Deonte Flemings' commitment unknowns just got less intense with No. 1 CB set to visit Penn State

With college football starting back up, so is recruiting. Penn State head coach Matt Campbell wasn't as successful as he would've liked in his first cycle with the 2027 class, missing out on quite a few highly-touted prospects who the Nittany Lions were on the brink of landing.

Shifting his focus to the 2028 class, things are already veering in a better direction. Only three recruits are committed in this class: cornerback Deonte Flemings Jr., quarterback James Armstrong, and kicker Carter Petri. Armstrong is especially the kind of recruit the blue and white want from a culture-standpoint and in regards to landing in-state talent.

Pennsylvania has to be a point of emphasis in this cycle after whiffing on some, such as wide receiver Khalil Taylor, this past summer. However, Campbell had done well in the Northeast as a region overall and should continue that trend. Over the weekend, he'll have an opportunity to sway the No. 1 cornerback in the 2028 class closer toward committing to Penn State.

Penn State set to host No. 1 CB in 2028 class, Nasir Richardson during Week 1

Nasir Richardson is a four-star prospect ranked No. 12 overall, No. 1 at cornerback, and No. 1 out of New Jersey, per Rivals Industry. In 2025, he totaled 35 tackles, four interceptions, and two tackles for loss, according to stats reported by 247Sports.

Richardson told Steve Wiltfong of Rivals that he will be in Happy Valley for the Nittany Lions' Week 1 matchup vs. Marshall and that he could see himself fitting in with the Penn State program for his college career.

This is Richardson's fourth time on campus after previously visiting in June and March. He was also on campus in June 2025 when former head coach James Franklin was still in charge. One staff member who didn't change, though, is associate head coach/cornerbacks coach Terry Smith.

Rutgers is the only other school Richardson has visited more than once, but he's only been there twice. Him taking a fourth visit to Penn State vs. the school located just 20 miles from him speaks volumes to Smith's recruitment success. Campbell continues reaping the benefits of retaining Smith on the staff during the coaching change.

Landing the No. 1 cornerback would be huge for Campbell, Smith, and the rest of the staff. Flemings isn't a lock, despite the commitment status. Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Ole Miss haven't thrown in the towel on the blue-chip talent's recruitment, and Flemings isn't shutting anything down either. In fact, he essentially told Rivals that he's still open to other schools. Texas A&M and Tennessee are also still actively in the mix.

One game-day visit won't secure Richardson, especially with him being the No. 1 cornerback in the class, but it's a huge step forward. His first 2026 game-day visit is with Penn State and he already feels like Happy Valley could be his home.

With Flemings' commitment on the rocks, making good progress with Richardson is essential. While it would be ideal for Campbell to retain Flemings and also land Richardson, swapping blue-chip talent with blue-chip talent wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

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