All Penn State

7 Players to Watch in Penn State's 2026 Recruiting Class

At one point, the Nittany Lions had only two signees for 2026. But Matt Campbell quickly rebuilt the class, bringing Iowa State commits with him.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell speaks at a press conference at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell speaks at a press conference at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

In this story:

Penn State Nittany Lions

Matt Campbell inherited a 2026 Penn State football recruiting class with two signees. So in addition to rebuilding the roster from the transfer portal, Campbell moved quickly to boost the 2026 class' roster as well.

Penn State is likely to finish its 2026 class with 15 commits, 11 of whom enrolled in January. As he did with the transfer portal, Campbell recruited who he knew. Ten of Penn State's commits initially signed with Campbell at Iowa State, with four of them scheduled to sign with the Nittany Lions on Wednesday, when the second signing period begins.

Penn State's 2026 class improved from last in the nation (when it had just two signees) to 63rd, where it stands now according to the 247Sports Composite. And it has some interesting players. Here are seven future Nittany Lions to watch from the 2026 recruiting class.

RELATED: The nation's No. 1 running back spurns Penn State once again

Defensive end Elijah Reeder

Campbell considers Reeder, a 4-star edge rusher from Central Regional High in New Jersey, to be the "hidden gem" of the class. He's also the highest-ranked player in Penn State's class (No. 243 nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite). Reeder initially signed with Iowa State before switching his commitment to Penn State in January.

Reeder (6-6, 210 pounds) made 50 tackles (19 for loss) and eight sacks in a productive senior season. He also played some offense, scoring six touchdowns on 16 carries. Iowa State referred to Reeder as a "hidden gem from Jersey."

"It's going to be really fun to see where he's got the ability to go," Campbell said of Reeder during Iowa State's Signing Day press conference in December. "We're always going to keep some scholarships back every year for these purposes — who shines as seniors. I've always felt that ... a lot of the guys in our program who have had great careers have been taken because we've got to watch their senior year and evaluate them, and they came here and had great careers."

Defensive Jackson Ford

Ford is the only player in Penn State's 2026 class who remained committed through the entire process. The 4-star edge rusher also is the No. 2-ranked player in the class (No. 300 nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite) and a strong complement to Reeder at the position.

Ford, from Malvern Prep near Philadelphia, was a three-time all-conference player who made 30 tackles and four sacks as a senior. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown and caught six passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s just kind of like an Energizer bunny; he just continues to go and go and go,” Malvern coach Dave Gueriera said in a December interview. “He’s really honed in his craft, especially with his pass rush, his moves and his hand usage are much better.”

Defensive back Josiah Zayas

A 6-2, 190-pound defensive back from Piscataway, N.J., Zayas earned a 4-star grade in the 247Sports Composite and is among the top-50 cornerbacks in the country. Zayas played at Piscataway High (and St. Thomas Aquinas before that) on both sides of the ball.

He caught 93 passes for a career 1,784 yards and 26 touchdowns on offense while making nine interceptions defensively. Zayas was voted all-conference and helped Piscataway to the state playoffs as a senior. He chose Iowa State (and then Penn State) from an offer sheet that included Wisconsin, Boston College and Syracuse.

Quarterback Peyton Falzone

Penn State quarterback commit Peyton Falzone of Nazareth (Pa.) High at his Signing Day ceremony.
Penn State quarterback commit Peyton Falzone of Nazareth (Pa.) High at his Signing Day ceremony with Penn State and Nazareth helmets. | Mark Wogenrich | Penn State on SI

Falzone, is among the more intriguing stories of Penn State's 2026 class. He initially committed to Virginia Tech in 2024, flipped to Penn State in April 2025 and then committed to Auburn two months later.

When Auburn's Hugh Freeze was fired, Falzone found his way back to Penn State. The 4-star quarterback from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, signed with the Nittany Lions in December, two days before Campbell was hired. After meeting with Campbell, Falzone enrolled at Penn State in January.

Falzone threw for 1,176 yards and 12 touchdowns through the first four games of his senior year at Nazareth before sustaining a broken clavicle in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Falzone said in December that he had been throwing at 100 percent and participated in Penn State's Pinstripe Bowl practices before enrolling.

Offensive lineman Mason Bandhauer

A 3-star lineman from Fort Collins, Colorado, Bandhauer has promising size (6-6, 295 pounds) for a tackle. He was a top-70 tackle nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, after blocking for a Fort Collins High offense that averaged 172 yards rushing his senior year.

Bandhauer was a first-team all-state pick in 2023 and had an offer from Nebraska, which usually develops strong lines. He also followed Campbell to Penn State, even though his father Todd played quarterback at Iowa State.

Quarterback Kase Evans

Campbell prides himself on developing under-recruited quarterbacks, and Evans could be the next one. He was a prolific passer at Lexington (Texas) High, throwing for 11,640 career yards and 120 touchdowns.

Evans was a 3-star prospect in high school and the 68th-ranked quarterback nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. His father Chandler played quarterback at the University of Houston, and his grandfather Bob was a defensive back for the former Houston Oilers.

Safety Tyrell Chatman

A 3-star safety, Chatman was the third-ranked player in Nebraska when he chose Iowa State. He's 6-2 with good length to play safety and a nose for the ball. Chatman made 88 career tackles and broke up an eye-popping 21 passes.

He also made four interceptions and contributed offensively as well. Chatman totaled 1,145 all-purpose yards and scored 15 touchdowns.

What happens next for Penn State? Stay on top of all the Nittany Lions news by subscribing to the Penn State on SI Daily Digest. The newsletter is your free daily window into Penn State sports.

More Penn State Football

Published
Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

Home/Football