Penn State’s 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes have fractured since the program fired James Franklin, and no program has taken bigger advantage than Notre Dame. Marcus Freeman had already been encroaching on James Franklin’s in-state recruiting control, earning commitment from three of Pennsylvania’s top 10 recruits in the 2026 class, including five-star safety Joey O’Brien, and now he’s making further inroads.
Notre Dame is predicted to land 2027 five-star running back Kemon Spell, who had been committed to Penn State since his sophomore season, but while Freeman and his staff wait for Spell, the top recruit in PA, to make it official, they added a commitment from PA four-star offensive lineman James Halter.