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Penn State Recalibrates Again at Receiver in 2027 Recruiting Class

Top Nittany Lions target Deshawn Hall, a 4-star prospect from Alabama, chooses to stay close to home.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell walks on there field during practice at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell walks on there field during practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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Penn State is recalibrating its receivers room not just for this season but also for the future. The latest trajectory change for the 2027 recruiting class came Tuesday, when a top target chose to stay close to home in Alabama.

Deshawn Hall, a 4-star receiver prospect from Prattville (Alabama) High, announced his commitment to Auburn, a blow for a Penn State coaching staff that prioritized him in this cycle. Hall had visited both Penn State and Auburn in June but decided to stay in-state and play for Auburn first-year head coach Alex Golesh.

Penn State worked hard to recruit Hall, a 6-5 receiver who ranks 25th nationally at his position, according to the 247Sports Composite, and ninth overall in Alabama. The coaching staff quickly recognized the potential in Hall, who makes catches like this.

Penn State sent five assistant coaches for a May in-home visit with Hall, including offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, receivers coach Kashif Moore and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters. The staff also evidently made a strong impression on Hall during his June official visit.

What Hall's decision means for Penn State

Hall's decision to commit to Auburn has major ramifications for Penn State at the receiver position, which initially looked to be a strength of the class. Campbell received a commitment from 4-star Iowa prospect Landon Blum and Tennessee standout Jamir Dean. He also was recruiting Hall and top western Pennsylvania receiver Khalil Taylor, two 4-star standouts of the class.

However, Blum currently remains the only receiver in Penn Stat'e's 2027 class. Dean, who is from Tennessee, switched gears and flipped his commitment to Georgia. He was a significant loss to the class, as a top-130 player nationally and top-20 receiver.

With Hall's decision for Auburn, Penn State is down to Taylor if it hopes to sign another receiver in the 2027 class. An all-state receiver at Pine-Richland High, Taylor is scheduled to announce his commitment July 6.

Penn State has recruited Taylor for more than a year across two coaching staffs. Taylor initially committed to James Franklin in spring 2025, then decommitted after Franklin was fired last October.

Campbell brought Taylor back into the fold through a series of visits, including his official in June. However, Taylor recently made an official visit to Nebraska, where head coach Matt Rhule made a strong impression.

If Penn State signs neither Hall nor Taylor, it will have to go to the portal for receivers before next season. Penn State's position in the receivers market will be determined by how successful it is turning around the position this season.

“That's been obviously a thing here,” Mouser said of Penn State's recent history at wide receiver. “It's a thing in recruiting when you go in there that kids want to know about it. You try to tell them what we did at Iowa State, and I think that speaks for itself.”

Moore, who became Penn State's receivers coach in February, understands "prove-it" as well. He said he faced similar circumstances as the receivers coach at UConn, where Moore helped Skyler Bell become the program's first consensus All-American and a fourth-round draft pick.

“This is an exciting challenge for me,” Moore said. “I’m an ultimate competitor, right? I have full confidence in my ability to coach and develop, and this is nothing new to me. This is also a narrative that I walked into when I got to UConn.”

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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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