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Penn State Recruiting Update: Nittany Lions Off to a Strong Start for 2027

Penn State's 2027 recruiting class tops the very early national rankings.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts against the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts against the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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A former Penn State football commit officially flipped to the arch rival, and the Nittany Lions' 2027 recruiting class is off to a good start. Though the recruiting cycle has cooled, there's still plenty of news. Here's a look at where Penn State football recruiting stands in mid-July.

One-time Penn State commit choose Ohio State

Jerquaden Guilford wasn't in Penn State's 2026 recruiting class for very long. The 4-star receiver from Fort Wayne, Indiana, committed to the Nittany Lions in December 2024 and decommitted in late-February 2025.

Guilford then reset his recruiting process before announcing his new team last week. Guilford joined the Ohio State Buckeyes' 2026 recruiting class, declaring his decision on social media via On3's Hayes Fawcett.

Guilford is the top-ranked player in Indiana, according to the 247Sports Composite, and a top-50 receiver nationally. His commitment lifted Ohio State's 2026 class to sixth in the 247Sports Composite's national rankings.

Penn State's 2027 class off to a good start

Rivals has released its updated 2027 recruiting rankings, providing some early insight into a class that's 18 months from signing. Penn State has just three commits, but all of them are among the top-50 players nationally in the Rivals Industry Rankings. In addition, all three are among the top-10 at their respective positions. And 247Sports currently ranks Penn State's 2027 class No. 1 nationally.

The headliner so far of Penn State's 2027 class is Kemon Spell, a 5-star prospect and the nation's No. 1 running back, according to Rivals. Spell (5-10, 210 pounds) is preparing for his senior year at McKeesport High in Pennsylvania, where he also is the No. 1 state-ranked player.

Delaware offensive lineman Layton von Brandt is Rivals' sixth-ranked tackle nationally and the No. 36 player overall. von Brandt represents a strong start on the line for Penn State's 2027 class.

Pittsburgh wide receiver Khalil Taylor is a 4-star prospect and the No. 9 overall receiver nationally, according to Rivals. Watch for Taylor to have a big year at Seton LaSalle High.

Penn State is a finalist for 4-star quarterback

The Nittany Lions will need a quarterback in the 2027 class following Peyton Falzone's decommitment from the 2026 class. One target is 4-star prospect Teddy Jarrard, the second-ranked quarterback in the class, according to Rivals.

Jarrard, a 6-3, 196-pound quarterback from Georgia, told Rivals' Steve Wiltfong that Penn State is a finalist with Georgia, Notre Dame, Michigan and Ohio State. Penn State has some work to do against an elite offer list but is a contender.

Penn State in the recruiting rankings

Penn State's 2026 recruiting class has slipped in the national rankings this summer. The Nittany Lions are 16th overall in the 247Sports Composite, down 11 spots from their spring high. The difference has been a June and July commitment season in which Penn State missed on several top national targets.

Penn State also ranks fifth in the Big Ten behind USC (still No. 1 overall), Ohio State (No. 6), Oregon (No. 9) and Michigan (No. 11). With 24 commits in the class, Penn State is unlikely to make up too much ground on the field.

Of Penn State's 24 commits to the 2026 class, 12 are 4-star prospects, according to the 247Sports Composite. The highest-ranked player is Pennsylvania offensive lineman Kevin Brown, a 4-star prospect who ranks fourth nationally at tackle and 45th overall.

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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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