Penn State Football Recruiting: Nittany Lions eyeing another Top-15 class

Penn State football remains one of the Steady Eddys of the recruiting world. The Nittany Lions stacked some early commitments on the 2026 cycle and have built around them this spring and summer.

As of July 16, head coach James Franklin and his staff have 24 commits in their class. That pledge list currently checks in at No. 16 nationally, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Of those 24 commits, 11 are four-stars. In-state recruiting has been crucial to this point, too. Of the top 10 prospects in Pennsylvania this cycle, five are currently committed to PSU. That includes each of the top two pledges in the class in interior offensive lineman Kevin Brown and running back Messiah Mickens.

Brown continues to rank one of the top trench monsters in the nation, now checking in as the No. 3 IOL in the cycle. Mickens is the No. 14 RB in the nation and has been in the class since Aug. 19, 2023. Brown committed last July.

Top additions to the class this summer include four-star wide receiver Davion “Fatrat” Brown, in-state four-star EDGE Jackson Ford and Rivals’ No. 10 tight end Pierce Petersohn. Brown is a top-200 prospect and the No. 6 prospect in the commonwealth of Virginia.

The class is well dispersed among both sides of the ball. Ten commits are featured on offense, while 13 are on the defensive side, leaving one for special teams.

For the full Penn State class, see below:

Penn State commitments by position

Quarterback
Four-star Troy Huhn, No. 255 NATL. (No. 18 QB)

Running Back
Four-star Messiah Mickens, No. 181 NATL. (No. 14 RB)

Wide Receiver
Four-star Davion Brown, No. 188 NATL. (No. 29 WR)
Three-star Jahsiear Rogers, No. 404 NATL. (No. 64 WR)
Three-star Lavar Keys, No. 919 NATL. (No. 135 WR)

Tight End
Four-star Pierce Petersohn, No. 339 NATL. (No. 15 TE)

Interior Offensive Lineman
Four-star Kevin Brown, No. 66 NATL. (No. 3 IOL)
Three-star Benjamin Eziuka, No. 489 NATL. (No. 48 IOL)

Offensive Tackle
Three-star Marlen Bright, No. 406 NATL. (No. 30 OT)
Three-star Jack Fuchs, No. 422 NATL. (No. 32 OT)

Defensive Lineman
Three-star Isaac Chukwurah, No. 505 NATL. (No. 51 DL)
Three-star Alex Haskell, No. 604 NATL. (No. 63 DL)

EDGE
Four-star Jackson Ford, No. 222 NATL. (No. 28 EDGE)
Four-star Tyson Harley, No. 340 NATL. (No. 35 EDGE)

Linebacker
Four-star Terry Wiggins, No. 244 NATL. (No. 12 LB)
Four-star Elijah Littlejohn, No. 355 NATL. (No. 25 LB)
Three-star Mathieu Lamah, No. 427 NATL. (No. 33 LB)

Cornerback
Four-star David Davis, No. 375 NATL. (No. 39 CB)
Three-star Amauri Polydor, No. 477 NATL. (No. 44 CB)
Three-star Jaziel Hart, No. 535 NATL. (No. 49 CB)
Three-star Julian Peterson, No. 603 NATL. (No. 56 CB)

Safety
Four-star Matt Sieg, No. 190 NATL. (No. 18 S)
Three-star Darrell Carey, No. 632 NATL. (No. 50 S)

Specialist
Punter Adam McCann-Gibbs