Penn State Recruits Through Uncertainty as Early Signing Period Looms

Penn State's 2026 recruiting class has contracted since James Frankln was fired. but interim coach Terry Smith said the program continues to recruit.

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith walks on the field following the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State's 2026 recruiting class largely has dispersed since James Franklin was fired, with more than half of the class' players having decommitted. With the early signing period approaching, interim head coach Terry Smith said the Nittany Lions continue to recruit through the uncertainty, which remains difficult.

"It's just challenging for any team with an interim head coach, because the recruits want to know what's next," Smith said. "As you get close to Signing Day, they get a little bit antsy and nervous and they just want to know where there home is."

Fifteen players initially part of Penn State's 2026 recruiting class have decommitted since Franklin was fired Oct. 12. The list includes most of the top-ranked commits, notably 4-star offensive tackle Kevin Brown (who flipped to West Virginia), 4-star linebacker Elijah Littlejohn (Georgia) and 4-star running back Messiah Mickens, who followed Franklin to Virginia Tech.

Ten players remain committed to Penn State' 2026 class, which ranks 83rd nationally and 17th in the Big Ten, according to the 247Sports Composite. It's unclear how many of those 10 players will sign contracts with the Nittany Lions when the early signing period begins Dec. 3. And Penn State has had far more decommitments than other schools.

At LSU, for example, two players have decommitted since Brian Kelly was fired. Auburn has lost one commit since Hugh Freeze was fired. And Florida has had no players decommit since Billy Napier was fired.

"I don't really know what that is," Smith told reporters after practice Wednesday in State College. "We continue to recruit all those guys."

Smith said that Kenny Sanders, the team's director of player personnel, has been instrumental in continuing Penn State's recruiting program during this interim period. Sanders recently made recruiting trips to see players who remain committed to Penn State.

"Kenny’s invaluable," Smith said. "... He's doing a terrific job holding this thing together. He's one of the guys who went on the road to do some recruting for us while the coaches were here trying to get victories. He's a gem. Regardless of who the next coach is, he's a guy you want around the program."

The early signing period runs from Dec. 3-5. If Penn State hires a head coach in time, that coach could work to retain as many commits from the 2026 class as possible. Or the staff could ask players not to sign and wait for the regular signing period, which begins Feb. 4. That would not work for early enrollees but might appeal to players who plan to enroll next summer.

"We’re just continuing to keep that communication [with recruits], and if a decision is made, we’ll be ready to move forward rather quickly," Smith said.

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Penn State news and notes

Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith reacts from the sideline during the second quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Smith did not address with reporters whether he spoke with Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft this week about the full-time coaching job. He also was asked about Saturday's game at Rutgers potentially being his last at Penn State. Smith answered both the same way.

"The focus that I’ve had this week is, we have to beat Rutgers," Smith said. "We’re laser focused on that."

Freshman defensive end Chaz Coleman, who has missed the last three games with an injury, returned to practice this week. Coleman emerged as an impactful pass-rusher, making three tackles for loss and forcing two fumbles through eight games. Smith said Coleman would be a "game-time decision."

"He practiced [Wednesday], so we’ll see how he recovers from that and then we’ll see how it goes [Thursday]," Smith said. "We’ll take him all the way up to game time and see what happens."

Penn State visits Rutgers for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. Big Ten Network will televise.

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