Where the top 2026 Pennsylvania recruits signed this cycle

There’s a wealth of high school football talent in Pennsylvania and that’s well-represented in the 2026 cycle.

According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies, there’s 10 blue-chip prospects set to come out of the Keystone State. All 10 have signed with Power Four programs.

Below is a look at the top 10 prospects in Pennsylvania this cycle, as well as where they’re headed to play college football next season:

1. S Joey O’Brien — Notre Dame

School: La Salle College
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 31 NATL. (No. 3 S)

Scouting Summary: “Tall safety with elite instincts and ball skills. Measured at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds with 32.5-inch arms and 9.75-inch hands at Rivals Five-Star before his senior season. A two-way star at the high school level, showing his playmaking ability as a safety and wide receiver. One of the more dominant players we’ve seen on the 7-on-7 circuit over the years. Has elite coverage instincts. Seems to see routes before they develop. Jumps passes and comes down with remarkable interceptions. An absolute menace when defending intermediate routes over the middle of the field. Has sticky hands, making him a walking turnover. Smart player who understands how defenses work. Showing encouraging physicality as a senior. Doubles as a good high school basketball player. Lacks recent verified speed, but showed good play speed in man coverage against top wide receivers on the camp circuit. Will benefit from time in a college strength program, as he will need to add mass and strength. Playmaking ability and instincts make him one of the top safeties in a deep cycle at the position.”

2. CB Jay Timmons — Ohio State

School: Pine-Richland
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 42 NATL. (No. 5 CB)

Scouting Summary: “Hyper-instinctual defensive back with playmaking ability, physicality, and athleticism that make him one of the top pure football players in the 2026 cycle. Measured at around 5-foot-10.5, 185 with 30.5-inch arms before his senior season. Improved his athleticism between his junior and senior seasons, running a 10.90 in the 100 meters and testing as an elite athlete in the combine setting. A two-way star at corner/safety and wide receiver for one of the top high school programs in western Pennsylvania. Highly instinctual in coverage. Loose mover with elite reactive quickness. Reads and jumps routes. Excellent at locating and making plays on the football. A football magnet and defensive playmaker who looks to force turnovers. Super physical and plays bigger than his size. Throws his body around as a run defender and looks to decleat ball carriers. Outstanding in the camp setting, with a great showing at Under Armour’s New Jersey camp. Also flashes his ball skills and playmaking on offense.”

3. IOL Kevin Brown — West Virginia

School: Harrisburg (Pa.)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 60 NATL. (No. 2 IOL)

Scout’s Take: “With Penn State moving on from James Franklin, Kevin Brown sought out other potential suitors and he found himself a landing spot located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The 6-foot-5, 280 pound prospect has grown substantially in his technique in pass protection this season and has always been an enforcer at the point of attack. He has an excellent build for the position, but needs to add the necessary mass in order to play at the collegiate level, but he should be able to add it during the spring and summer with no issues. Plus, the fact that West Virginia loses at least three starters along the offensive front, Brown has every opportunity to come in and compete for a spot along the starting five of the offensive line for the Mountaineers.”

4. OT Grayson McKeogh — Notre Dame

School: La Salle College
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 116 NATL. (No. 11 OT)

Scouting Summary: “Developmental offensive tackle prospect with one of the higher upsides at the position in the 2026 cycle. Measured at nearly 6-foot-7.5 and over 275 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length with arms that measure over 34 inches. Touts a big frame adding a good 30 pounds in the off-season.Former tight end and defensive end who grew into an offensive tackle prospect during his junior season. A smooth, effortless athlete with excellent movement skills for the position. May move the best of any offensive tackle prospect in the cycle. Has advanced flexibility in his lower body. Sinks his hips and creates a wide base on contact. Keeps his feet grounded and shows outstanding balance as a pass protector. Natural understanding of leverage allows him to get underneath the pads of pass rushers. Shows quality pop in his hands and is already a good finisher. Shows the ability to locate and get his hands on defenders at the second level. Technically advanced considering his limited experience at offensive line. Also shows his athleticism lining up as a defensive end. Doubles as a talented basketball player. Will need to continue adding good mass to his frame while getting stronger.”

5. LB Terry Wiggins — Virginia Tech

School: Coatesville (Pa.)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 173 NATL. (No. 9 LB)

About: Wiggins was one of the many in-state prospects that committed to Penn State and James Franklin. Once Franklin was fired this season, though, the blue-chip LB had to take another look at his options. Once Franklin was hired at Virginia Tech, the Hokies immediately became a top choice for Wiggins and plenty others. He pulled the trigger and flipped to the ACC program on National Signing Day. He’s the No. 10 recruit in the Keystone State and was the top-ranked prospect to sign with VT this month.

6. S Matt Sieg — West Virginia

School: Fort Cherry
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 183 NATL. (No. 16 S)

About: Likely to suit up as a safety at the next level, Sieg was a Swiss-Army knife at the high school level, playing quarterback and running the Fort Cherry offense. He becomes the second-highest-ranked commit in the WVU class, behind Brown, the No. 60 overall prospect and No. 2 IOL in the nation. The Mountaineers beat out Virginia Tech, which has collected a majority of PSU’s former commitments since hiring James Franklin. 

7. IOL Tyler Merrill — Notre Dame

School: Cumberland Valley
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 202 NATL. (No. 12 IOL)

Merrill on Notre Dame: “Notre Dame has always been a school grown from it’s roots. It’s not artificial. It’s a historic football program with great people,” he told Rivals. “It’s an elite level of football. Marcus Freeman embodies everything with Notre Dame football. He brings what I don’t think anyone else could bring to a program like that.” 

8. EDGE Jackson Ford — Penn State

School: Malvern Prep
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 222 NATL. (No. 25 EDGE)

Ford on PSU: “I have a lot of faith in the program as a whole and everybody in it,” Ford said on Nov. 19. “One season doesn’t really define a program. Up to this moment, there’s been a lot of success. They’ve played in some really big games. But even besides that, it’s about development for me. I feel like most people want to go to the next level because they want to go to the NFL. They choose a school because of what it can do for them and their future.”

9. RB Messiah Mickens — Virginia Tech

School: Harrisburg
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 228 NATL. (No. 17 RB)

Coach’s Take: “From an athletic standpoint on the football field he’s an extremely special talent. His vision is impeccable. He sees things that the average, even the elite running back doesn’t see. He’s extremely patient. Then he has a burst out of this world when it comes to getting out of the holes. He’s able to make people miss in the open field. He does as lot of great things.”

10. QB Peyton Falzone — Penn State

School: Nazareth
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 297 NATL. (No. 20 QB)

Falzone on PSU: “I had always been in contact with Coach [Trace] McSorley. We have a really, really strong relationship there,” Falzone told BWI. “But it really did pick up within the past couple of days once I was able to get on the phone with Coach [Terry] Smith more frequently and have my questions answered. That’s when I felt ready to pull the trigger.”