Tavian Branch, a three-star defensive lineman from Riverside High School in Taylor, has announced his commitment to Penn State. Branch had originally given his pledge to Rutgers in June 2025 but reopened his recruitment in late August. An official visit to State College convinced him to move forward with the Nittany Lions.
“I knew where I wanted to be. I want to be at Penn State,” Branch told Rivals. “The more I thought about things -- realizing where I want to be, what my goals are, and how I want to be developed into a top defensive lineman -- I knew Penn State was the right place for me.”
Branch drew attention from national programs such as Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, and Ole Miss. Despite that wide interest, he explained that his trust in James Franklin’s staff and the overall atmosphere at Penn State ultimately gave him confidence in his choice.
Penn State had pursued Branch for years.
“Penn State has been recruiting me hard for a couple of years now,” he told Rivals. “We have been in contact since my sophomore year. At first, they recruited me as an offensive lineman, then things shifted to defensive line, and that is what I will play there. Early in 2025, Penn State started recruiting me for defensive line, and that’s when things really took off.”
BREAKING: Class of 2026 DL Tavian Branch has Committed to Penn State, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) September 6, 2025
The 6’5 300 DL from Taylor, PA was previously Committed to Rutgers
“Don’t they say, ‘The Best in PA Stay in PA?’”https://t.co/eUCMrys3xG pic.twitter.com/Smc2UXRiZa
Tavian Branch shuts down his recruitment
Even while committed to Rutgers, the Nittany Lions stayed engaged.
“When I committed to Rutgers, Penn State gave me a little space, but they always recruited me,” he said. “They congratulated me, let me know they’d be in contact, and then about a month ago, they started picking things back up. Over the last month, they’ve made me feel like even more of a priority than they ever have.”
Branch said the decision is final.
“This commitment is different. I’m shutting down my recruitment. Penn State is where I’m going.”
During his junior season at Riverside, he tallied 65 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks.