Penn State gets bigger up front as Nittany Lions add DT Aniti Paiva to 2027 recruiting class

Penn State doesn’t go to Utah very often on the recruiting trail, but it didn’t take long after the Nittany Lions hired defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe for him to find his way to Draper (Utah) Skyline to offer defensive tackle Aniti Paiva. Paiva was previously a target for Malloe at UCLA and the two reunited in January for an in-person meeting.

On Friday, Paiva became the latest prospect to commit to Penn State’s Class of 2027. He’s the second defensive tackle to pick the Nittany Lions, joining Philadelphia four-star Stanley Montgomery. 

“People ask why Penn State? I say why not? It’s an elite program,” Paiva told BWI. “I love the town, I love the people, I love the coaching staff. There’s nothing to not like.

“I’m big on Coach Malloe, he’s my choice man. He’s a developer and I want to get better. Coach Campbell is a straight shooter, and I can tell by the way we talk, he’s passionate about building Penn State. That’s the head coach want to be under. Everything fits for me there.”

Paiva projects as a nose tackle at Penn State

The 6-foot-3, 325-pound prospect, who also goes by Andy, projects as a space-eating nose tackle in Penn State’s new defense, which was prioritized size up the middle. He’s a three-star prospect by Rivals and the No. 94 defensive lineman nationally. Arizona, Boise State, Colorado, Colorado State, Oregon State and Washington State were among his other scholarship offers. 

Paiva helped Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon win a third consecutive Class 6A state title in the fall before transferring to Skyline back in January. He took his first visit to Penn State back in April and was blown away by the Nittany Lions’ hospitality. 

“They welcomed my family and made sure that my parents were good the whole time,” Paiva said. “It’s preached at a lot of campuses, but not everyone actually delivers the package like Penn State just did with showing me how, as a unit, they are one big family.”

Malloe visited Skyline a few weeks ago to check in on one of his top targets. He reinforced what he told Paiva while on campus.

“Watching practice and talking with Coach Malloe and Coach Lynn, they were big on expressing how my size and athleticism fits what they’re looking for to replace their current senior interior linemen. Also, they were showing me that they’re making big changes to what Penn State had on its roster for the last couple of years.

Talk about it in the Lions Den!