ESPN's Expanded 2027 College Football Recruiting Rankings Welcome Two National Powerhouses

The 2027 recruiting cycle has been defined by early movement at the top, with Texas A&M holding the No. 1 spot and five-star prospects coming off the board fast.

ESPN just expanded its team rankings from 25 programs to 30, and that stretch pulled in two Big Ten programs on very different paths. Indiana slid in at No. 27 and Penn State at No. 29. One is riding a national title, and the other is starting over under a new coach.

Indiana lands Monshun Sales, first five-star in program history

Six months after Curt Cignetti capped an unbeaten run with the school's first national championship, Indiana did something it had never done. On July 17, wide receiver Monshun Sales committed to the Hoosiers live on "The Pat McAfee Show," picking Indiana over Texas, Alabama, Ohio State and LSU.

Sales, a 6-foot-5 wideout from Indianapolis Lawrence North, is the No. 1 receiver in the class and Indiana's first five-star commit ever. He caught 37 passes for 794 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior.

Lawrence North Wildcats Monshun Sales (1) celebrates after catching a pass. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The pull of that win is the whole story. 247Sports analyst Tom Loy put it plainly after the pledge, saying the staff "absolutely prioritized him" and that landing the country's top receiver changes how recruits see the program. Cignetti built his rise on the transfer portal and overlooked talent. Now blue-chip high schoolers are choosing Bloomington on purpose.

Sales headlines a class heavy on four-stars. Edge rusher Myles Smith out of Michigan, in-state tackle Mason McDermott, North Carolina linebacker Jalaythan Mayfield and Ohio lineman Reinaldo Perez all committed this spring, and On3's industry composite counts 14 blue-chip prospects across the 17-person group. In-state tackle McDermott and Indianapolis receiver Branden Sharpe keep the best of the Hoosier State home.

Matt Campbell builds Penn State's 2027 class from scratch

Penn State's cycle looks different because the whole program does. James Franklin was fired in October, and Penn State hired Iowa State's Matt Campbell in December. Campbell inherited zero 2027 commitments when spring practice started and built a top class within months, leaning on the developmental, trench-first approach that worked in Ames.

Cornerback Kei'Shjuan Telfair from Euclid, Ohio, and Philadelphia defensive lineman Stanley Montgomery are the headliners, both top-110 players on On3's board.

Penn State Football head coach Matt Campbell speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tight end Cooper Terwilliger, tackle David Tarawallie, and receiver Landon Blum round out the group's higher-rated names. Only 14 percent of the class is from Pennsylvania, a sign of Campbell's national and Midwest reach.

The summer brought turbulence. Running back Aiden Gibson flipped to Rutgers. Receiver Jamir Dean went to Georgia. Alabama receiver Deshawn Hall picked Auburn, and top Pennsylvania receiver Khalil Taylor, who had once been committed under Franklin, chose Nebraska. Those losses cooled a class that started as a national darling.

Where both classes stand before the December signing period

Penn State sits at 22 commits, ranked No. 20 by 247Sports and No. 24 on On3's industry composite. Indiana holds 17 commits, ranked No. 31 on 247Sports and No. 29 on On3, with the five-star doing heavy lifting near the top.

There is time to add more. The early signing period for the 2027 class opens December 2, with the regular window following on February 3, 2027.

Indiana already flipped its attention to 2028, landing quarterback Lukas Prock a week after the Sales news.

Campbell, meanwhile, still has room to steady a board that lost several of its biggest targets.

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