Penn State recruiting is dominating the state in 2026. Who could be next?
Penn State recruit Anthony Charles visits for the White Out game against Washington on Nov. 9, 2024. Joe Hermitt | [email protected]
Ever since James Franklin‘s introductory press conference over a decade ago, “dominate the state” — or more recently, “the best in PA stay in PA” — has been a mantra for Penn State recruiting. That approach has served the Nittany Lions well year after year.
Penn State recruit Joey OBrien visits for the Ohio State game on Nov. 2, 2024. Joe Hermitt | [email protected]
But when it’s all said and done — with big targets still to land — Penn State might have its greatest example of that slogan with the heralded and still growing 2026 recruiting class.
Penn State boasts 16 verbal commitments in its 2026 class, which ranks as high as No. 5 in the nation. Notably, almost half of the commits are Pennsylvania natives.
The Nittany Lions have seven Pa. prospects onboard in 2026, all ranking in the top 17 in the state. That includes the top overall talent and five of the top nine players, according to on3.
Penn State recruit Jackson Samuels Ford visits for the UCLA game on Oct. 5, 2024. Joe Hermitt | [email protected]
Harrisburg OT Kevin Brown: No. 1 Pa.; No. 59 overall
Harrisburg RB Messiah Mickens: No. 4 Pa.; No. 132 overall
Imani Christian CB David Davis: No. 8 Pa.; No. 278 overall
St. Joseph’s Prep DT Alex Haskell: No. 12 Pa.
Fort Cherry DB Matt Sieg: No. 17 Pa.
Considering it’s only May, that’s an impressive haul. But there’s still work to be done in convincing some of the best in the state to stay home.
The most Pa. players signed in a single Franklin class was 2015, when 12 prospects, including Saquon Barkley, bought in immediately to the “dominate the state” mantra. And if things fall Penn State’s way, this 2026 class could tie or even surpass that total.
As is the case every year, the Nittany Lions miss on one of two top Pa. prospects. So far in this cycle, Cumberland Valley’s Tyler Merrill — the No. 3 player in the state and the No. 8 offensive tackle in the country — is the one that got away after he committed to Notre Dame.
Franklin and the Nittany Lions are working to make sure Merrill is the only coveted in-state talent that leaves. Here’s who else the Nittany Lions are targeting in Pa.
(All rankings according to on3 unless otherwise noted.)
La Salle DB Joey O’Brien (No. 2 Pa.; No. 100 overall): This is the big fish. Some recruiting services have O’Brien as the top player in Pennsylvania, and he’s been treated as such with interest from Oregon, Notre Dame, Clemson, Michigan and Tennessee. It’s going to be a battle for Franklin and his staff to land O’Brien, and it’ll sting if they don’t get him.
La Salle OT Grayson McKeogh (No. 5 Pa.; No. 182 overall): Penn State would love to secure a commitment from O’Brien’s teammate, too. McKeogh’s stock has soared over the last few months. Notre Dame and Alabama are also interested in the 6-foot-7, 280-pounder.
Malvern EDGE Jackson Ford (No. 7 Pa.; No. 254 overall): Ford has been a regular visitor at Penn State and told PennLive that receiving an offer from Franklin was “an unreal feeling.” Other schools have noticed the fast-rising four-star, though. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder is also scheduled to take official visits to Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Kentucky.
Carrollton (Ga.) DB Dorian Barney: That isn’t a typo. Barney plays in Georgia. But the four-star cornerback, who ranks as high as No. 75 overall by Rivals, is an Erie native who only recently moved to the Peach State. So this is a “the best from PA come back to PA” kind of recruitment. The Alabama decommit visited last weekend.
South Fayette EDGE Anthony Charles (No. 14 Pa.): With Daniel Jennings reclassifying, the Nittany Lions don’t have a true edge rusher commit in the 2026 cycle. That will change, and there are plenty of prospects outside of the state they’re interested in. But keep an eye on Charles, the 6-foot-4 prospect who is set for an official visit next month.
Central Catholic EDGE Ashton Blatt (No. 15 Pa.): Penn State loves to pull from Central Catholic, signing Xxavier Thomas in the 2025 cycle and Anthony Speca and Peter Gonzalez in 2024. Could Blatt, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound three-star, be next up?
Riverside OL/DL Tavian Branch (No. 34 Pa.): Branch might not be among the highest-rated prospects in Pennsylvania, but he’s certainly one of the most recent risers. In the last month, he’s received offers from Alabama, Notre Dame and Florida. The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder could play either defensive tackle or interior offensive line at the next level.
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