Western Pennsylvania was once a recruiting battleground between Penn State, Pitt, and West Virginia before James Franklin seized control of the WPIAL talent pipeline. Then, that pipeline was dismantled when Penn State moved on from James Franklin this season.
Since firing Franklin, Penn State has had 19 de-commitments, and none were more consequential than McKeeseport 2027 five-star running back Kemon Spell. Spell is a top-10 player in the country, and the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania. While Penn State’s loss to Oregon began to fracture his loyalty to the program, his official de-commitment came immediately after Franklin was dismissed.