Florida Safety Commits to Penn State's 2025 Recruiting Class

Antonio Branch Jr., a 3-star prospect from Miami, boosts Penn State's class into the top 10 nationally.

Penn State football coach James Franklin celebrates with students after a Nittany Lions win at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State returned to Florida for a defensive recruit, as 3-star safety Antonio Branch Jr. committed to the Nittany Lions 2025 recruiting class. Branch, who will play his senior season for coach Teddy Bridgewater at Miami Northwestern High, announced his decision Wednesday.

Branch (6-2, 170 pounds) chose Penn State from an offer list that included Michigan, Nebraska, Auburn, Florida State and Miami, among many others. Branch recently took official visits to Penn State and Nebraska and has one scheduled to Louisville this weekend. He is a top-40 safety nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.

At Miami Northwestern, Branch will play for Bridgewater, the former NFL quarterback and first-year high school head coach who accepted the position in February. Bridgewater played at Miami Northwestern as well.

Branch is the 16th player to commit to Penn State's 2025 recruiting class and the second with Florida ties. Quarterback Bekkem Kritza, originally from Colorado, is playing his senior season at Miami Central.

Penn State has sought to gain a foothold in Florida recruiting for years under running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider. The Nittany Lions have pulled several players from Florida, though many have transferred. Most recently, Florida safety King Mack left Penn State after one season for Alabama.

With Branch's addition, Penn State's 2025 recruiting class moved up to ninth nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Nittany Lions jumped back in front of Rutgers, which has received commitments from 27 players for this recruiting cycle.

AYE #weare FAMILY IM HOME & HERE TO STAY LETS RIDE!!🦁⚪️🔵 @coachjfranklin @Coachpoindexter @coachseider pic.twitter.com/qboEFYc51a

— Antonio Branch jr (@3gumpp) June 20, 2024

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.