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Top Receiver Decommits From Penn State's 2027 Recruiting Class

Khalil Taylor, a 4-star receiver from western Pennsylvania, has reopened his recruiting.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin watches the replay of the final play of the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin watches the replay of the final play of the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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Khalil Taylor, a 4-star wide receiver who committed to Penn State's 2027 recruiting class in March, has reopened his recruiting process. Taylor told On3 and 247Sports that he has decommitted from the Nittany Lions' 2027 class.

Taylor, a junior at Pine-Richland High near Pittsburgh, is a 4-star prospect in the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He is the third-ranked player in Pennsylvania and the No. 11 receiver. The 247Sports Composite ranks Taylor as the nation's No. 56 overall prospect.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Taylor has caught 12 passes for 264 yards and has scored 12 touchdowns for Pine-Richland this season. On the first touch of the season for Pine-Richland, Taylor returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown.

Taylor chose Penn State from an offer sheet that includes Pitt, Nebraska, Michigan State and West Virginia, among others. Since committing to Penn State, Taylor has received offers from Notre Dame and Florida State.

He became the second player from the Pittsburgh area to commit to Penn State's 2027 recruiting class. Running back Kemon Spell of McKeesport was the class' first commit in August 2024.

Taylor played his sophomore season at Seton La Salle High in Pittsburgh, where he was a two-time all-conference player. Taylor (5-11, 180 pounds) caught 51 passes for 932 yards last season, scoring 22 touchdowns in helping Seton La Salle to the WPIAL championship game.

Penn State coach James Franklin recently visited Pine-Richland to check in with Taylor, arriving at the school by helicopter.

According to TribLive's Chris Harlan, the WPIAL recently ruled that Taylor will be eligible to play in the postseason after transferring from Seton LaSalle to Pine-Richland. The WPIAL said that Taylor would receive a waiver for the playoffs.

With Taylor and Spell committed, Penn State's 2027 recruiting class had been ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation, according to the early 247Sports Composite. The class recently was ranked second with Taylor still committed.

Penn State is 3-2 this season, having lost consecutive games for the first time since 2021. The Nittany Lions also are 0-2 in Big Ten play for the first time under head coach James Franklin, the 2020 COVID-shortened season notwithstanding.

Penn State hosts Northwestern on Oct. 11 at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The Nittany Lions return home after their 42-37 loss at UCLA, in which they became the first AP top-10 team since 1985 to lose to an opponent with an 0-4 record or worse.

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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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