Penn State football currently has the No. 1 recruiting class of rising high school juniors with four commits and potentially a four-star quarterback on the way. Just as important as it is for head coach James Franklin to win recruitment battles and make significant flips with high-ranked recruits, keeping his current commits with the Nittany Lions will be another factor as to whether he stays afloat or tumbles down in the national rankings just like he did with the class of 2026.
Five-star running back Kemon Spell is going to be that first challenge he faces from his current quartet. The No. 1 running back and No. 9 overall recruit in the country is a McKeesport, Penn. native who committed to Penn State on Aug. 2, 2024, but that doesn't mean he isn't still considering other options.
Kemon Spell says six schools can sway his interest and successfully flip his commitment from Penn State
Spell told On3's Hayes Fawcett that although he's been committed to the Nittany Lions' program for over a year now, six schools haven't hopped off his radar. Ohio State, Tennessee, USC, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Michigan each have a shot at flipping the five-star, elite recruit.
He plans on visiting each team on game days and he's kicking it off with Ohio State v. Texas during Week 1 in Columbus. The Nittany Lions will host their commit on Sept. 27 against Oregon. Spell also had visits already scheduled with the Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide, but he added USC, Michigan, and Tennessee visits to his calendar this fall.
Five-Star Penn State RB commit Kemon Spell says these 6 schools have the best shot at flipping him, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 26, 2025
The No. 1 RB in the 2027 class will take gameday visits to each, starting this weekend at Ohio State
Read: https://t.co/41XivaYriX pic.twitter.com/igOoBhlXYq
Spell already started his high school football season. After a 2024 sophomore season with a 157 carries for 1,681 yards and 24 touchdowns, he didn't take his foot off the gas. He opened the first game of the 2025 season with a 98-yard kickoff return and followed it up with a 56-yard touchdown on his first carry of the game. Spell had three additional scores and totaled 13 carries for 293 yards.
Clearly, the running back is a hot target for colleges and it'll be a tough battle for Penn State to keep him at State College. Right now, according to Rivals, the Nittany Lions have a 60.3 percent chance of keeping Spell in their recruitment class. If Franklin can secure him, it'll be a huge win for his team, especially given his struggles in landing a five-star headliner in the class of 2026 and current problems reeling in a class of 2027 quarterback.