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Penn State Loses 2027 Commit to West Virginia

Zachary Gleason Jr. is the second player to leave Penn State's 2027 recruiting class in as many days.
Mark Wogenrich|
A general view of Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Penn State Nittany Lions.
A general view of Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Penn State Nittany Lions. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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Penn State has lost a second cornerback from its 2027 recruiting class, as 3-star prospect Zachary Gleason Jr. switched his commitment from the Nittany Lions to West Virginia. Gleason is the second player in as many days to part ways with Penn State's 2027 class. He joined Fort Lauderdale cornerback Semajay Robinson, who flipped to Virginia.

Robinson and Gleason were the first two players to commit to Matt Campbell's 2027 recruiting class in March, when Penn State's new head coach was restarting the class. They kicked off a flurry of 22 commits in six weeks that brought Penn State's class into the national top 10, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Like Robinson, Gleason was at Penn State during the first weekend of June for an official visit. Both were recruited by cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, who helped Campbell win commitments from the first three players of the class.

Gleason committed to Penn State on March 31, three days after Robinson, as a 3-star prospect from Pittsburgh Central Catholic. He is the 20th-ranked player in Pennsylvania and the 75th-ranked cornerback nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Gleason (6-foot, 170 pounds) earned first-team all-WPIAL honors at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, helping the team to the WPIAL Class 6A title and a trip to the PIAA championship game. He made 45 tackles and three interceptions on the season. Gleason initially chose Penn State from an offer sheet that included West Virginia, Indiana, Virginia Tech and Pitt.

Penn State still has two cornerbacks committed to the 2027 class. Kei'Shjuan Telfair is a 4-star prospect from Ohio and the second-ranked cornerback in the state. Penn State also has a commitment from 3-star defensive back Ka'ron Ceaser of New Jersey.

Despite having four cornerbacks committed at one time, Campbell and his staff continue to recruit at the position in the 2027 cycle, with 3-star Texas defensive back Dhillon McGee atop their list. McGee is scheduled to take an official visit to Penn State on June 12 and plans to announce between the Nittany Lions and SMU on June 24.

Penn State also is hopeful regarding decisions from 2027 uncommitted wide receivers Khalil Taylor and Deshawn Hall. Taylor, from western Pennsylvania's Pine-Richland High, has scheduled a July 6 announcement.

Hall, who plays at Prattville (Alabama) High was at Auburn before his visit to Penn State. Hall also has a visit scheduled for Tennessee.

Penn State's 2027 class had moved from 10th to seventh in the 247Sports Composite before Gleason's announcement. The Nittany Lions jumped back ahead of Virginia Tech and were second in the Big Ten behind Oregon.

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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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