Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542734
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M defensive end Will McDonald, both of the New York Jets, and running back Da- vid Montgomery of the Detroit Lions. "Nobody will develop our student- athletes and our high school football players better than us," Campbell said. "We've proven that every step of the way." Finding players who were either un- committed or previously planning to go elsewhere was also part of their strategy. However, when it came to the nation's remaining four-star prospects, only seven players remained unsigned among the nation's top 400 recruits once the contact period began in January. That forced Campbell and his staff to dig a bit deeper. Two of their additions previously signed with James Madi- son in wide receiver Ben Whitver and safety Christian Askew. Just like those who signed with Iowa State, Whitver and Askew were let out of their initial sign- ings following Bob Chesney's decision to become head coach at UCLA. The Lions also added three-star State College Area running back D'Antae Shef- fey. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound prospect had previously been part of Syracuse's class but decommitted just before the early signing period began. There were also at least two 2026 re- cruits with whom Penn State was in the mix as of mid-January: four-star wide receiver Samson Gash of Detroit and three-star defensive lineman Andy Bur- burjia of Crystal Lake, Ill. Both players had official visits set with Penn State for the weekend of Jan. 23-25. Gash is a Penn State legacy prospect, the son of Sam Gash, who played full- back for the Nittany Lions in the early 1990s. Listed by Rivals' scouts as the No. 287 overall prospect and No. 46 receiver nationally, as well as the No. 6 player in Michigan, Gash has been committed to Michigan State since June but didn't sign with the Spartans, who were also in the midst of a coaching change in December. "This [Penn State] offer means a lot to me. It's been a long time coming," Gash said on Dec. 10. "I've been up there a few times, and I know the program is in great hands with this new Iowa State staff that I like and trust a lot after they were re- cruiting me a little bit at Iowa State. "It's always been a goal to get this offer — my dad played there, but I'm going to take this whole process one step at a time until I sign in February." Burburija is a junior college defensive tackle who signed with Kansas State be- fore backing out on Dec. 29 following numerous staff changes. Penn State was the first school to offer the next day, but the junior college All-American has no shortage of options now, with schools like Auburn, Clemson, Nebraska and Texas Tech all showing interest. Bur- burija, who is listed at 6-2, 290 pounds, had 13 tackles for loss and 9 sacks in 2025. The Illinois native helped lead Iowa Western Community College to a national championship in December. ■ Quarterback Kase Evans first committed to Oklahoma State, then announced for Iowa State before joining the Nittany Lions' class on Dec. 14, less than a week after Matt Campbell was named head coach. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS C L A S S O F 2 0 2 6 C O M M I T M E N T S * Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Rating** Home School Christian Askew S 6-4 185 — Kathleen, Ga. Veterans Mason Bandhauer OT 6-6 260 HHH Fort Collins, Colo. Fort Collins Tyrell Chatman S 6-2 180 HHH Lincoln, Neb. North Star Pete Eglitis OT 6-7 290 HHH Columbus, Ohio Bishop Watterson Kase Evans QB 6-3 200 HHH Lexington, Texas Lexington Peyton Falzone QB 6-5 210 HHHH Nazareth, Pa. Nazareth Jackson Ford DE 6-5 240 HHHH Phoenixville, Pa. Malvern Prep Amarion Jackson WR 6-2 185 HHH Omaha, Neb. Millard South Keian Kaiser LB 6-4 215 HHH Sidney, Neb. Sidney D'Antae Sheffey RB 5-11 195 HHH State College, Pa. State College Area Lucas Tenbrock P 6-6 220 HHH St. Charles, Ill. St. Charles North Ben Whitver WR 6-2 190 HHH Powhatan, Va. Powhatan Bryson Williams S 6-4 180 HHH Omaha, Neb. Westside Josiah Zayas CB 6-2 190 HHH Edison, N.J. Piscataway Township * As of Jan. 19 |** Rivals player rating as of Jan. 19