Edge commit from the class of 2025 Daniel Jennings reclassified in the spring and finally made his way to Happy Valley. The Princeton, W. Va. native got on campus on Saturday, June 29 after confirming that he's completed his high school requirements to graduate, according to On3's BlueWhite Illustrated.
Jennings committed to Penn State on July 31, 2024 and did not waste time with other schools, capping his offers at four. The four-star recruit was the No. 35 edge rusher of his class and No. 1 athlete from West Virginia. He was also the No. 396 overall recruit.
He visited the Nittany Lions on May 30, but before then Jennings decided that he wanted to move quickly past his high school career and get on the college field as soon as possible. He joins defensive end Max Granville, who's entering his redshirt freshman season with Penn State football, in reclassifying in order to get to Beaver Stadium one year earlier than expected. Granville, too, made it on campus just before camp in 2024.
Jennings signed with and enrolled at Penn State on May 20.
I’m Already Home Already!! pic.twitter.com/WYvYiCUJNA
— Daniel Jennings (@DanielJennings_) May 31, 2025
“It really had nothing to do with us [pushing the idea],” head coach James Franklin said in May, according to BlueWhite Illustrated. “[Jennings] wanted to reclass[ify]. Wanted to see if it could work from a Penn State perspective, if we had room to make it work . . . Part of it, I think, is that [his] high school coach left, and basically felt like, in some ways, he was ready."
Now the Nittany Lions have a strong two-way player as Jennings also saw time as a running back at Princeton High School. He totaled 1,300 yards and 23 touchdowns in his final high school season and was praised by Princeton head coach Keith Taylor. According to On3, Taylor said that Jennings is very coachable and slowly working into his role as a leader, being a positive energy for the teammates around him.
Penn State's other defensive ends for the 2025-26 season are freshmen, Dayshaun Burnett, Ryan Kemajou, Cortez Harris, and Chaz Coleman, redshirt freshmen Granville, Mylachi Williams, Jaylen Harvey, and Aidan Probst, redshirt sophomores Mason Robinson, Bobby Mears, and Jordan Mayer, redshirt junior Enai White, senior Dani Dennis-Sutton, and redshirt senior Zuriah Fisher. The Nittany Lions' defensive tackles for the upcoming season are freshman Randy Adirika, redshirt freshmen Xavier Gilliam, Liam Andrews, De'Andre Cook, and Owen Wafle, redshirt sophomore Ty Blanding, redshirt juniors Kaleb Artis and Sam Siafa, senior Zane Durant, and redshirt senior Alonzo Ford Jr.