penn state football recruiting – Page 2

Penn State flips commitment of 2025 Ohio defensive back

Penn State r received a commitment from 2025 three-star Ohio defensive back

Penn State received some positive recruiting news to kick off its bye week on Monday afternoon when three-star 2025 Ironton (Ohio) defensive back [autotag]Josh Johnson[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions. Johnson committed initially to Louisville this summer but reopened his recruitment following an official visit to Penn State in June.

The six-foot-three defensive back had visited State College numerous times throughout his recruitment and became close with the staff and current players.

“They have one of the best defenses in college football right now,” Johnson said. “I feel like my relationship with the staff at PSU is great. I talk to a lot of people over there daily. I really love the energy when I’m there.”

Johnson is rated as a three-star by 247Sports, the No. 90 cornerback in the 2025 class and the No. 39 player in Ohio. The 247Sports Composite rankings have Johnson as the No. 83 cornerback nationally.

Due to his size, Penn State recruited Johnson as a cornerback, but he can move to safety if needed. Penn State’s 2025 class already has [autotag]Daryus Dixson[/autotag], [autotag]Jahmir Joseph[/autotag] and [autotag]Xxavier Thomas[/autotag] at cornerback. [autotag]Braswell Thomas[/autotag] is also a part of the class at safety.

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Penn State target Byron Baldwin decommitted from Indiana

Penn State looking to flip another commitment in their favor for the Class of 2025.

All across the country, programs are making some final pushes for prospects in the class of 2025 with early signing day only a couple months away on Dec. 4. Penn State is no different after they hosted multiple flip targets this past weekend to try and bolster their own class.

It’s been a different cycle than the Nittany Lions have become accustomed to since [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] took over, missing out on multiple elite in-state prospects and seeing some of their recruits decommit and head elsewhere.

Penn State has done a good job of flipping their own priority players, namely four-star Pennsylvania linebacker Cam Smith and four-star wide receiver Matthew Outten.

They could be close to landing another one after cornerback [autotag]Josh Johnson[/autotag], who was once seen as a lock to join this 2025 class, decommitted from Louisville and seems to be headed towards committing to the Nittany Lions.

Someone who became a target of theirs is four-star safety [autotag]Byron Baldwin[/autotag].

Interest in him really picked up after Antonio Branch flipped to Colorado coming off his official visit to Boulder.

Baldwin had been committed to Indiana since April 17 before announcing his own decommitment on Oct. 2 that put one of the best secondary players in the cycle back on the market. The Baltimore native is listed as the 190th-best player in the class and No. 17 at his position by On3’s Industry Ranking.

Penn State is firmly in the mix to land him, although they have some major competition by way of Colorado, who are the overwhelming favorites per On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine after his second visit; Florida, Missouri, UCLA, and Virginia Tech are also in the conversation.

Baldwin spoke with Phillip Dukes of On3 about his recruitment, sharing that he’s eyeing Nov. 15 as his new commitment date.

“Really I’m just looking at everything from a developmental standpoint and what really makes the most sense as in like, environmental wise, personnel wise, depth chart wise, just taking everything into consideration,” he said regarding what is going into his decision making process.

Penn State has not had him on campus since 2023, and with only two home games coming before he announces his commitment, that is not a lot of time for them to make a late push.

Still, the Nittany Lions seem to have interest in Baldwin and will likely see this one through until the end even if they can pull off some other flips in the meantime.

Where does Penn State stand with 2025 recruit Lex Cyrus?

This talented receiver from PA committed elsewhere, but Penn State is still hoping to keep him close to home.

Penn State was looking to make an impression on some of their top flip targets in the class of 2025 with some time remaining before early signing day on Dec. 4. But without a home game until Nov. 2, that put them in a tough situation regarding the recruiting calendar.

Fortunately, four high-profile flip targets were able to make it to Happy Valley last weekend for their game against UCLA, giving the program another opportunity to make a late move to boost their 2025 class.

One player they thought would for sure already be committed to them is [autotag]Lex Cyrus[/autotag], the four-star in-state wide receiver from Harrisburg who had long been a priority of [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and [autotag]Marques Hagans[/autotag].

However, he shocked everyone when he committed to South Carolina on July 11, leaving many people in the fanbase to be frustrated again regarding how the position was being recruited.

But, with time still remaining before he officially signs elsewhere, Penn State is not going to give up on this recruitment, and when he was back on campus this past weekend, Sean Fitz of BlueWhiteIllustrated detailed the full-court press they put on him (subscription required).

According to the insider, the staff “rolled out the red carpet” for Cyrus and his 11 teammates who attended the UCLA game.

The speedy wide receiver continued to get better and better throughout his high school career, applying his elite track speed onto the field and flying up recruiting boards where he became considered the sixth-ranked player in Pennsylvania and the No. 29 wide receiver in the class per On3’s Industry Ranking.

There was a major push within Cyrus’s internal camp for him to become a Nittany Lion, so when he committed elsewhere it was a disappointing development.

The tides could be turning on that front, though, according to Fitz, as there are a few things working in Penn State’s favor.

One is that South Carolina has added more wide receivers to their 2025 class, bringing their total up to five. While that might not be a huge deciding factor in his decision since Penn State would also have five if Cyrus flips, it also signals he might no longer be a priority in the Gamecocks’ eyes like he was previously.

The Nittany Lions have continued to recruit him hard, maintaining a good relationship with him and his family that could ultimately allow them to break through in this process.

Fitz noted that “things seem to be trending up” regarding Penn State getting him on board following his recent visit to Happy Valley last weekend, so this will continue to be a process to monitor.

Where does Penn State stand with 2025 recruit Bradley Gompers?

Penn State hoping to lure a commit away from a former James Franklin assistant.

The 2025 cycle has been an interesting one for Penn State regarding missing on high-profile in-state recruits they have been landing during [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]’s tenure, while also dealing with some decommitments that have also been rare since he’s been in charge.

The changing landscape of college football that includes an influx of finances through NIL has altered how programs around the country approach recruiting and how many prospects deal with their own recruitment.

Still, despite this recruiting cycle being different from ones in the past, the Nittany Lions have put together a very solid 2025 class they’re hoping to expand before early signing day on Dec. 4.

Penn State hosted four of their top flip targets this past weekend against UCLA, one of them being current Duke linebacker commit [autotag]Bradley Gompers[/autotag].

The Pittsburgh native popped up on the radar of the Nittany Lions late in the process, only getting a scholarship offer from Franklin on Sept. 17 of this year, but they have also had success with senior risers in the past that not only committed to the program, but also became good players during their careers.

Sean Fitz of BlueWhiteIllustrated laid out where Penn State stands in this process after getting him on campus (subscription required).

According to him, there’s a good chance the Nittany Lions can pull this one off even though he doesn’t want to go back on his word to Duke and their head coach Manny Diaz. However, Penn State is leaning on the local angle and how former teammates of his at Central Catholic are flourishing within the program, something that could also happen for him.

Gompers is a four-star recruit per On3’s Industry Ranking and the No. 11 player in the state of Pennsylvania, so they are going to push hard until signing day.

His visit last Saturday was unofficial, so he can still come back in an official fashion at some point during the upcoming weeks.

Fitz seems to be confident that this will go the way of Penn State at some point, marking the second successful flip they pulled off from Duke after another in-state linebacker, Cam Smith, also announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Aug. 8.

Where does Penn State stand with 2025 recruit Brandon Finney?

Will Penn State be able to flip this key recruiting target from another Big Ten program?

Penn State has done a good job in the 2025 recruiting class, but there are still some prospects they would like to add so they feel really good about what they accomplished in that cycle.

One of those recruits is [autotag]Brandon Finney[/autotag].

The elite four-star cornerback who is ranked as the No. 90 player overall in the class and the 10th-best player at his position per On3’s Industry Ranking, is certainly someone [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff feel got away when he surprisingly committed to Oregon.

Finney plays his high school football at McDonogh School in Maryland, a program that has become a virtual feeder school to Penn State with many of their best players winding up in Happy Valley.

It seemed like the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder would follow a similar path, but four days after he took an official visit to Eugene on June 21, he announced his commitment to Oregon.

But, that’s not stopping the Nittany Lions from continuing to go after him, and they made a huge first step this past weekend when they were able to get him back on campus for the first time since May 31 when he took a trip in an official capacity.

Sean Fitz of BlueWhiteIllustrated broke down everything that surrounds his potential flip status (subscription required), but here are the latest updates regarding when Penn State stands.

From a broad perspective, it doesn’t seem like Finney is leaning towards decommitting from Oregon at this point in time, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t actively taking trips to schools. He’s still taking visits, including one to Michigan in November that is official, and will be in Eugene to see the Ohio State game this weekend.

There’s a chance that solidifies his commitment and he shuts down all the trips he’s scheduled to take. Penn State is trying to get him back for the White Out Game on Nov. 9 since his high school is playing when the Nittany Lions host the Buckeyes the weekend before.

They’re hoping Finney continues to weigh his options beyond this weekend since they still view him as a crucial part of this class if they were able to land him.

Fitz thinks this one is still far from being finished, but Penn State will have their work cut out for them.

Where does Penn State stand with 2025 recruit Josh Johnson?

Momentum is building for a possible Penn State commitment from a three-star safety who recently backed out of his ACC commitment.

This past weekend was huge for Penn State on the recruiting trail.

With them not having another game in Happy Valley until Nov. 2 against Ohio State, that made it just over a month that the Nittany Lions would host a home game after they welcomed in UCLA this past weekend.

Because of that, [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff used that as a time to get some of their 2025 flip targets on campus before the upcoming early signing day on Dec. 4, as many recruits around the country who were committed to programs elsewhere are starting to change their minds.

Penn State hosted four high-profile players, one of them being cornerback [autotag]Josh Johnson[/autotag] who looked like a lock to join this class before he shockingly committed to Louisville.

But following his trip to campus this past weekend, there is real momentum in the favor of the Nittany Lions as he announced on social media that he’s decommitted from the Cardinals to reopen his recruiting.

Things could move fast now.

Ryan Snyder of On3 already put in a prediction that the 6-foot-2, 185-pound three-star cornerback will now commit to Penn State. Franklin and the staff continued to stay in contact with him when he was committed elsewhere, never giving up despite the frustrating earlier decision. Johnson said he doesn’t want to drag out his recruitment further, so there is a real chance he could announce his decision in favor of the Nittany Lions very soon (subscription required).

Penn State thinks he can be a versatile member of their secondary, potentially having him start at cornerback before moving to safety later in his career when he fills out a bit more.

That would be huge since three-star safety Antonio Branch flipped from Penn State to Colorado that left a void in their class.

Getting Johnson on board would be huge, and based on this intel, it seems like the Nittany Lions might secure their first flip target coming out of this past weekend.

Penn State emerges as favorite for recent ACC decommit

Penn State could be about to add another piece to its Class of 2025.

The writing could potentially be on the wall as Penn State is hoping to add another piece to its Class of 2025. Just days after hosting one potential safety in the recruiting class, that same player has backed off his commitment to an ACC school. Now, Penn State appears to be in a good position on the recruiting trail.

Josh Johnson, a three-star safety from Ironton, Ohio, announced on social media he has decommited from Louisville. The announcement comes after Johnson took an unofficial visit to Penn State this past weekend for the UCLA game.

Johnson previously committed to Louisville in June. Ironically, he committed to Louisville a week after an official visit to Penn State. Johnson is certainly very familiar with Penn State. With his trip this past weekend, Johnson has taken three trips to Happy Valley in the calendar year, and he was an unofficial visitor last November as well.

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The decommitment form Louisville by Johnson also comes as the Cardinals have dropped two straight games to Notre Dame and SMU. Penn State will look to keep its undefeated record going this weekend with a tough road game at USC. The Nittany Lions have climbed into the top-five of the national polls after starting the season 5-0.

Penn State’s Class of 2025 currently ranks no. 14 in the 247Sports composite rankings. The Nittany Lions have the fourth-highest ranked recruiting class in the Big Ten.

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Penn State fans impressed 2026 target with ‘insane’ atmosphere

This Penn State recruiting target was impressed by incredible atmosphere for UCLA game.

Last Saturday might have been a lackluster game for Penn State on paper when taking on a poor UCLA team, but it was a huge weekend for the Nittany Lions in terms of recruiting.

Plenty of high-profile targets were in Happy Valley to watch Penn State stay undefeated and climb the rankings following the carnage that took place around the country last weekend.

The Nittany Lions had multiple flip targets in the 2025 cycle on campus as the coaching staff makes their final push to get some more players on board in that class before National Signing Day, but they also have their eye on future cycles with multiple priority recruits making their way into town for the game.

One of those players was in-state 2026 recruit [autotag]Jackson Ford[/autotag].

The Phoenixville native revealed he grew up a Penn State fan, but he also said he had never been to Beaver Stadium to watch a game in person before, so this trip was his first time getting to experience everything that comes from gameday.

It’s safe to say he was blown away based on what he told Ryan Snyder of BlueWhiteIllustrated, describing the atmosphere as “insane” and telling him it was one of the loudest stadiums he’s ever been in since he could barely hear the person next to him (subscription required).

Playing on both sides of the ball in high school as a tight end and defensive end, the Nittany Lions reportedly view him as a defensive prospect for them and are recruiting him as such.

Ford doesn’t have a rating by the four national recruiting services right now, but that’s not stopping Penn State from going after the 6-foot-3, 240-pounder.

His recruitment is starting to take off with 12 scholarship offers to date that are primarily from Power 4 conference schools.

He is coming off a visit to Michigan and will travel to see Rutgers this upcoming weekend, but also told Snyder that he will be back in Happy Valley for the White Out Game.

Multiple flip candidates were on campus for Penn State’s win over UCLA

Will Penn State’s win over UCLA lead to any of these commits to flipping to PSU?

Penn State remained undefeated by beating UCLA on Saturday, but the sleepy performance didn’t exactly put up a dominating difference on the scoreboard.

Not having [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] available like they expected prior to the game certainly changed some things, and with the massive USC matchup coming up next, it was understandable why they might have just tried to get out of this one by not showing too much on both sides of the ball.

Ultimately, the Nittany Lions accomplished that goal, never really having to break a sweat against the Bruins that now allows them to put their full attention on a Trojans team who is coming off an upset against Minnesota.

Perhaps the most interesting thing for Penn State this past weekend occurred off the field regarding many of their flip targets in the class of 2025 who were on campus.

Per Tyler Calvaruso of 247Sports, South Carolina wide receiver commit [autotag]Lex Cyrus[/autotag], elite Oregon cornerback commit [autotag]Brandon Finney[/autotag], Duke linebacker commit [autotag]Bradley Gompers[/autotag], and surprise Louisville cornerback commit [autotag]Josh Johnson[/autotag] all made their way to Happy Valley to take in this game (subscription required).

These four prospects represent who [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his coaching staff are going to heavily pursue to close out the 2025 cycle.

Cyrus has long been a target of the Nittany Lions, and his decision to commit to South Carolina was shocking to many inside the program and inside his own family. They are not going to give up on him until he officially signs with the Gamecocks.

Similarly, Johnson was seen as someone who was going to commit to Penn State before his recruitment took a turn out of nowhere and gave his verbal to Louisville.

Finney is someone the Nittany Lions would love to add to this class, and when he committed to Oregon that was a real kick to the stomach since he’s from the McDonogh School that’s been a borderline feeder program to Penn State. However, getting him on campus for the first time since his June official visit could be a good sign his options are still open considering he’s been traveling around to other schools as well.

Gompers has picked up a ton of internal steam, offering him a scholarship last month and getting him on campus for the first time. There’s a real possibility that he could flip in Penn State’s direction.

If Franklin and his staff can pull off even one of these flips, that would be a huge win. Anything more than that would be an incredible turn of events for this 2025 class that has some holes in it and could be bolstered by landing multiple prospects who just visited this past Saturday.

Penn State is making push for 2025 four-star safety commit

Will Penn State be able to flip this commit from another Big Ten school?

Penn State is trying to figure out how to backfill their loss of Antonio Branch who flipped to Colorado this past weekend after his official visit to Boulder. Whenever commits take trips to see other programs before they have signed their national letter of intent, there’s a possibility of that happening.

The Nittany Lions might have been a bit caught off guard, but based on the reporting of recruiting insiders, they also might have foreseen this coming based on who they have been in communication with at that position.

With Branch no longer part of the 2025 class, Penn State is turning to some other options and might be trying to pull off a flip of their own.

According to Brian Dohn of 247Sports, they have began ramping up their pursuit of current Indiana commit Byron Baldwin by extending him a scholarship offer earlier in the week. The Nittany Lions aren’t the only ones going after him either, with Colorado having him on campus last weekend in an official capacity. Baldwin said he’s still “firmly committed” (subscription required).

Ranked as a four-star prospect by 247Sports, Penn State has had the Baltimore native on their radar for a while, tracking him while he was enrolled at his previous school before he transferred to St. Frances Academy for his senior season.

Following the scholarship offer, the Nittany Lion will look to get him on campus for a visit, trying to build a relationship and potentially getting him into this class.

Ranked as the 20th-best safety in the cycle, he would certainly be a great backfill for the departed Branch.