STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Penn State football team announced the addition of defensive end Max Granville to the 2024 signing class.
He will join the team for fall camp.
The Nittany Lions have welcomed 26 student-athletes to join the football program. In the 2024 class, Penn State signed 21 recruits that were rated four stars or higher by 247Sports, On3, ESPN or Rivals. Penn State’s class features players from 13 different states.
The class of 2024 includes 12 offensive signees and 14 defensive players. There are 20 team captains, nine players who have won a state championship and nine players that received invites to high school national all-star games.
Granville is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound defensive end from Houston. He graduated from Fort Bend Christian Academy and picked the Nittany Lions over Baylor, Oklahoma, Southern California and Texas A&M.
Granville was a three-year letterman and served as a team captain in 2023. In 2022, he led the Eagles to a 10-4 record and a TAPPS II state championship. In 2021, he helped Fort Bend Christian Academy to a 9-4 mark and a TAPPS II District 4 championship. He earned 2023 team MVP honors. He was tabbed first-team all-district in 2022 and 2023. He was selected to the 2022 and 2023 first-team all-state teams. In 2023, he tallied 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries (one touchdown) and five pass breakups. He added 21 receptions for 609 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver. Granville had 20.5 sacks in 2022, including six strip-sacks, one fumble recovery, three pass breakups and one blocked punt. In 2021, he notched six sacks, three pass breakups and a blocked punt.
He was rated as a consensus four-star prospect and as the No. 112 overall prospect, No. 16 outside linebacker and No. 18 prospect in Texas by ESPN. He was tabbed as the No. 186 overall prospect, No. 18 linebacker and No. 30 player in the state by On3. Granville was rated as the No. 202 overall prospect, No. 21 edge and No. 28 prospect in Texas by 247Sports. He was ranked as the No. 220 overall prospect, No. 9 weakside defensive end and No. 35 player in Texas by Rivals. He also played basketball and competed in track and field at Fort Bend Christian Academy. Granville was honorable mention all-district in basketball. At the 2024 state championships, he was named the male athlete of the meet after placing second in shot put, second in the 110-meter hurdles and third in 300 hurdles. He won 2024 regional and district titles in high jump, 110 and 300 hurdles, while placing third in shot put, and won the 1600 relay at the district championships.
His father, Billy, played football at Duke (1992-96) and in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans (1997-02). His mother, Gretchen, played volleyball at North Carolina State (1990-93). His brother, Life, played basketball at Bethel University in Indiana (2019-23). His brother, Zion, plays football at Illinois State. His grandfather, Henry Guenther, played football at Illinois State (1965-70). His uncle, Eric Guenther, played football at Illinois (1995-99). His great uncle, Ron Guenther, played football at Illinois. His cousin, Gabriel Guenther, currently plays tennis at Cincinnati. Granville will major in business.
The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
