Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
5 8 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 P enn State has ground to make up in the 2027 recruiting cycle. While we'll caution that there are still nine months to go until players can sign, the impact of the Nittany Lions' coaching change was felt in January and February. On Feb. 2, five-star running back Ke- mon Spell of McKeesport (Pa.) High made headlines by committing to Geor- gia. Spell's pledge to the Bulldogs came at a time when many believed Matt Camp- bell and his staff were starting to gain real traction with the nation's top-ranked tailback. Penn State was also left out of the top four for Pennsylvania's other potential five-star prospect, offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller. The Coatesville native named Alabama, Florida, Ohio State and Tennessee as the schools he'll be focused on this spring and summer. Campbell and his staff aren't going to stop pursuing both Hiller and Spell, but their inclination to look elsewhere offers a good example of the impact the coach- ing change has had on top prospects in the region. Of course, January was only the first opportunity for Campbell and his staff to familiarize themselves with PSU's tra- ditional recruiting territory. Those rela- tionships will take time, but the coaches are certainly doing everything they can to pick up where Penn State's previous staff left off back in September. During the final two weeks of January, Campbell and each of his assistants met with recruits and coaches for both in- school and in-home visits in at least 21 states. Those visits resulted in roughly 40 new scholarship offers to 2027 prospects who previously didn't claim one from the Nittany Lions. But it was the two junior day events on Jan. 24 and 31 that may prove to be the most valuable experiences when we look back on the class. Unlike in previous years when as many as 50 players would attend each event, Campbell and his staff kept their junior days much more limited, focusing primarily on the players they coveted the most. When you include a handful of un- derclassmen who were in attendance, Penn State averaged about 15 players for each event. For the Jan. 24 junior day, 10 prospects in the 2027 class made the trip, seven of whom already held four- star ratings. That list included all three of Pennsylvania's top wide receivers: Khalil Taylor, Matthew Gregory and Cade Coo- per. Taylor was previously committed to Penn State. Rivals' scouts have the Pine- Richland prospect ranked No. 65 nation- ally, No. 12 among wide receivers and No. 5 in the Keystone State. He totaled 33 catches for 571 yards and 16 touch- downs as a junior. In addition, he shined on special teams, averaging 51.7 yards on FOOTBALL RECRUITING MATT CAMPBELL AND STAFF BEGIN WORK ON 2027 CLASS RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Four-star wide receiver Khalil Taylor decommitted from Penn State prior to James Franklin's dismissal, but he was back on campus in January and has been impressed with the new coaching staff. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS