Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539550
5 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 10 list in August. It's still early, and I wouldn't be surprised if Penn State gets back into the mix with Buchanan, the nation's No. 248 overall prospect. Still, that was a discouraging sign. The staff clearly has work to do with the region's top defensive tackle. Penn State hasn't formally offered Philadelphia native Stanley Montgom- ery yet, but it wouldn't be surprising if that happens soon. The Archbishop Ryan prospect committed to Syracuse in June, but he also camped at Penn State this past summer and had a good show- ing. He hasn't closed the door to fur- ther communication with the staff, so I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up on campus at some point this season. The 6-3, 290-pound defensive tackle cur- rently holds a three-star rating and is the No. 47 defensive lineman nationally and No. 15 player in Pennsylvania. Don Bosco defensive lineman Aidan O'Neil holds a four-star rating from Ri- vals and is ranked No. 162 overall, No. 13 among defensive linemen and No. 4 in New Jersey. He's been to Penn State twice, most recently in March to watch spring practice. Where he ranks on the staff's board, however, remains unclear. And truthfully, you can say the same about a lot of national prospects who hold offers from Penn State but haven't yet visited. Over the years, we've seen defensive tackles crop up who weren't previously on the radar. Isaac Chuk- wurah, a member of the Lions' 2026 class is a great example. That trend seems likely to continue in the 2027 class. LINEBACKER Philadelphia is home to a pair of three-star linebackers who will bear watching — Brandon Lockley of St. Jo- seph's Prep and Zykee Scott of La Salle. Penn State appears to be in good posi- tion with the 6-1, 220-pound Lockley. He's visited four times, including recent trips in April and June. In addition, he's close friends with two Prep players who have ties to Penn State. Cam Smith is a freshman linebacker this year, and Alex Haskell is a defensive lineman in the 2026 class. Lions Working To Hold Off Rivals For Kemon Spell's Signature Following a standout performance in his season opener, Penn State running back commit Kemon Spell is more coveted than ever — and not just by the Nittany Lions. After totaling nearly 400 all-purpose yards against Delaware Valley on Aug. 23, Spell missed McK- eesport (Pa.) High's next game versus Peters Township with an injury. However, that didn't stop him from visiting Ohio State on Aug. 30 for its season-opening 14-7 win over No. 1 Texas. He's also set to check out Florida State on Oct. 4 and Alabama on Oct. 18. Those visits have made it clear that Penn State has work to do if it's going to ultimately sign the coveted 2027 prospect, but coach James Franklin and his staff have reason to feel hopeful. The Nittany Lions have already hosted Spell once this season — for their 52-6 win over Villanova on Sept. 13 — and will welcome him back for the White Out game against Oregon on Sept. 27. Spell is a consensus four-star prospect, having earned that rating from Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN. He's also ranked among the top 15 prospects nationally by all three sites. If he stays that high at each site, he'll eventually be a five-star-plus prospect, a designation that goes to consensus five-star players. The most recent five-star-plus player to sign with Penn State was linebacker Micah Parsons in the class to 2018. Of the four players in Penn State's 2027 class, Spell is the most highly regarded, ranking eighth overall, first among running backs nationally and first in Pennsylvania according to Rivals. Two other players — offensive tackle Layton von Brandt and wide receiver Khalil Taylor — also have the potential to finish as five-star prospects. Von Brandt is the No. 29 overall player, per Rivals, and is No. 36 in the Rivals Industry Ranking, which takes into account the grades from the two other major recruiting websites. Taylor is ranked No. 32 by Rivals and is No. 50 in the Industry Ranking. — Ryan Snyder Spell committed to Penn State in August 2024 but is visiting other schools this fall. He has been to Ohio State already and is set to check out Florida State and Alabama in October. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS