Penn State's Top-Ranked 2027 Recruiting Class Adds 4-Star Prospect

Gabe Jenkins, a 4-star recruit from Pittsburgh, commits to the Nittany Lions' 2027 class.

Penn State football coach James Franklin celebrates with the students following a Nittany Lions victory at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State added to its top-ranked 2027 recruiting class Monday, when 4-star athlete Gabe Jenkins of Pittsburgh announced his commitment. Jenkins became the fourth player in the class, which the 247Sports Composite ranks as the very early No. 1 group nationally of the 2027 recruiting cycle. Jenkins announced his decision via social media with a graphic that included Penn State's home-state recruiting tag line, "The best in PA ... stay in PA."

Home 🏠!! #weare @Chise89 @coachjfranklin @CoachTerryPSU @On3sports @Rivals @NittanyNatRec @PennStateFball @PennStateOn3 @PSURecruitTalk @PGSportsNow @PghSteelersNow @TribSports @PaFootballNews @WPIAL_Insider @wpialsportsnews @RivalsFriedman @Rivals @WPXI @WTAE pic.twitter.com/D0Q9MPfA8y

— Gabriel Jenkins (@gabealldy) August 18, 2025

Jenkins, a multi-position player at Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh, is the eighth-ranked player in Pennsylvania, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the 19th-ranked cornerback nationally. The 247Sports scouts rank Jenkins as the No. 60 player overall in the 2027 recruiting class and the No. 3 player in Pennsylvania.

Rivals, meanwhile, projects the 6-1, 190-pound Jenkins at linebacker, ranking him 11th nationally at the position. Jenkins told On3's Ryan Snyder that Penn State is recruiting him as a safety.

Jenkins committed to Penn State from an offer list that includes Pitt, Maryland, Michigan State, West Virginia and Nebraska, among others. He has made several unofficial visits to Penn State over the past year.

As a sophomore last year at Imani Christian, Jenkins was an all-conference player at both running back and defensive back, according to TribLive. He rushed for 1,283 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense and made five interceptions on defense.

RELATED: Read more about Penn State commit Gabe Jenkins at TribLive

Jenkins is the second player from Imani Christian's current roster to commit to Penn State. Teammate David Davis Jr. is part of the 2026 recruiting class, having committed in March. Dayshaun Burnett, who played for Imani Christian last season, is a freshman on Penn State's 2025 roster.

Imani will have one of the deadliest duos in the WPIAL with 4⭐️ DB @gabealldy and 4⭐️ Penn St commit @DavidDavis781 #WPIAL pic.twitter.com/RUpmAV7Kxh

— PA Today (@PA_TodaySports) August 16, 2025

Penn State is off to a strong start with its 2027 class, particularly in Pennsylvania. Three of the four players committed are from western Pennsylvania, including running back Kemon Spell. The 4-star prospect from McKeesport committed to the Nittany Lions in 2024, becoming the first player in the 2027 class. Spell is the top-ranked running back nationally and the top-ranked player in Pennsylvania, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Four-star wide receiver Khalil Taylor, who committed to Penn State in March, is the fourth-ranked player in the state. Taylor will play this season at Pine-Richland High in western Pennsylvania.

Penn State also has received a commitment from 4-star offensive lineman Layton von Brandt of Delaware. Von Brandt is the state's top-ranked player and the No. 6 offensive tackle overall in the 2027 class.

Penn State's 2026 recruiting class currently ranks 16th nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Nittany Lions have 24 players commited to the class, eight of whom are 4-star prospects.