Penn State football recruitment lived in a sense of bliss with the efforts head coach Matt Campbell and his staff made since settling down in Happy Valley. From regaining interest from five- and four-stars to earning early commitments from younger classes, it looked like everything was falling into place for the Nittany Lions in the most ideal way possible.
Matt Campbell secures first Class of 2028 commitment at Junior Day
On Monday, they were hit with a sense of reality and a familiar feeling of disappointment.
Five-star running back Kemon Spell announced his commitment to Georgia on Feb 2 via Rivals. Hayes Fawcett reported the news on Twitter/X that Spell picked the Bulldogs over not just Penn State, but Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Miami as well.
BREAKING: Five-Star RB Kemon Spell has Committed to Georgia, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 2, 2026
The 5’10 210 RB from McKeesport, PA chose the Bulldogs over Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Miami
He’s the No. 1 RB in the 2027 Class on all websiteshttps://t.co/bSeLYeRfyb pic.twitter.com/bCmGmUUdGE
Kemon Spell commits to Georgia after giving Penn State a second look in his recruitment
The McKeesport, Penn. native was an initial Penn State commit. He committed to the program on Aug. 2, 2024 and remained so until Oct. 12, 2025. Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin getting fired was the cherry on top for Spell to make this decision, but was already leaning in that direction given the team's poor Big Ten results.
The Fighting Irish took the lead in his recruitment following Franklin's firing, but once campbell was installed as the Nittany Lions' next head coach, Spell's interest in the program piqued again. Steve Wiltfong of Rivals logged an expert prediction, putting his eggs in Penn State's basket to land Spell.
The five-star, No. 1 running back from the Class of 2027, per 247Sports Composite rankings, said he was interested in Campbell and his staff. He didn't cross the Nittany Lions off his list completely, and things were looking up for them as they gained traction once more in Spell's recruitment. He is also the No. 7 overall recruit in the nation from his class and the top recruit from Pennsylvania.
Ultimately, Georgia came out on top. It wasn't a complete blindside as the Bulldogs were predicted as one point to land his commitment; but given the chain of events in a wild recruitment process for Spell, it appears like Georgia made a valiant surge back to the top, surpassing Notre Dame and eventually Penn State as well.