Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
1 0 6 A U G U S T 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 good since Kirby [Smart] got there. It's been consistent with them. They've been a top team. They've won two na- tional championships. They're always fighting to play for a national champi- onship and win it." In addition to Dean's change of heart, Penn State lost four-star receiver De- Shawn Hall to Auburn. That left the Nittany Lions focused on making sure they didn't also miss out on Pennsylva- nia native Khalil Taylor. After previously committing to James Franklin's staff, Taylor visited all over the country this spring. At one point, it looked as though Alabama and Georgia would be Penn State's main competi- tors, but both of those schools eventu- ally went in a different direction. That left Colorado and Nebraska as the only other schools to host Taylor on official visits in May or June. Taylor was expected to announce his decision on July 6, and many believed Penn State was in the best position to eventually beat out the Buffaloes and Cornhuskers. However, it should also be noted that money has played a role in this recruitment dragging out as long as it has, so the possibility of last-minute drama can't be discounted. A consensus four-star prospect, Tay- lor is the No. 17 wide receiver and No. 94 overall prospect nationally, as well as the No. 4 player in Pennsylvania, per Rivals' scouts. Beyond Taylor, Penn State remained in the mix with offensive lineman Os- car Webersink, who grew up in Sweden before moving to Connecticut a few months ago to pursue a college football scholarship. Webersink isn't ranked by any of the major recruiting websites, but he camped at Penn State on June 10 and immediately earned an offer from po- sition coach Ryan Clanton. With that said, the 6-8, 290-pound tackle also just recently moved from Sweden, meaning his admissions process was always going to take some time to sort out. The Nittany Lions would like to add him to the class, but it remained unclear as of late June whether they could. Penn State missed out on one of its top offensive line targets in June when Lucas Rhoa of Rancho Cucamonga, Ca- lif., chose Texas over PSU and Oregon. Rhoa's recruitment felt at one point like one that Penn State should win. The 6-5, 280-pound interior lineman grew up supporting the Nittany Lions. He even has family that still resides in Central Pennsylvania. However, those ties didn't prove sufficiently persuasive. If the Lions are able to land Taylor and Webersink, it would put the class at 24 players. Previously, Penn State had been expected to sign as many as 30 prospects in the 2027 cycle, but that plan changed following the approval of the NCAA's new eligibility rules grant- ing players five years to play all five. Penn State will likely scout players committed to other programs through- out the fall, with the goal of adding a few as they get closer to signing day. Otherwise, the class of 2027 is nearly complete. ■ Offensive lineman Oscar Webersink recently moved to the United States from his native Sweden. He's currently unranked by Rivals but he impressed Penn State's staff during a camp appearance. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS 2027 HOT LIST POS PLAYER HT WT RATING* HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL LB Michael Harden 6-2 215 HHH Westwood, Mass. Xaverian Brothers S Gabe Jenkins 6-1 190 HHH Pittsburgh, Pa. Imani Christian Academy S Mikey McQueen 6-4 185 HHH Mount Holly, N.J. Rancocas Valley WR Jamar Taylor 6-4 190 HHH Wilmington, Del. Salesianum WR Khalil Taylor 5-11 180 HHHH Pittsburgh, Pa. Pine-Richland OT Oscar Webersink 6-8 290 — Stockholm, Sweden St. Thomas More (Conn.) * Rivals player rating as of June 29