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Five-Star Kicker From Northern Ireland Commits to Penn State

Adam McCann-Gibbs, a highly rated kicker and punter, joins the Nittany Lions' 2026 recruiting class.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State football coach James Franklin celebrates with students after a Nittany Lions victory at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State football coach James Franklin celebrates with students after a Nittany Lions victory at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren | Imagn Images

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Penn State has received a commitment from a 5-star specialist with an intriguing back story. Adam McCann-Gibbs, a kicker from Northern Ireland who emerged as a standout in several kicking academies, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Saturday. Gibbs said he received a "full scholarship" offer from Penn State.

Gibbs, from Newry, Northern Ireland, has earned high praise from Kohl's Professional Camps, the leading academy for football specialists in the country. According to Kohl's, Gibbs is the nation's 22nd-ranked kicking prospect and the 36th-ranked punter. At 17 years old, he already possesses a strong leg.

"McCann-Gibbs demonstrates D1 talent and has a lot of upside as a kicker who can also punt," according to his Kohl's profile. "McCann-Gibbs is very mature for his age and should be heavily recruited in the coming months!"

Gibbs trains with Leader Kicking, an academy based in Ireland that helps regional kickers and punters get recruited by U.S. colleges. Founder Tadgh Leader, a former Irish rugby player, has helped guide several specialists to college scholarahips and NFL placements. Leader has been posting clips of Gibbs, scheduled to attend IMG Academy this year, on social media.

Gibbs will arrive at Penn State in 2026 to a roster that could have two kickers. Ryan Barker, who took the starting job in 2024, has two seasons of eligibility remaining. The Nittany Lions also brought in freshman walk-on kicker Matthew Parker from Central York High. Punters Riley Thompson and Gabe Nwosu likely will be out of eligiblity in 2026.

Penn State 2026 recruiting class update

Gibbs is the 23rd player to commit to Penn State's 2026 recruiting class, which has been active in both directions recently. The Nittany Lions have received four commmitments in four days, including a pair Friday. Jackson Ford, a 4-star edge rusher from Pennsylvania, announced his decision Friday just before 3-star offensive lineman Jack Fuchs from Tennessee.

Fuchs's father Scott is an assistant offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans and worked previously with Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki at Kansas and Buffalo. Penn State also lost a commitment last week, when 4-star Pennsylvania quarterback Peyton Falzone flipped from the Nittany Lions to Auburn.

Penn State's 2026 recruiting class ranks eighth nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Nittany Lions' 23-player class ranks third in the Big Ten behind USC (No. 1 overall) and Ohio State (No. 5).

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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.

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