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Nation's No. 1 Running Back Spurns Penn State Once Again

Kemon Spell, a 5-star prospect from Pennsylvania and former Penn State commit, is headed to the SEC.
Mark Wogenrich|
A general view of the end zone at Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Penn State Nittany Lions.
A general view of the end zone at Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Penn State Nittany Lions. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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Penn State worked hard to get Kemon Spell, the No. 1 running back in the 2027 recruiting class and a former Nittany Lions commit, back into fold. But on Monday, Spell announced that he is going elsewhere.

Spell, a 5-star prospect from McKeesport High in Pennsylvania, committed to Georgia, ending one of the most intense recruiting battles in the country. Spell announced his decision on social media. "I'm home, go dawgs," he wrote in a post on X.

Spell is among the most-prized players in the 2027 recruiting class, a 5-star prospect and the nation's top-ranked running back, according to the 247Sports Composite. The 5-9, 205-pound Spell also is the nation's seventh-ranked player overall and a coveted recruiting target nationally.

Spell was scheduled to visit Penn State in mid-January but did not make the trip. He did, however, travel to Georgia during the final weekend of the visit cycle and announced his decision Monday.

Though an injury limited him to nine games last season, Spell still put up eye-popping numbers. He rushed for 1,755 yards and 28 touchdowns in guiding McKeepsport to the WPIAL Class 4A championship game.

Spell scored 32 touchdowns as a junior, including one on a 98-yard kickoff return the first time he touched the ball last season. He finished that game with 295 yards and five touchdowns and scored on his first three touches.

Spell had a long recruiting relationship with Penn State that began in 2024, when he took multiple visits to State College. Spell committed to former Penn State coach James Franklin in August 2024, becoming the first player of a 2027 class that at one point was ranked No. 1 in the country.

But Spell reopened the recruiting process in October 2025 after Franklin was fired. New Penn State coach Matt Campbell quickly offered Spell and sought to re-start the recruiting relationship. So did many other coaches.

Spell received an offer from Georgia in early October, followed by offers from Nebraska, Oregon and Ole Miss. He previously had received offers from Ohio State, Miami, USC, Notre Dame and Tennessee, among many others.

Spell in December announced a list of five finalists that included Georgia, Notre Dame. Ohio State, USC and Miami but not Penn State. However, he did plan the mid-January return visit to Penn State, which prompted some hope that the Nittany Lions were in contention.

Getting a commitment from Spell would have been significant for Campbell, who is still looking to restart the 2027 recruiting class. Over the weekend, though. Campbell did received a commitment, from 2028 defensive back Deonte Flemings Jr.

Campbell's 2026 recruiting class is heavy on former Iowa State recruits, a necessity in his first season at Penn State. Eleven players from the 2026 class have enrolled, including previous signees Peyton Falzone and Jackson Ford. Campbell also signed 3-star quarterback Kase Evans, who previously was committed to Iowa State.

Still, Campbell said he's focused on recruiting Penn State's traditional territory.

"I think one of the great reasons being here is, you're in the most fertile ground of the excellence of high school football in a six- to eight-hour radius," Campbell said. "Everything will start with building high school football and continuing to do a great job in this state and our surrounding states. Nobody is going to attack more than us."

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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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