Commitment breakdown: Penn State flips Michigan TE commit Andrew Rappleyea

Four-star tight end Andrew Rappleyea grew up watching former Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth playing in high school and now the Milton (Mass.) Milton Academy star is following in his footsteps. Rappleyea, who had committed to Michigan in mid-January, flipped his commitment Penn State after visiting the State College campus a couple weeks ago.

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Rappleyea is a very athletic and well-rounded tight end that should be able to contribute to an offense in a variety of ways. He has shown the ability to stretch the field and simply outrun linebackers in the open field. He uses his length to his advantage as a pass catcher, showing the ability to catch the ball away from his body and box out defenders. Rappleyea isn't a high end route runner but he should be able to improve in this area with coaching at the next level. He is a willing and technically sound blocker that can line up with his hand in the ground or standing up. Rappleyea will need to get much stronger and fill out his frame at the next level before he can be counted on in this area.

Penn State landing Rappleyea is a big move for the Nittany Lions. He was very excited about his Michigan offer when he got it and the commitment to the Wolverines wasn't a surprise at the time. The Penn State coaches always had a great relationship with Rappleyea and his family so it definitely raised some eyebrows when he took another visit there a couple weeks ago. In the end, it seems like those relationships are what won over Rappleyea and his family. He is now the third tight end to commit to Penn State this cycle, joining Joey Schlaffer and Mathias Barnwell. James Franklin and his staff now have the fourth ranked recruiting class in the Rivals Team Rankings.