While the Penn State coaching staff is certainly using this bye week to get prepared for Wisconsin so the team doesn’t have a letdown following their huge road win over USC last Saturday, they are also using this time to focus on some recruiting targets.
There are plenty of players [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his coaches are looking to secure in the 2025 cycle, evident by the number of flip targets they hosted for the UCLA game.
One of those players is elite four-star cornerback [autotag]Brandon Finney[/autotag], someone they thought surely would already be part of their class before he made a shocking announcement that he had committed to Oregon.
But despite that disappointing news, they have not given up hope that he will eventually change his mind and become a Nittany Lion.
They accomplished the first step by getting him back on campus to see a game, and while some intel suggested that visit went extremely well, Finney traveled to Oregon to see their matchup against Ohio State that could have solidified his decision.
However, it sounds like he is still open to the possibility of changing his commitment.
Finney told Chad Simmons of On3 that, while he’s still committed to Oregon, he’s still looking at other schools and specifically mentioned Penn State. His reason for that stems from the relationships he has built with the staff and that he has been a “priority” for them throughout his recruitment (subscription required).
That is huge news for the Nittany Lions.
While nothing changed on his commitment standing, the fact that he came out of that environment where Oregon beat one of the best teams in the country and he’s still not totally locked in means Penn State has a real shot to flip him before National Signing Day.
Ranked as the 55th-best player in the 2025 class and No. 6 at his position per On3’s Industry Ranking, he would become the best prospect for the Nittany Lions in this cycle.
If they’re able to complete this flip by battling one of the most NIL-rich programs in the country, that would be a massive win for Penn State on the recruiting trail.