Which Penn State commitment is now a five-star in the On3 Consensus rankings?
Penn State football has nine Class of 2023 verbal commitments. One of them is now an On3 Consensus five-star.
Ashburn, Va., Broad Run offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier checked in at No. 25 in the latest On3 Consensus rankings update for the Class of 2023. That makes him a five-star and the top player at both his position and in his home state.
“Alex Birchmeier has one of the higher floors among offensive linemen in the 2023 cycle,” On3 National Scouting Director Charles Power previously told BWI. “We’ve had him identified as one of the top prospects at the position in the 2023 cycle for well over a year. He has good size, length and some of the better movement skills among interior linemen we’ve watched.
“That, combined with his technical ability and understanding of leverage makes for a prospect who should be in the mix to contribute early at Penn State. Like Williams, Birchmeier is a standout two-sport athlete as a back-to-back state champion wrestler, which certainly doesn’t hurt.”
Birchmeier is a two-sport star. He’s also a multi-time Virginia state wrestling champ. But, he plans to focus on football in college. His tape makes it easy to see why. The newly-minted five-star maneuvers his frame with impressive ease and he’s physical and willing at the point of attack.
“Leading into this season, I felt like my run [blocking] was fine,” Birchmeier told BWI earlier this year. “I can still develop and add more strength, of course, but my pass [protection] could definitely get a lot better.
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“So, I really focused on that. I feel like that’s one thing that improved. Also, my overall knowledge of the O-line, recognizing where guys line up, different shifts, things like that. That was another important area for me.”
Which other Penn State commits made the new On300 Consensus rankings?
Birchmeier is the highest-rated Penn State commitment in the newly-updated On300 rankings for the Class of 2023. However, he’s not the only future Lion on the list.
Jven Williams, another interior offensive lineman who On3 ranks as a five-star, is a four-star and No. 59 in the Consensus. Tight end Andrew Rappleyea, then, is a Consensus four-star who checks in at No. 230 overall and as the nation’s No. 15 player at his position.
Fredericksburg, Va., four-star athlete Mathias “Mega” Barnwell is the next Penn State player who could enter the top-300. He currently sits just outside of it at No. 330 overall. Barnwell was previously rated as a tight end but now carries the athlete tag as he and Penn State work to decide whether he will play along the offensive or defensive line in college.
