Freshman OL Nate Bruce no longer with Nittany Lions
Penn State freshman offensive lineman Nate Bruce is no longer with the program, the Nittany Lion football program confirmed Friday, and he is no longer listed on the official team roster. No reason was given for Bruce's departure.
The 6-foot-4, 351-pound guard out of Harrisburg, Pa., enrolled at Penn State in January 2021, ending his tenure with the Nittany Lions just one semester into its start despite early praise and enthusiasm from head coach James Franklin.
Listing Bruce among the early possibilities to create a role for himself in spring practices, Franklin said in February, just weeks into Bruce's enrollment, that the possibilities were bright for the Harrisburg High product.
"I will tell you this, the one that's going to be really interesting to watch is Nate Bruce," Franklin said. "Nate we had in camp a year ago and I know this sounds strange, but standing next to Landon (Tengwall), he makes Landon look small. Nate showed up at 344 pounds with very little fat on him. He's massive everywhere.
"He tested extremely well with these guys when they showed up on campus. And we got him kind of partnered with Landon because Landon really knows how to work, and if Nate will figure that out, we think he has really high upside. He reminds me of the guards that we saw when I was in the SEC."
Named to Pennsylvania's All-State teams in both his junior and senior seasons in high school in 2019-20, Bruce finished as the No. 20-ranked Class of 2021 product in the state. Having demonstrated his ability repeatedly in that span, Penn State had long been attracted to the potential Bruce showed even before his enrollment this year.
"Even with all the COVID stuff going on this year, prior to that I had the opportunity to see him live multiple times," former Penn State tight ends coach Tyler Bowen said during the early signing period last December. "He's an aggressive football player. He's what you look for in a big-time interior offensive lineman. Great feet, strong at the point of attack, really long, can play with length inside."
With Bruce's departure, the Nittany Lions' offensive line class for '21 is cut in half, leaving Landon Tengwell and reducing Penn State's OL scholarship roster from 16 to 15 members.
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