Penn State adds former Iowa State cornerback commit Tyrell Chatman

Penn State has added another defensive back to its Class of 2026 in Lincoln, Neb., native Tyrell Chatman.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Chatman did a little bit of everything at North Star High School. He played both quarterback and wide receiver on offense, totaling 2,047 yards and 26 touchdowns over the past two seasons. However, Chatman is expected to be a cornerback for the Nittany Lions after finishing his high school career with 88 tackles, 21 pass breakups and four interceptions.

“Sticking with Coach [Matt] Campbell is a great move for me because he is great at developing players and he is good at creating a great culture,” Chatman said.

Originally, Chatman committed to Northern Illinois in December 2024. However, he earned an offer from Iowa State during a junior day visit in early February, giving him a reason to take a closer look at Campbell and his staff. He followed that up with another unofficial visit in April to watch spring practice and ultimately switched his commitment to the Cyclones a few days later.

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Chatman was a silver medalist in the 400-meter and a bronze medalist in the 200 last spring. He has a personal best of 48.19 seconds in the 400 and 21.61 in the 200-meter. He also ran a 100-meter in 10.78 seconds back in April. Kansas State and Wyoming also extended offers to Chatman.

According to Rivals’ Industry Rankings, which combines Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN for a cumulative grade, Chatman is ranked No. 697 nationally and No. 3 overall in Nebraska. Our staff at Rivals rates him as an 88 overall three-star.

Penn State now has four 2026 commits following the addition of safety Bryson Williams on Saturday. The Nittany Lions signed just two players during the early signing period: defensive end Jackson Ford and quarterback Peyton Falzone. Ford, who resides in Phoenixville, Pa., is a four-star prospect and Rivals300 member out of Malvern Prep. He’s ranked No. 209 nationally by Rivals and fifth overall in Pennsylvania. Falzone also holds a four-star rating by Rivals. The Nazareth, Pa., native is the 20th-ranked quarterback and No. 8 overall in Pennsylvania.