Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
5 6 M A R C H 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 6 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P enn State's class of 2026 has been on a wild ride. This group, which ended up numbering 15 players, has one of the most unusual stories in program history. In the earliest stages of the '26 cycle, the class was near the top 10, with cov- eted in-state players such as Harrisburg running back Messiah Mickens and Fort Cherry safety Matt Seig having com- mitted to join the Nittany Lions. When four-star lineman Kevin Brown of Har- risburg committed, the class appeared to be coming together quite nicely. Then reality set in. Last summer, multiple elite in-state prospects gave Penn State the stiff arm, choosing to leave for other Power Four schools. When athletics director Patrick Kraft fired James Franklin in October, the bottom fell out. All but one commit- ted player — four-star defensive end Jackson Ford of Malvern Prep in Phoe- nixville, Pa. — ended up abandoning the Nittany Lions. With no permanent head coach in place when the Decem- ber signing period began, the Lions welcomed only two players — Ford and three-star quarterback Peyton Falzone. It was an unprecedented collapse. By the time Penn State hired Matt Campbell to succeed Franklin, the early signing period had ended, leaving the Nittany Lions' new head coach with few options and little time to rebuild the 2026 class. He ended up convincing 13 players to join the two December signees. That's still a modest number, and many of the class's members are off- the-radar players, but the Nittany Lions fared better than many expected back in late November when the situation looked especially bleak. Here's a look at Penn State's recruiting superlatives for the recently concluded cycle. Least Likely To Bust: Bryson Williams There are no sure bets in football re- cruiting, but having multiple paths to the field helps. The first thing to know about Williams, a three-star safety from Omaha, Neb., is that he's a good football player. Tackling, run defense, tenacity — it's all there. What he lacks is the mass to make it all work better. He's stretching his 180 pounds over a 6-foot-4 frame with a big wingspan. The good news for Penn State is that Williams could play multiple positions at the college level. If he doesn't make significant gains in the weight program, he can play field safety and roam the deep middle of the defense, finding se- lect matchups against tight ends or big- ger slot receivers. If he packs on more mass, he could operate as a traditional boundary safety, which means he'll be closer to the line of scrimmage and play the run more often. While it's unlikely, let's imagine that Williams keeps growing. His football mentality and willingness to run to the ball give him a shot at playing line- backer. It's a longshot; he doesn't have the growth markers of a linebacker body type, but at 6-4, the difference between 215 and 230 pounds isn't extreme. Wild Card: Peyton Falzone Falzone is a five-star athlete in terms of his abilities. He runs like a receiver, and at 6-foot-5, he has the frame of a tight end. And yet he doesn't play either Penn State Recruiting Superlatives Lions emerge from a turbulent cycle with several potential impact players T H O M A S F R A N K CA R R | T F R A N K . C A R R @ O N 3 . C O M One of the more versatile players in Penn State's class, Nebraska prospect Bryson Williams could play either safety posi- tion or even linebacker at the college level. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS