Penn State’s Class of 2026 already holds two wide receiver commitments from Delaware native Jahsiear Rogers and Maryland’s Lavar Keys , but that’s not going to slow down the staff’s pursuit of other top prospects in the coming months.
Wide receiver coach Marques Hagans has strong ties in Virginia, and that sets up well for him in 2026 class, as the Nittany Lions have already offered a handful of players from that state. But there are also plenty of other playmakers to keep an eye on in Pennsylvania and across the East Coast.
Below is the latest insight on who we believe the staff is most intrigued with at wide receiver as we head into the 2024 high school football season.
Davion Brown
When you look across the four major recruiting services, Richmond, Va., native Davion Brown is the consensus top pick in the region at No. 74 nationally in the Industry Rankings . The Trinity Episcopal prospect also informed Chad Simmons this summer that Penn State is one of a few schools standing out. The other four are Auburn, Tennessee, USC and Virginia Tech. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound receiver will play a bunch of his games on Saturday this fall, but there are a few Friday night games sprinkled in. He also has a bye week the same week Penn State plays UCLA, so keep an eye on Oct. 5 for a potential visit.
Messiah Hampton
A three-star prospect by both On3 and in the Industry Rankings , Messiah Hampton doesn’t have the national recognition that some of these prospects do, but he’s absolutely a priority target for Penn State. The Rochester, N.Y., native has visited four times, although he wasn’t able to make it back to campus this summer. With that said, he’s already discussed attending the White Out game in November and we expect PSU’s staff to push for a visit earlier in the season, too. Listed at 6-foot, 170 pounds, Hampton earned offers from both Michigan and Ohio State this summer. Those schools will give him something to think about, but Penn State is off to a good start with the James Monroe prospect.
Connor Salmin
Virginia is deep at wide receiver this year and Woodgrove prospect Connor Salmin ranks among the best at No. 129 nationally in the Industry Rankings . He’s also among the top 20 receivers nationally. Athletically, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound athlete has already proven both on the track and at camps what he brings, running a sub-4.5 second 40-yard dash. He also put up some impressive numbers in the shuttle and broad jump. Three visits to Penn State so far, including July’s Lasch Bash, suggest the Lions are off to a good start. Clemson, Notre Dame and Ohio State also hosted Salmin this summer.
Elias Coke
Back in the spring, there were questions about whether Harrisburg prospect Elias Coke would outgrow the wide receiver at the college level. Now, we’re told that Penn State’s staff no longer has concerns about that. A one-on-one visit with the staff back on July 24 went really well, and with teammates Messiah Mickens and Kevin Brown already committed, you have to like the staff’s chances. Coke, who checks in at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, has visited State College seven times so far, which is more than double the amount he’s taken to any other school. Both Florida State and Rutgers also hosted him in July. Coke is ranked No. 289 nationally in the Industry Rankings and is the eighth-ranked player in Pennsylvania for the class.
Travis Johnson
Travis Johnson is the third Virginia wide receiver to make this list. At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, he had a very good showing at the Baltimore Under Armour camp in May, running a 4.5-second 40 and a broad jump that just missed 10 feet. The Oscar Smith prospect has family ties to West Virginia, but he’s also been to Penn State four times already. He checked out Miami, Texas A&M and returned to Morgantown during the July quiet period. Johnson is ranked No. 133 nationally in the Industry Rankings and No. 19 overall at wide receiver.
Other Notables
I would circle the five players above as the staff’s top targets currently, but there are plenty of other receivers to keep an eye on over the coming months. A few to keep an eye on include Nyqir Helton , Jerquaden Guilford and Ben Whitver . Helton plays for former Penn State running back Bill Belton at Winslow Twp. in New Jersey. We’ve had a few contacts point to Helton as a better prospect than 2025 four-star cornerback Cam Miller .
Both Guilford and Whitver camped at Penn State this summer. Guilford put up some very impressive numbers, while Whitver is currently a teammate of future Nittany Lion tight end Matt Henderson at Powhatan in Virginia. I would rank Guilford the highest of these three at the moment, but all of them are players to watch closely.
The Nittany Lions would also love to host South Carolina native Donovan Murph for a game this season. At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Murph holds a four-star rating in the Industry Rankings and has no shortage of top programs pursuing him, earning more than two dozen offers already. If Penn State can get some traction with Murph in the months ahead, he’d likely join the five players listed above. The staff seems to be very high on him.
I expect Penn State to also keep chipping away at another Virginia native, Dyzier Carter from Woodberry Forest . A Top 100 prospect according to On3, Carter was expected to attend the Lasch Bash on July 27. However, he ended up committing to Rutgers following a visit a day prior. That won’t deter the Nittany Lions from trying to get him on campus this fall.
Finally, keep an eye on two players who don’t hold an offer yet: Jacob Butler from Long Island Lutheran in New York Keontae Bumpers from King’s Fork in Virginia. Butler has visited twice before and will be a player that Penn State watches closely this fall. Bumpers currently holds one Power Four offer from Virginia Tech, but he has a handful of admirers inside Lasch. They’ll be watching his film closely in the months ahead.
The post Inside Lasch: An early look at Penn State’s top remaining wide receiver targets for the Class of 2026 appeared first on On3 .
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