Penn State's 2027 Recruiting Class Climbs the National Rankings

The Nittany Lions added a 4-star linebacker from Minnesota to their 2027 class.

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell waves to the crowd during a Big Ten wrestling dual meet vs. Nebraska. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State coach Matt Campbell continued hs re-launch of the 2027 recruiting class this weekend, adding 4-star linebacker Blake Betton from Minnesota to the group. The Nittany Lions have received commitments from six prospects over the past two weeks, taking advantage of spring football practice to entertain the top players on their recruiting list.

With Betton's commitment, Penn State's 2027 recruiting class continued climbing the rankings to No. 23 nationally, according to the latest 247Sports Composite.

Betton announced his decision Saturday after a recent visit to Penn State. Betton is a 4-star prospect and the 27th-ranked linebacker prospect nationally, according to Rivals. Betton is a 3-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite, which lists him as the No. 35 linebacker nationally.

Campbell began his recruiting relationship with Betton while at Iowa State, offering him a scholarship to play for the Cyclones in 2025. Campbell re-offered Betton in December, and the linebacker prospect made two unofficial visits to State College before announcing his commitment.

📍 ✈️ Excited to be headed back to Penn State @PennStateFball this Friday & Saturday! #WeAre @TysonVeidt @CoachMC_PSU @TrentSlattenow @AllenTrieu @tyler_calvaruso @GregSmithRivals pic.twitter.com/hb9UtLOsrq

— Blake Betton 4⭐️ ‘27 (@BlakeBetton) April 6, 2026

Betton (6-2, 205 pounds) plays multiple positions at Shakopee High, where he made the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's all-state team as a safety last season. Betton made 88 tackles (60 solo) and two interceptions, opening the eyes of defensive coordinators nationwide.

Betton chose Penn State from an offer sheet that includes Virginia Tech, Washington, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Minnesota, among many others. He has scheduled an official visit to Penn State for June.

Penn State's class enters the top 25

BREAKING: Four-Star LB Blake Betton has Committed to Penn State, he tells me for @Rivals⁰⁰The 6’3 205 LB from Shakopee, MN chose the Nittany Lions over Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri

“Built for the Valley #WEARE #LBU”⁰⁰https://t.co/WSx3jGX9Dm pic.twitter.com/hQXi4zH0GA

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 11, 2026

Betton is the sixth player to commit to Penn State's 2027 class, which is climbing the national recruiting rankings. With Betton's decision, Penn State has the 23rd-ranked class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the No. 9 class in the Big Ten.

Campbell approached the 2027 class slowly, prioritizing it after the process of rebuilding the roster through the transfer portal and 2026 class. He also relied on assistant head coach Terry Smith to help jumpstart the class. Penn State's first three commitments were from cornerbacks Smith recruited.

"You're playing catch-up in some ways in terms of your '27 class, because to me, it's no different than what I said about spring practice: Slow and right is critical," Campbell said. "And it's all about the human beings that we bring in here, and so I'm a huge person in relationships; who fits Penn State, who fits our culture. And so we're going to do it slow and right.

"We're going to make sure any young man that we try to bring in here is the right fit for our football program. Obviously having the the [Penn State] logo, and the history of this place certainly gives you great opportunity to recruit in this region, some of the best football in the entire world. And that part of it's rewarding. Being a part of the football program at Toledo, we recruited a lot of these areas. So you do have some inroads and know certainly what these areas have stood for over time. But again, I I think the process of recruiting the right people, making sure it's the right guys you're bringing in here, we're always going to go slow and right in that process."

Penn State will host its final spring practice April 25 at Beaver Stadium for the annual Blue-White event, which will take on a different look this year.

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