Skip to main content
Penn State

Defensive lineman Alex Haskell flips commitment from Penn State to Syracuse

Mug-Shot 4x4by: Ryan Snyder12 hours agoRyanSnyderOn3
alex-haskell-penn-state-football-recruiting-on3.jpg
Defensive lineman Alex Haskell. (Credit: Thomas Frank Carr | Blue White Illustrated)

Penn State has seen a few of its former 2026 commits open up their recruitments following the firing of former head coach James Franklin. On Wednesday, defensive lineman Alex Haskell became the first to outright flip his commitment elsewhere, announcing that he’s now committed to Syracuse.

Listed at just under 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, Haskell has been on the current staff’s radar dating back to eighth grade. He was then offered by PSU’s staff in June 2023 after a strong camp performance leading into his sophomore season. He visited six more times in the following 22 months before committing to the Nittany Lions on May 9.

When the news first broke of Franklin’s firing, Haskell remained firm. However, in recent days, he decided that it was best for him to take the opportunity at Syracuse rather than risk waiting too long and losing it.

“Coach [Fran] Brown and Coach Elijah [Robinson] have been great to me and my family since they offered me, and it came down to the wire when I made my original decision. They are building something special. I’m there and I’m happy to be a part of it,” Haskell said.

Through seven games, Haskell has totaled 23 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss and five sacks. He also has one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He’s considered a consensus three-star prospect by all three major recruiting sites. The Industry Rankings place him at No. 634 nationally, No. 67 at defensive tackle and No. 17 in Pennsylvania for the 2026 class.

Penn State is now down to 20 commits in the Class of 2026. Haskell was one of three defensive tackles in the class. Three-star prospects Isaac Chukwurah and Tavian Branch both remain committed to the program for the time being but have also started setting visits to other schools. Chukwurah just visited Syracuse this past weekend, while Branch has official visits set with Maryland (Nov. 1-2), Ole Miss (Nov. 15-16) and Nebraska (Nov. 28-29).