Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547542
5 8 D E C E M B E R 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 Penn State was in the midst of its bye week in late October, but it still found a way to make headlines. The Nittany Lions scored a significant win on the re- cruiting circuit when they earned a com- mitment on Oct. 24 from Jordan Hall, a three-star running back in the 2027 class. Penn State beat out Ohio State for the Cincinnati native and Princeton High standout, who had totaled 1,179 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns to that point in his senior season. Hall told Rivals that his ties to Matt Campbell's staff made the difference in his recruitment. "I talk to the Penn State coaches all the time," he said. "Every day, we talk on the phone. I have relationships there." The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Hall trans- ferred to Princeton this past summer af- ter previously attending La Salle. Origi- nally committed to Miami (Ohio), he had missed much of his junior season with an injury but began garnering attention with a series of strong performances on the camp circuit. At the Columbus Under Armour Camp this past spring, Hall took home MVP honors for his position group, run- ning a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and a 4.12-second shuttle, with a broad jump of 9 feet, 1 inch and a vertical jump of 30.4 inches. Add in a 10.72-second 100-meter time, and no one ever ques- tioned whether Hall had the speed to compete at the next level. On Aug. 20, Hall amassed more than 170 yards of total offense to help Princ- eton stun Archbishop Moeller 31-24. It was the Vikings' first win over the peren- nial Ohio powerhouse since 1991. Once his early-season film started to circulate, schools across the country began to extend offers. Days after Penn State offered, Cincinnati, Maryland and Wake Forest followed suit. Then came what seemed to be the most enticing op- portunity of all: an offer from Ohio State. After Hall visited Columbus in early September, many believed the Buckeyes would find a way to keep him from leav- ing the state. But then he took an official visit to Penn State for the Wisconsin game at the end of September. That trip was followed by a second visit to State College for the Nittany Lions' White Out game against USC. In the end, the opportunity for early playing time proved to be a plus for the Nittany Lions and one of the reasons they were able to win the recruiting battle with Ohio State. Hall is Rivals' No. 98 running back nationally and No. 59 player in Ohio. He's more highly rated in the Rivals In- dustry Ranking, which pools the grades from the three major recruiting web- sites, coming in 64th among running backs and 31st in his home state. He's also listed as the nation's No. 820 over- all prospect in the Industry Ranking. Penn State had 21 players commit- ted to its 2027 class as of early Novem- ber, including running back Chukwuma Odoh, a three-star prospect from Para- mus (N.J.) Catholic. The Nittany Lions previously earned a commitment from Woodruff, S.C., native Aiden Gibson, but he reclassified to the 2026 class and flipped to Rutgers last summer. — Ryan Snyder COMMITMENT PROFILE JORDAN HALL Ohio Running Back Looks To Make An Early Impact Jordan Hall's best attribute is his ability to start and stop with great acceleration and de- celeration in tight spaces. His 4.12-second shuttle time backs up his explosive burst when he plants and gets upfield. Hall's change-of-direction skills make him an incredibly elusive player, and he pairs those traits with a solid ability to set up blocks and make decisions with the ball in his hands. Princeton's offense features a heavy dose of pulling concepts, which is great for his early development as a gap runner. Hall also has impressive body control, and he knows how to take contact without putting weight on the leg the primary tackler is hitting. That allows him to run through contact without getting tripped up. Hall doesn't see a lot of action in the passing game, but when targeted, he catches the ball away from his body and looks natural adjusting to it in the air. He also had no obvious blown assignments in pass protection in the full-game footage we watched. There's every reason to believe Hall can be a three-down running back at Penn State. Between his athletic metrics, breakaway runs, size, power and growth potential, he has no major red flags in his development profile. Earning his commitment was a big victory for the Nittany Lions. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N Hall, a three-star running back at Princeton High in Cincinnati, committed to Penn State on Oct. 24, choosing the Nittany Lions over Ohio State. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT