Penn State football is trying to hold onto the last bits of a once-stellar recruiting class, beginning with the early national signing day Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Nittany Lion recruiting is desperately attempting to survive an untenable six weeks without a permanent, stabilizing head coach since James Franklin was fired.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis 2026 recruiting class, once ranked among the nation's top 15, has lost three-quarters of its members to de-commitments, a trend hastened by Franklin's recent hiring by Virginia Tech. The losses include national star offensive lineman Kevin Brown (to West Virginia) and running back Messiah Mickens (to Virginia Tech).
Penn State only has seven verbal pledges remaining in the lead-up to signing day, and most of those have been taking recruiting visits elsewhere.
Only four-star defensive end Jackson Ford, from Malvern Prep, about 25 miles West of Philadelphia, has publicly confirmed his plan to sign with Penn State.
The Lions do not expect to add any new prospects until a new head coach is hired.
Coatesville linebacker Terry Wiggins recovers a fumble that was ruled out of bounds, allowing Pennridge to maintain possession in a District One Class 6A semifinal playoff game, on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at Helman Field in Perkasie. With a 17-14 win, the Rams advance to the district finals.Penn State football recruiting needs
The Lions hope to hang on to as many of their seven remaining verbal commitments as possible (six on defense, one on offense).
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe highest-rated future Lion is four-star safety Matt Sieg of McDonald, Pa.
Penn State football recruiting rankings
The Lions' seven-member class is ranked only 120th now by 247Sports because of its abnormally small number. It is last in the Big Ten, trailing Nebraska (104th, nine commitments) in the Big Ten.
The class is ranked 84th by Rivals.
Penn State football recruiting class 2026
The Lions still hold verbal commitments from seven players: safety Matt Sieg (McDonald, Pa.), defensive end Terry Wiggins (Coatesville, Pa.), defensive end Jackson Ford (Malvern, Pa.), linebacker Tyson Harley (Washington, D. C.), offensive lineman Benjamin Eziuka (Novi, Michigan), linebacker Mathieu Lamah (Nokesville, Virginia) and cornerback Amauri Polydor (Baltimore).
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen is the early national signing day?
The early national signing day is Wednesday, Dec. 3. It is the first day high school seniors can make their verbal commitments binding. The early signing period last from Dec. 3 through Dec. 5.
When is the late national signing day?
The traditional, or "late," national signing day is Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. It marks the ending of the 2026 recruiting cycle.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football recruiting needs at early signing day 2026
AdvertisementAdvertisement