10 things to know about Penn State commit Mathias Barnwell

Penn State's momentum in the Class of 2023 just keeps rolling along, as the Nittany Lions added another commitment from Rivals250 prospect Mathias Barnwell on Saturday.

A 6-foot-6, 255-pound junior from Riverbend High School in Fredericksburg, Va., Barnwell was previously committed to James Franklin and his staff, making this a rare recommitment that we don't see all that often.

How important is landing Barnwell for Penn State? Here's our commitment breakdown.

Well, as most of you know by now, it started out pretty good for the Nittany Lions.

Barnwell picked up a scholarship offer from the coaching staff in Oct. 2019, and he actually attended Penn State's White Out game against Michigan a few days prior to earning the offer. Franklin and his staff were also the first Power Five program to make that move. Liberty and Old Dominion were the other FBS schools to extend an offer at that time.

He then went on to return to Penn State in Feb. 2020 for a junior day. By then, a few other Power Five programs had noticed his potential, including Duke, Pitt, Virginia and Virginia Tech. He squeezed in a visit to Virginia Tech right before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown all in person recruiting in March 2020, but come summertime, it was clear to Barnwell that Penn State was his favorite, so he decided in June to end his recruitment, verbally committing to the Nittany Lions.

At the time, he was the youngest player to ever commit to Penn State.

Barnwell held firm with his commitment throughout Penn State's 2020 season, but by the time 2021 came around, he was starting to feel as if he may have rushed it. On Jan. 20, 2021, Barnwell decided to decommit from Penn State. The decision to open everything up came around the same time that it became clear that tight ends coach Tyler Bowen would be leaving the coaching staff to take a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“My family and I thought it was the right thing, just because I'm a young prospect and I have a lot of time left to still receive offers and other opportunities,” Barnwell said in the weeks after. “Penn State is, of course, still one of my top schools and I have started to build my bond back with them and get close to Coach [Ty] Howle, like I was with Coach Bowen. So yeah, the love has always been there for Penn State, and always will be there. Nothing's really changed.”

Barnwell's offer sheet rocketed following his decision to open up his recruitment. Arizona State, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee and West Virginia were a little over half of the schools that offered in the months that followed, especially after he was able to play a handful of games during Virginia's shortened spring football season.

He eventually narrowed his list down to seven schools this past July: Penn State, Kentucky, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Following a visit to Ohio State a few weeks prior, he actually called the Buckeyes his new favorite at one point, but Penn State did a great job getting him back on campus just a week after his trip to Columbus. Barnwell then returned in July for another unofficial visit, and that's when things started shifting back towards the Nittany Lions.

Decommitments are common in recruiting nowadays. In this year's class alone, Penn State has seen two in defensive end Tyreese Fearbry and tight end Holden States.

If you look back on the past seven recruiting classes under Franklin's leadership, the Nittany Lions have averaged about four ever year. The highest was seven in 2016, and we've seen at least two every year.

Not including the 2022 or 2023 classes, who are yet to sign, there have been 31 decommitments for the Nittany Lions, 30 of whom have ended up elsewhere. The only player to decommitment and then recommit was linebacker Micah Parsons, who was part of the Class of 2018.

That makes Barnwell just the second player to make that same decision since Franklin took over the program in 2014.

When I spoke with Penn State sources about the White Out this past week and how it'll help them moving forward, they felt very good about the impression they made last Saturday, as they should. It was not only an excellent environment, but the game was entertaining throughout.

With that said, getting a commitment just a week later from a player this staff has coveted for almost two years now is an excellent sign for not just the strength of the White Out, but the overall health of the program as a whole. Don't overlook how much success Penn State's current class, the Class of 2022, is having on the younger prospects as well.

The 2022 class isn't going to finish where it currently stands, but the fact that its current rank of first or second overall, depending on where you look, has been talked about nationally as much as it has is something a lot of recruits have picked up on.

The 2023 class now has three players committed when you include Lamont Payne and Alex Birchmeier. All three are not only four-star talents, but also members of the Rivals250, and all you have to do is read some of the stories we ran this past week to understand that there a ton of other top prospects that have the Nittany Lions near the top of the list currently.

I wouldn't be surprised to see another commitment or two in the 2023 class in October, and there's a good chance they come from players who attended that White Out game last Saturday night.

Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman on Barnwell:

Barnwell is an excellent tight end prospect but he could also grow into an offensive tackle or even a defensive tackle once he gets into a college strength and conditioning program. Penn State is very familiar with Barnwell having already held his commitment earlier in the recruiting process. Now, with him back in the fold, I don't expect him to end up anywhere but Penn State.

Watching his development over the next couple of seasons will be key in giving us a better idea of what position he'll play at the next level. As a tight end, he's shown above average hands. He can be a mismatch for linebackers and defensive backs because of the size and speed combination that he brings to the table.

That range that he has gives offensive coordinators and quarterbacks a big target to throw the ball to down the field. But bringing that athleticism to the offensive line could also be where his future lies. Penn State loves his frame as a tackle prospect, too, and it'll be interesting to see if he tries to move in that direction.

"It was really good to be back in Beaver Stadium with fans," Barnwell said, following his trip for the White Out game last weekend. "It was packed. There were fans everywhere. It was truly a great experience. The number of fans who were so into the game made it Special. Even at halftime, they cheered. My family really enjoyed it.

"You could tell people were pumped. They bring a lot of energy."

Here is Penn State's 2023 class sorted by commitment timeline:

July 15, 2021: Four-star offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier

Sept. 18, 2021: Four-star cornerback Lamont Payne

Sept. 25, 2021: Four-star tight end Mathias Barnwell

A look at Penn State's 2023 commits by position:

1 - Offensive line

1 - Tight End

1 - Cornerback

A breakdown of the Nittany Lions commits by state (based on where they play today):

2 - Virginia

1 - Pennsylvania

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