting that he “rushed” his decision. They also lost another offensive lineman in the 2025 class when Jaelyne Matthews backed out of his decision on Sept. 12.
Now, Penn State has lost another offensive lineman, although this time it was for a coveted target in the transfer portal in tackle Alan Herron. On Thursday, Maryland announced that Herron has officially signed with Mike Locksley and his staff. Herron travelled to College Park last weekend for an official visit.
Ask Around: Who were the biggest commitments in Penn State’s Class of 2024?
Listed at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, Herron was a Class of 2022 prospect who played in 11 games for the Hawks in 2022 and 2023. Since he hasn’t used a redshirt season yet, he’ll have three years to fulfill his remaining two years of eligibility. As a high school prospect, Herron played at Benjamin Banneker High School in Atlanta.
In addition to the two Big Ten programs, Herron took an official visit to Texas Tech the first weekend of the month, Dec. 1-3. He followed that up with an official visit to Penn State Dec. 8-10. Herron, who played at Division II school Shorter University the past two seasons, earned more than 30 offers after entering the portal. Other Power Five schools that extended an offer include Auburn, Clemson, Boston College, Houston, Kansas, Louisville, Marshall, Miami, N.C. State, Syracuse, UCF and Virginia Tech.
On3’s Transfer Portal Industry Rankings – which combines On3, 247Sports and Rivals for a cumulative grade – rates Herron as the 10th-best offensive tackle in the portal. He earned a three-star rating.
