Penn State not dominating the state in Class of 2025 recruiting cycle

Penn State head coach James Franklin made it verbally clear from the moment he stepped in front of a microphone in Happy Valley that the Nittany Lions would dominate the state in football recruiting. Franklin went so far as to suggest Penn State would dominate neighboring states like New Jersey and Maryland, suggesting those are Penn State’s home states for recruiting as well. And for the most part, Franklin and his staff have typically done well in keeping some of the state’s top recruits close to home.

Players like Saquon Barkley (no. 1 in Pennsylvania in 2015), Micah Parsons (no. 1 in Pennsylvania in 2018), and Nick Singleton (no. 1 in Pennsylvania in 2022) all decided to play for Penn State instead of leaving the state for other opportunities. Landing the state’s top recruit is always a goal for Penn State, but that does not always happen. But landing a good share of the state’s top 10, 15, or 20 players is always a realistic possibility for Penn State.

In the recent Class of 2024, Penn State signed eight of the state’s top 15 players, including no. 2 overall Cooper Cousins and no. 3 overall running back Quinton Martin Jr . That is not a bad ratio for Penn State in terms of keeping some of the state’s top talent from leaving.

So what is going on with the Class of 2025?

All seven of the top-rated players in Pennsylvania have already committed to programs outside of the state. The highest-ranked Pennsylvania recruit committed to Penn State is linebacker Dayshaun Burnett (no. 8 according to 247Sports), and tight end Brady O’Hara (no. 9) is also committed to Penn State. Penn State has four other commits from the top 20 players in Pennsylvania, but the Nittany Lions have swung and missed on some key recruiting targets from within the Commonwealth.

Penn State probably thought it had the inside track to the state’s top recruit, quarterback Matt Zollers from Royersford, but Zollers committed to Missouri . Michigan came in and swiped the no. 2 overall recruit in the state, tight end Andrew Olesh, and Ohio State claimed the no. 3, no. 4, and no. 6 recruits in the state; edge rusher Zahir Mathis, defensive lineman Maxwell Roy, and running back Isaiah West, respectively. All three of those players came out of Philadelphia. Penn State was most recently beat out for in-state wide receiver Lex Cyrus, who committed to South Carolina .

Missing out on some of these key in-state recruiting targets has hurt Penn State overall, although the Nittany Lions are still on track to secure a top-15 recruiting class. And that could push into the top 10 with a little more work to be done. Penn State currently has the no. 12 recruiting class in the nation according to the latest update from 247Sports. This is also not the first recruiting cycle where Penn State hasn’t locked down some of the state’s top-rated recruits.

The Class of 2021 saw Penn State land a commitment from just one of the state’s top-10 recruits (wide receiver Lonnie White Jr., and he ended up pursuing a career in professional baseball after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The highest-rated recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2021 from Pennsylvania ended up being tight end Khalil Dinkins. This was the same recruiting class that saw linebacker Jermiah Trotter Jr. (no. 2) go to Clemson and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (no. 7) go to Ohio State. On the other hand, the state’s top-rated recruit was offensive lineman Nolan Rucci . Rucci committed to Wisconsin but has come home to Penn State through the transfer portal this offseason.

Penn State also landed just three of the state’s top 50 players in 2019 with Keaton Ellis (no. 2), Joey Porter Jr. (no. 4), and Daequan Hardy (no. 17). Penn State’s Class of 2019 ranked no. 12 in the nation according to 247Sports despite that in-state recruiting production.

So is Penn State not landing most of the top-rated recruits in the state a major concern? It can depend on the overall quality available in the state and the current needs of the team. Each year is different based on both variables in play. Penn  State has missed out on some key players in the state this particular recruiting cycle, but the national recruiting footprint established so far by Penn State has helped to alleviate some of those concerns.

But this recruiting cycle in particular appears to have been a bit extra painful considering some of the players available who have decided to go elsewhere. Of course, only time will tell how much damage is being done.

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