Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540433
6 0 N O V E M 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 Editor's note: The following account of Penn State's recent recruiting efforts was written prior to the dismissal of head coach James Franklin on Oct. 12. P enn State didn't pull out a victory in this year's White Out game, but the hosts' fourth-quarter come- back and a double-overtime finish al- lowed recruits from across the country to see the best that Beaver Stadium has to offer. With Oregon easily the top opponent on the schedule this year, head coach James Franklin and his staff pushed their chips into the middle of the table from a recruiting perspective, hosting roughly 200 recruits for the Sept. 27 contest. That's the largest recruiting turnout for a game in the program's history. But it wasn't just the overall number of players that impressed; it was also the depth of talent. When all was said and done, BWI confirmed that at least 78 of this year's attendees held a four- star rating or better from Rivals. Add in a handful of players in the 2028 class who currently hold three-star grades but are on pace to earn a fourth star once the rankings expand next spring, and the number is somewhere around 90. Of course, the 2027 class is the staff's primary focus this fall, and that group included more than 50 four- and five- star prospects. In addition to the many high-profile prospects on hand from the upcom- ing recruiting cycle, the Lions hosted a number of talented players in the 2026 class who are currently commit- ted elsewhere. That group included three defensive backs who hold four- star ratings from Rivals: Jay Timmons of Pine-Richland High in Gibsonia, Pa., as well as teammates Danny Odem and Devin Jackson of The First Academy in Orlando, Fla. WHITE OUT MAKES BIG IMPRESSION ON RECRUITS RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Four-star cornerback Danny Odem is committed to Nebraska but was on hand for the White Out. Although he lives in Orlando, Fla., the 2026 prospect is originally from Western Pennsylvania and still has family in the state. PHOTO BY SEAN FITZ