Penn State football's class of 2026 is slimming by the second following former head coach James Franklin's departure from the program after a 0-3 start in Big Ten play. Four-star interior offensive lineman Kevin Brown, one of the Nittany Lions' top recruits in the class alongside safety Matt Sieg, announced two upcoming visits that should have Penn State fans worried.
Penn State on the verge of losing top-ranked 2026 commit to West Virginia
A trip to West Virginia was penciled into Brown's calendar first and the announcement of his visit to No. 1 Ohio State released very soon after. Brown is set to visit the Buckeyes in Week 10 when they face the Nittany Lions at home, according to Rivals.
Like West Virginia, this is a major trip Brown will take. Brown did not announce a de-commitment, but visiting Ohio State during a week when they're expected to dominate against Brown's current team is not good news for Penn State.
Penn State 4-star IOL commit Kevin Brown plans to visit Ohio State and West Virginia this week, @adamgorney reports✈️
— Rivals (@Rivals) October 28, 2025
Read: https://t.co/TomHmoU49f pic.twitter.com/whBzfF9F6e
Brown is the No. 4 offensive tackle from his class and the 59th ranked recruit, according to 247Sports. He is also a Pennsylvania native, something Penn State did well with before firing Franklin. Losing in-state commits is not a good look for the blue and white, especially high-ranked ones.
The high school senior received 17 offers, but only took one visit on May 30 to Happy Valley. It seemed like a lock that the Nittany Lions were his future. Now, it would be shocking if Brown sticks around with Penn State given the trajectory of the season and recent coaching events only hurting a shattered team more.
The only way the Nittany Lions can truly take control over the situation and turn the tide back in their favor is by pulling off the upset on Saturday.
Other schools that expressed interest in Brown were Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kent State, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
A flip is brewing, and it would be disheartening for Brown to de-commit from Penn State and re-commit to Ohio State after watching the reigning national champions embrass the Nittany Lions.