Penn State back among the Top 10 schools nationally in On3's Team Recruiting Rankings

Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff picked up commitment No. 20 in the Class of 2026 Monday evening with the addition of four-star linebacker Elijah Littlejohn. Listed at just over 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Littlejohn earned an offer from the Nittany Lions back on April 18 while visiting with the staff. His unofficial visit came just weeks after his MVP performance at the Under Armour Regional Camp in Charlotte.

He took official visits to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech in recent weeks. However, following his official visit to Penn State two weeks ago, June 6-8, the West Mecklenburg prospect made it no secret that the Nittany Lions were the team to beat.

Now, with the addition of Littlejohn, who became Penn State’s ninth commitment in the class, plus the expansion of On3’s Rankings, which is now up to 12 prospects and counting – more on that below – the Nittany Lions are firmly back within Top 10 classes in the country at No. 10 overall. They have a class score of 90.219 and remain fourth in the Big Ten behind USC, Ohio State and Oregon.

Understanding On3’s Team Rankings

For those unfamiliar with On3’s Team Rankings, there are two major differences compared to other sites that you need to know.

1) We use the Industry Rankings, which puts together all four major recruiting sites – On3, 247, Rivals and ESPN – to find a cumulative score for each prospect. It’s not just based on On3’s rankings.

2) On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings solve the problem of varying class sizes during the recruiting cycle by totaling the highest-rated commitments for each team based on a rolling average of current total commitments among Power Four schools. That average was rocketed up 12 players in recent weeks following a surge of commitments across the country during June official visits.

That second point is a major difference compared to 247Sports and Rivals, as both of those sites use a point system that grows throughout the cycle. Because of that, classes that have the most commitments oftentimes rate higher early in the cycle compared to where they finish. For example, Penn State is now tied for the fourth most prospects in the country behind USC, Rutgers and Arkansas.

That’s why On3 designed this system to give a more accurate projection throughout the cycle of where a particular school is on pace to finish.

Fans can learn more about On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings here.

Around the Big Ten

USC has been at the top of On3’s Team Rankings for months now and have shown no signs of slowing down, adding 29 players already to its 2026 class. In May, the Trojans added the nation’s top-ranked tight end in California native Mark Bowman, as well as a previous Penn State target, cornerback Elbert Hill. The Trojans have eight Top 100 prospects in the class and 19 total five or four-star players.

Ohio State remains at No. 3 nationally with 15 total commits. The Buckeyes hold commitments from two five-star players – wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. and safety Blaine Bradford – and another 11 four-star prospects. Ryan Day and his staff hold commitments from four Top 100 players currently.

The ‘S’ Zone: Learn the latest intel from Penn State’s June 13-15 recruiting weekend

Oregon is just a few spots ahead of Penn State currently at No. 8 in the Team Rankings. However, they have the least amount of commitments so far in the Top 10 with just eight players. Five-star tight end Kendre Harrison has remained firm with the Ducks. They currently have just one additional Top 100 prospect in running back Tradarian Ball. However, the Ducks did recently score a big win with the addition of four-star wide receiver Messiah Hampton on June 13.

To the surprise of some, UCLA is currently ranked No. 16 in the Big Ten. However, the Bruins also have just three four-star players out of their 17 total commitments. After that, you’ll find Washington at No. 19, Michigan at No. 21, Rutgers at No. 23 and Illinois rounding out the Top 25 at No. 24.

Of those programs, Michigan is in the best position to make a run up the rankings in the coming weeks. The Wolverines have 10 commitments in the class now, including five four-star players. They’ve added five new commits since May 20.