Middletown (Del.) Appoquinimink four-star offensive tackle Layton von Brandt was originally committed to Penn State, but the firing of James Franklin led him to re-open his process.
Heading into the new year, the soon-to-be senior has a new list of top programs. On Sunday, he told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett that he’s down to eight schools: Florida, Penn State, Ohio State, LSU, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Auburn.
von Brandt is the No. 48 overall prospect and No. 6 OT in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the top-ranked player in Delaware.
“My recruitment is still open, so I’m interested in building a relationship with anyone that wants to build one with me,” von Brandt told Rivals’ Chad Simmons earlier this month. “Where that goes in the future, only time will tell.”
von Brandt will be as coveted as they come in the 2027 cycle. Upon decommitting from PSU this fall, he’s attracted plenty of attention and recently added more notable offers. Former Penn State OL coach Phil Trautwein landed at Florida and he’s offered and cracked the top eight for the blue-chipper.
“My relationship with coach Trautwein is so special that, to be honest, no matter where he ended up, I was probably going to go check it out,” von Brandt told Rivals. “The fact that he is at such a big-time, blue blood SEC program like Florida that has such a great history makes it even more intriguing. I will 100% be down there this spring.”
Matt Campbell, Ryan Clanton and the new Penn State staff have also re-offered. They’ll look to remain in the mix, as will Franklin, who’s now ushering in a new era at Virginia Tech. Other national powers will try and forge something new with the tackle, too.
“Layton von Brandt stacks up pretty well in the 2027 OL group,” Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power previously wrote of the tackle. “He’s got good length and I think he’s got a lot of room to continue filling out. I really liked his movement skills at the position. I thought he was a nimble mover, fluid and a guy who looks pretty athletic. So, when you’re looking at him long-term, I like where he stacks up.”
von Brandt is scheduled to play in the Under Armour All-America Game in early January. It remains to be seen how slow he’ll take his recruitment the second time around.