The 2027 recruiting class is starting to show some serious cracks. Khalil Taylor chose Nebraska, and Aiden Gibson flipped to Rutgers. It’s still a solid group, but the overwhelming optimism surrounding Matt Campbell has certainly started to fade in Happy Valley.
The 2028 class, however, is off to a fantastic start for Campbell & Co. He and general manager Derek Hoodjer have just three commits in 2028, and one is a kicker, but the other two are blue-chip in-state recruits, the very thing that has frustratingly eluded them in the 2027 cycle.
One of those in-state four-stars is quarterback James Armstrong, an Aliquippa, PA native from Hopewell High School and the No. 10 QB in the class by 247Sports Composite. Armstrong is the centerpiece of the class, and the dynamic dual-threat lefty might just be the future of the program.
So now, Campbell’s task is to find elite skill talent to pair with him, which is especially important considering the loss of Gibson, the Taylor miss, and the lack of time to atone for those mistakes in the 2027 class. So, I decided to draw the blueprint for what the dream 2028 class would look like around Armstrong at wide receiver, running back, and tight end.
It’s a “dream” list, but it’s based in reality. It would be a dream to land all of these players, but it’s also, to varying degrees and for various reasons, possible.
WRs: Malachi Lee - 4-star Chantilly, VA (No. 38 overall) | Jaden Jones - 4-star Pittsburgh, PA (No. 182 overall)
I would love to say that a Jett Harrison flip is in the cards, but even for a dream scenario, that feels far-fetched. The five-star wide receiver, as his older brother did, is leaving St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia and heading straight to Columbus, Ohio, where he’ll no doubt be a thorn in Penn State’s side for three years or so.
So, instead, I present to you Malachi Lee, the No. 38 overall recruit in the class by 247Sports composite and the No. 8 wide receiver. The Northern Virginia product is situated right in an area that was a fertile recruiting ground for James Franklin. Now, it’s Matt Campbell’s turn to create a NOVA pipeline. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Lee perfectly fits the Penn State mold of a big, physical receiver, but he also has fantastic play-making ability once he gets the ball in his hands.
Jaden Jones, while he’s not as highly ranked, would be the in-state win Campbell has desperately been after and missed out on in 2027 with Matthew Gregory and Khalil Taylor. Also a big target at 6-foot-2, he’s more of a traditional straight-line deep threat, but he does it at a really high level, consistently winning jump balls.
With Lee and Jones, and maybe a third wide receiver for good measure (could I interest you in 6-foot-5 New Jersey four-star David Forster), Penn State would have a dynamic group of pass-catchers to develop alongside Armstrong, who has a big-time arm to test all levels of the field.
RB: Kevin Hartsfield - 4-star Covington, GA (No. 41 overall)
I wasn’t willing to take the big swing with Harrison at wide receiver, even on my dream list, but I’ll take it at running back. Do I think Penn State will ultimately land the No. 1 running back in the class? No. Is he a perfect fit for what Matt Campbell wants at 6-foot, 208 pounds with a physical between-the-tackles style and breakaway speed? Yes. Would that be awesome in the backfield to maximize Armstrong’s dual-threat capabilities? Also yes.
In a more realistic world, four-star Tahmere Brown from New Jersey is a name to watch and would be a solid addition, but he’s certainly undersized for a Taylor Mouser run game at 5-foot-11, 188 pounds.
TE: Jevyn Severson - Madrid, IA (No. 62 overall)
The No. 3 tight end in the country is also the No. 1 player in Iowa. You know, the state Matt Campbell just came from. It has clearly taken him time to establish relationships with top talent in PA, but maybe he already had them with top recruits in Iowa like Severson. As is the case with all of these players, Penn State has already offered him, and the Nittany Lions could certainly use his tackle-breaking ability.
Penn State has a case as Tight End U in college football. It’s also entering 2026 with three really good ones on its roster, and Mouser is likely to find a way to get them all on the field. The tight end position is going to be an important part of this program, so Severson would be a major addition.
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