The No. 1, five-star running back from the class of 2027, Kemon Spell, took a shot at Penn State. The high school junior was initially committed to the Nittany Lions' program, but announced his de-commitment following the firing of former head coach James Franklin.
Latest prediction for Penn State 5-star de-commit rubs salt in the wound
During Week 8, On3 spoke with Spell, and the former commit got brutally honest with his decision.
"I was leaning towards [de-committing] anyway regardless, because they started losing and I want to be in a winning program," Spell said to On3. "I want to be in a winning program, to be honest. They can’t win big games and that’s something I want to do . . . if you can’t do that at Penn State, then coach Franklin got fired and that just put me over the top."
During the non-conference slate, Spell stood by Penn State. He made a comment on social media saying he was staying in Happy Valley when fans questioned his loyalty. That was when the Nittany Lions were still on track to a winning record and a shot at the national championship. Spell attended the White Out game against Oregon and saw, in-person, the beginning of the end for Penn State.
5-star running back Kemon Spell makes harsh, but honest comment about Penn State
It's not surprising to hear that the running back was already veering on de-committing. Losing to the Ducks is an unfortunate blow, but losing to two unranked teams is not something top recruits want in their future team. Like Spell said, they want to be part of winning programs.
It's not like Penn State lost in the College Football Playoff. It lost two UCLA and Northwestern. Recruits don't want to be tasked with rebuilding a shattered program. Not only do the Nittany Lions need to find an upgrade from Franklin, but they aren't going to have the returning player power they had in 2025. Many players came back with unfinished business, and they're leaving the program with thoughts of "what if." The player and coaching rosters are rebuilding moving forward. That's not necessarily an enticing pitch to a high school student-athlete looking for the right path to a career in the NFL.
It's the brutal truth, but it's one that Penn State has to accept. It's not the team it thought it was or the team that recruits thought it was. A turnaround needs to happen in someway in order to make Happy Valley a considerable spot to be. After Saturday's loss to Iowa, it looks like athletic director Pat Kraft needs to hit a home run with a head coach hire to do so.