A top Penn State target for the 2025 signing class has reopened his recruitment. Zahir Mathis, a four-star defensive end who had been committed to Ohio State since Jan. 10, announced his decision to decommit from the Buckeyes on Monday.
“After much consideration I’ve decided to reopen my recruitment and decommit from Ohio State,” Mathis posted on X. “I appreciate Coach (Ryan) Day, Coach (Larry) Johnson and all the coaches at Ohio State. They are still a top school for me. This is a life decision. Please respect my decision!”
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Mathis attends Philadelphia’s Imhotep Institute and is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 3 player in Pennsylvania and No. 76 prospect nationally.
Imhotep has recently become a recruiting hotbed for the Nittany Lions, who signed wide receiver Tyseer Denmark and Kenny Woseley Jr. from the school last year and are set to welcome Mathis’ high school four-star running back Jabree Wallace-Coleman this cycle.
The local connections and long-standing relationship with the coaching staff appear to make Penn State look like a logical destination, but ultimately it will be Mathis’ decision. Nittany Lions’ defensive line coach Deion Barnes and star defensive end Abdul Carter are both natives of Philadelphia.
Mathis took an official visit to Penn State on June 21, and has made his way to campus a total of four times since 2022, more than any other program.
Despite the interest from the Nittany Lions, Mathis did not include James Franklin’s program among his final five teams prior to committing to Ohio State. That list included Florida State, Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina.
