Penn State Sports Magazine
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6 A P R I L 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 R ecruiting challenges were inevi- table when Matt Campbell made the decision in December to leave Iowa State to become head coach at Penn State. Over the past four months, Campbell and his staff have had to learn the ins and outs of a new region, establish re- lationships and host some of the area's top talent on the fly. So far, reviews have been positive from prospects and coaches throughout the region, but that had not resulted in any commit- ments in the 2027 class heading into the last week of March. That might seem ominous, but it's far too early to panic. Several circum- stances have led to the Nittany Lions having zero commitments in the early stages of the cycle. Among them: Campbell and his staff have few natural connections to Penn State's typical recruiting radius. That's an issue that should ease over time, but for now, it's working against them. Most early commitments come from the immediate region, so it's not a big surprise that things aren't rolling at this point. It's going to take time to work into areas like the DMV, where the program doesn't have an ace. The staff doesn't use high pres- sure early in the cycle. Penn State isn't pressing prospects to jump on board right now. That will change as the cycle progresses, but it's not a new approach for a Campbell staff. They're smart enough to know that class rank- ings in March 2026 are not particularly relevant in the grand scheme of things. They'll continue to develop relation- ships and hope that they result in stronger commitments down the line. There is still a bit of toxicity sur- rounding Penn State. Campbell and his staff are making the rounds, trying to mitigate the damage of an ugly di- vorce from James Franklin. It's not just about convincing prospects; it's also about selling parents, coaches, trainers and agents on the staff's vision. A lot of those people started out on Franklin's side due to relationships. Many important connections live elsewhere now. The version of Penn State that most prospects are familiar with is Franklin's Penn State. It's go- ing to take more than a few phone calls to flip that narrative. Franklin and a handful of prior assistants are at Vir- ginia Tech. Safeties coach Anthony Poindexter is at Tennessee, while re- cruiting staffers Kenny Sanders and DJ Bryant are at Notre Dame. It will take time for their successors to develop new relationships. The Midwest is going to be part of the equation. Penn State is in good shape with several players from the staff's previous stomping grounds. That's a testament to their ability to build relationships, which is a good sign. It's probably also going to fade naturally over time, so they're lean- ing into what they know. Players from outside Penn State's traditional recruiting radius make a lot of sense right now. The class will still likely end up Northeast-heavy, but the staff will continue to lean into folks whom they know from the Midwest. Those players will probably need more than one visit to feel comfortable jumping on board. It's important to note that early commitments weren't as prevalent under Campbell at Iowa State as they were for Franklin at Penn State. In- state recruiting in Pennsylvania is deeper and more ripe for the picking early, while Iowa State has typically been more of a "prove it" location from a recruiting perspective. The Nittany Lions were more aggressive in adding players early and had much to sell fol- lowing double-digit-win seasons in 2022, '23 and '24. Iowa State had just one such season, in 2024. Winning helps everything, and we saw the Cyclones start out 2026 hot, with seven commitments by this time last year. That was one more commit- ment than Campbell had by March 1 in the prior four classes combined. He should have a larger pool of potential early commitments at Penn State, but he's likely to lag behind Franklin's pace there. Penn State averaged just over eight commitments through the end of February in the past five classes. There's no denying that Campbell and his staff have work to do in the 2027 class. In a results-oriented field, the talk of zero commitments so far cannot be avoided. But looking back on Campbell's history, as well as under- standing that the Nittany Lions have some key relationship areas to build and catch up on, it's not quite a lost cause. We expect Penn State to lose more key battles in the coming months, but it'll win some as well. Campbell and his staff seem to be dedicated to instilling the culture that made them successful at Iowa State, and that's going to take time, not just in the locker room, but on the recruiting trail as well. ■ During Matt Campbell's last five seasons at Iowa State, his classes tended to come together in the late spring and early summer. The Cyclones averaged 1.2 commit- ments in February and 1.6 in March over that span. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS It Will Take Time To Build Recruiting Connections JUDGMENT CALL O P I N I O N SEAN FITZ SEAN.FITZ@ON3.COM