Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544053
5 4 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 I t's not an exaggeration to say that Matt Campbell and his staff have entered one of the most important four-week stretches of their careers. With the start of spring practice on March 24, Campbell and his assis- tants have a lot to accomplish in just 15 sessions. How this team jells in the coming weeks will play a large part in determining what kind of success PSU will have in the fall. But it's not just the upcoming sea- son that makes this such an important stretch for Campbell and everyone else in the Lasch Building. This is also setting up to be their first real oppor- tunity to host many of the region's top recruits, as well as respected high school coaches from places where Penn State wants to have good rela- tionships. First impressions aren't ev- erything, but they still matter. W h i l e t h e N i t ta ny L i o n s h os te d roughly 30 prospects in January, an NCAA-mandated dead period pre- vented schools from doing any on- campus recruiting in February. Then in the second week of March, Penn State closed down for spring break, prolonging the staff 's inability to get in front of recruits and their families. Now that spring drills are underway, Penn State can resume its efforts full speed. Visits began on the first day of practice, and there will be no shortage of key recruits on campus in the com- ing weeks. As of mid-March, the 10 players listed below were the most important recruits expected to visit Penn State at some point this spring. All rankings are from Rivals' scouts. WR Khalil Taylor Hometown: Pittsburgh Visit Date: March 26 Rankings: No. 73 (Nat.), No. 17 (Pos.), No. 4 (Pa.) Taylor was previously committed to Penn State but opened up his recruit- ment just before James Franklin was fired. Recent visits to Georgia and Ohio State have put both teams firmly in the mix to land the consensus four-star prospect from Pine-Richland High. An official visit to Georgia has already been scheduled for May 29-31, and he's slated to return to Penn State for an OV the following weekend. The Bulldogs and Buckeyes won't PSU Will Have A High-Priority Guest List This Spring RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Philadelphia linebacker Brandon Lockley Jr. appeared to be leaning toward Penn State before its coaching change. The Lions are still in the mix for the four-star prospect but must fend off the likes of Alabama and Oregon if they're going to keep him in Pennsylvania. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS FOOTBALL RECRUITING