On Friday, Feb. 13, Penn State football got more hopeful news in Class of 2027 recruitment. Throughout the month, head coach Matt Campbell made good progress with three-star, four-star, and even five-star recruits. The Nittany Lions have also been humbled by recruits committing to different programs or leaving them out of their finalists lists.
This 4-star cornerback might be the recruitment boost Matt Campbell needs
While a commitment isn't anything to anticipate any time soon, Penn State has another recruit to look forward to: five-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou.
Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported Fakatou's top 10 schools on Friday. Alongside the Nittany Lions, the list features Big Ten rivals Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and Oregon. Notre Dame, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, and Miami also made it into his top 10.
NEWS: Elite 2027 DL Marcus Fakatou is down to 10 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 13, 2026
The 6’7 275 DL from Riverside, CA is ranked as the No. 2 DL in the ‘27 Class (per Rivals Industry)
Where Should He Go? ⬇️ https://t.co/uJVAahWizB pic.twitter.com/pU4ReYJbUV
Penn State makes it into five-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou's top 10
Per 247Sports Composite rankings, Fakatou is ranked 35th overall from the Class of 2027 and is the No. 2 defensive lineman. The Orange, Calif. native is also the No. 3 prospect out of California. In 2025, according to his statistics recorded on MaxPreps, he registered 69 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hurries, seven sacks, and two passes defensed. On special teams, he also blocked eight field goals.
Earning attention from five-star recruits is great news upfront, but Campbell needs the extra step now. Since missing out on five-star running back Kemon Spell, five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, and four-star wide receiver Javien Robinson, Penn State remains commitment-less with the Class of 2027.
It's one thing to foster prospects' interest, which Campbell and the Nittany Lions are doing well with, but it's another to have those prospects follow-through. Campbell must beat out top programs to land these four- and five-star recruits, and he doesn't have much to work with aside from his vision for the blue and white.
He doesn't have the results on paper to prove to recruits that Penn State is the spot for them. With the Class of 2027, he doesn't necessarily have much time to do that. The 2026 regular season has to be convincing enough to either have recruit re-open their recruitment to pursue the Nittany Lions (if they already committed to other programs at that point) or swing recruits' decisions in favor of them.