Penn State Lands Major 2027 Commitment From Edge Elijah Guertin

Penn State football's second weekend of official visits was a smaller party but landed a very important commitment for the Nittany Lions. Elijah Guertin, a 4-star defensive end from Rhode Island, committed to Penn State's 2027 recruiting class following his official visit. Guertin announced his decision on social media.

Guertin is an important addition to Penn State coach Matt Campbell's 2027 class. He's the top-ranked prospect in Rhode Island and the No. 27 edge rusher in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. The 247Sports recruiting site also ranks Guertin as top-200 player nationally.

Guertin (6-5, 255 pounds) plays for Bishop Hendricken High, a successful Rhode Island program that has won 18 state football titles, including seven since 2018. Though he missed part of the 2025 season due to injury, Guertin returned to earn first-team all-state honors from the Providence Journal, which called him an "elite two-way talent" and a player who is a "force getting to the quarterback."

According to 247Sports, Guertin is the highest-ranked recruit from Rhode Island since offensive lineman Xavier Truss, also from Bishop Hendricken, signed with Georgia in 2019.

Many of the nation's college football programs certainly began noticing Guertin during his junior season. Guertin chose Penn State from an offer list that included Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Pitt, Vanderbilt and Kentucky among others.

WE ARE ‼️‼️#agtg pic.twitter.com/8UNihAhiml
— Elijah Guertin (@elijahgoinupp) June 14, 2026

Guertin received an offer from Penn State in April, when he made an unofficial visit, and returned for his official visit during the second weekend of June. Penn State's coaching staff prioritized him at a position of need for the program.

Penn State has two defensive ends committed to the 2027 recruiting class. Guertin joined New Jersey edge rusher Carter Blattner, who committed to the Nittany Lions in April. Campbell brought in three defensive ends from the transfer portal to upgrade Penn State's 2026 roster but wants to receruit the position for the future.

What's next for Penn State's recruiting class?

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from the field during the Blue-White practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Guertin became the third player to commit to Penn State during the June official-visit season. The Nittany Lions recently landed commitments from 3-star safety Caleb Cooper of North Carolina and Louisiana long snapper Clayton Powell.

Penn State's 2027 recruiting class is back up to 21 commits following a pair of flips from cornerbacks Semajay Robinson and Zachary Gleason Jr. Robinson left Penn State's 2027 class for Virginia, and Gleason is headed for West Virginia.

The Nittany Lions' class now ranks seventh nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, and moved back ahead of James Franklin's 2027 class at Virginia Tech at eighth. Penn State and Virginia Tech have developed a bit of a recruiting rivalry since Franklin became the head coach in Blacksburg.

Penn State isn't finished with its 2027 class. The Nittany Lions still await decisions from several key targets, notably 4-star western Pennsylvania receiver Khalil Taylor, 4-star Alabama receiver Deshawn Hall and 3-star Texas cornerback Dhillon McGee.

The Nittany Lions also look for a potential commitment from 3-star Oklahoma linebacker Case Alexander, whose brother Cooper is a redshirt sophomore tight end for the Nittany Lions.

Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter and follow us on social media.

Add us as a preferred source on Google