Notre Dame Seeking to Flip Top-10 Wide Receiver and Penn State Commit

The Fighting Irish extended an offer to Khalil Taylor, a top-100 overall recruit in the Class of 2027 and a Nittany Lions commit.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman during a Notre Dame football spring practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s been over five months since Notre Dame knocked off Penn State 27-24 in the national semifinal. In the time since, the competition between the pair of schools hasn’t dwindled in the slightest, and arguably has heated up as they continue to chase the same recruits. 

And just as Marcus Freeman did on that fateful January 9th night, he continues to maintain the upper-hand over James Franklin and Penn State. On Wednesday, the Fighting Irish landed four-star 2026 offensive tackle and Pennsylvania native Grayson McKeogh over the Nittany Lions. 

Notre Dame is currently in the process of hosting Charlie Thom, another 2026 offensive tackle and Penn State target, who now – just days after pulling in an offer from ND – has received a crystal ball projection to the Fighting Irish. 

With all their success on the recruiting trail against Franklin and Co., Freeman and his coaching staff are seeking to one-up themselves as they’re going after a Penn State commit in Khalil Taylor. 

Taylor, who is rated as the tenth-best receiver in the country and 67th overall prospect in the Class of 2027 by 247 Sports, has been a hard commit to the Nittany Lions since late March. Nonetheless, the Fighting Irish extended an offer to Taylor on Thursday, per his X account. 

#AGTG Blessed to receive an offer from notre dame! ☘️ @CarterAuman @NDFootball @Im_MikeB @SLS_Football @SLS_Athletics @CoachStorino @Coachstorinod @coachwil_412 pic.twitter.com/rcaSNv0RHF

— Khalil Taylor (@KhalilTaylor08) June 19, 2025

A two-sport athlete, Taylor is a star in track, posting an 11.05 in the 100-meter. On the gridiron, the speedster caught 51 passes for 932 yards and 22 touchdowns, while helping his high school – Seton LaSalle – to an 11-1 record during his sophomore campaign. 

Whether or not Freeman and his crew can steal Taylor away from Penn State remains to be seen, but their proven success against the Nittany Lions on the recruiting trail – and on the field – certainly shows it isn’t out of the question.