PJ Mustipher Commits to Penn State over Alabama, Ohio State, More

Penn State secured a potential defensive line anchor Monday, as defensive tackle PJ Mustipher committed to play for the school:

According to Scout.com, Mustipher is a 4-star prospect who ranks as the No. 90 overall player, No. 8 defensive tackle and No. 3 player at his position from the state of Maryland.

Mustipher is a standout at the McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland, where he excels as both a defensive and offensive lineman.

Although Mustipher could potentially be a great collegiate player on either side of the ball, he described his affinity for defense to Scout.com's Steve Hare in April 2016: "I love defense. That's my bread and butter right there so I have no problem with that. I love playing the three-technique and getting after the quarterback."

Mustipher's defensive exploits made him a target for several top-flight programs, including Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, per Scout.com.

Notre Dame appeared to have a leg up on the competition due to the fact that Mustipher's brother, Sam Mustipher, plays offensive line for the Fighting Irish.

Even so, P.J. Mustipher made it clear that he intended to make the college decision that was right for him as an individual, according to Hare: "They'll definitely be high on my list, but I'm not going to commit there early or anything like that. I'm going to look at all my options right now. My brother understands that I love him to death but this is my future, not his."

Mustipher has great size at 6'5" and 282 pounds, but he is also quick and agile, which makes him the ideal penetrating defensive tackle.

Although he is solid against the run, he truly excels at picking and spinning his way into the backfield, and pressuring the quarterback.

Players who can apply pressure consistently up the middle are hugely valuable at the college level, and that is primarily what makes landing Mustipher such a significant coup.

It wasn't long ago that Penn State wouldn't have had a realistic chance at securing a prospect like Mustipher, but that changed after a resurgent 2016 season.

The Nittany Lions shocked the college football world by winning the Big Ten title and reaching the Rose Bowl, and Mustipher is the type of player who can help them accomplish those goals on a regular basis.

PSU managed to out-maneuver Big Ten rivals such as Ohio State and Michigan to land Mustipher, and that speaks volumes about how the program is currently viewed.