There are ripple effects to firing a coach, and the first ones are often seen on the recruiting trail. James Franklin’s 2027 recruiting class was already beginning to splinter heading into the weekend, with the surprise de-commitment of four-star wide receiver Khalil Taylor and five-star running back Kemon Spell’s statement that he was no longer “100% with Penn State,” but since the program moved on from its veteran head coach, the class has fractured.
All four 2027 recruits have de-committed from the program, an expected turn after the unexpected firing. Much of the 2026 class, though much closer to their signing day, is reconsidering their options, too. Two 2026 recruits have de-committed from Penn State, and eight others have reopened their recruitment, while keeping ties to Happy Valley.
2026 de-commitments:
- WR: Davion Brown, 4-star, Richmond, VA
- WR: Lavar Keys, 3-star, Hyattsville, MD
2027 de-commitments: (All)
- RB: Kemon Spell, 5-star, McKeeseport, PA
- OT: Layton Von Brandt, 4-star, Middleton, DE
- DB: Gabe Jenkins, 4-star, Pittsburgh, PA
- Khalil Taylor, WR, 4-star, Pittsburgh, PA (two days prior to firing)
2026 Reopened recruiting:
- LB: Terry Wiggins, 4-star, Coatesville, PA
- WR: Jahsiear Rogers, 4-star, Middleton, DE
- S: Matt Sieg, 4-star, McDonald, PA
- CB: Julian Peterson, 3-star, Atco, NJ
- OT: Tavian Branch, 3-star, Taylor, PA
- ATH: David Davis, 4-star, Pittsburgh, PA
- DL: Isaac Chukwurah, 3-star, Bear, DE
- S: Darrell Carey, 3-star, Hyattsville, MD
Franklin is not the best recruiter in the country, but he’s routinely kept Penn State inside the top 20 nationally, and the Nittany Lions are perennially a “blue-chip ratio team,” CBS Sports college football analyst Bud Elliott’s formula for identifying the most talented rosters in the country. Still, the cracks in the 2027 class, which coincided with Franklin’s losing streak this season, may have hastened athletic director Pat Kraft’s decision to move on.
Now, Kraft is tasked with hiring another talented recruiter, not just to salvage Franklin’s 2026 group, but to build a talented 2027 class from scratch. Penn State, especially on offense, will have its depth chart gutted by graduation this year, so whoever the next head coach is, they will need to rebuild through high school and the transfer portal quickly.