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Five-star running back Kemon Spell officially decommits from Penn State

Mug-Shot 4x4by: Ryan Snyder10/12/25RyanSnyderOn3
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Running back Kemon Spell. (Credit: Frank Hyatt | Blue White Illustrated)

Penn State has now officially lost all four of its Class of 2027 commits. Following Khalil Taylor’s decommitment on Friday, now five-star running back Kemon Spell has done the same. The news comes less than an hour after Layton von Brandt and Gabe Jenkins also announced their decommitments following the firing of James Franklin.

Spell’s decommitment isn’t a total surprise. Just last week, the McKeesport prospect admitted that he planned to visit Notre Dame next weekend for its game against USC. He also has visits lined up to Georgia and Oregon for later this season.

“Coach Franklin played a huge role in my recruitment and me being committed,” Spell said when asked about the situation. “Just sucks to see him leave.”

Listed at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds, Spell is the number one-ranked running back in the country according to Rivals. He’s also ranked No. 8 overall nationally in the class and No. 1 overall in Pennsylvania for 2027.

Live Updates: Recruits react to Penn State firing head coach James Franklin

“I loved Kemon Spell’s sophomore film,” said Rivals National Scouting Director Charles Power. “It’s a continuation of what we liked with him when we made our watchlist before the season. I think he’s outstanding at breaking tackles. He’s really tough to bring down. I love the base and balance he plays with. He spins off tackles regularly. It’s rare to see the first defender bring him down. He’s very efficient, too. Going into the playoffs, I believe he was over 11 yards per carry and played both ways. So, you love to see that.

“He’s a great football player. I think when you look at the running back position, you look at a guy like Saquon Barkley, who’s very difficult to tackle. I think Spell has a lot of those qualities. He runs well, and while I do think he can continue to improve his top end [speed], his initial burst is really good. I think it’s also important to mention that this looks like a strong running back group. We thought he was the top running back in the cycle on the early sophomore watchlist, and we came out of this update thinking he’s still the best.”

Penn State fans, join us inside The Lions Den to discuss Spell and all of the latest developments.