On Friday night three-star wide receiver and 2026 Penn State recruit Jerquaden Guilford announced his de-commitment from the Nittany Lions. The Indiana native chose James Franklin’s program in December but has quickly re-opened his recruiting process.
— Jerquaden“G2”Guilford (@QuayGuilford) February 28, 2025
With the loss of the three-star receiver, Penn State’s 2026 class dropped from No. 4 nationally to No. 5 according to 247Sports Composite Team Rankings. Now with eight commitments for 2026, Franklin and wide receivers coach Marques Hagans still have two receiver commits three-stars Jahsiear Rogers and Lavar Keys.
Wide receiver has been a position of desperate need for the Penn State program. Following the Nittany Lion’s College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl in January, Franklin, Hagans, and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki completely overhauled the wide receiver room.
Last year’s two leading receivers – aside from star tight end Tyler Warren who is heading to the NFL – Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans fled to the transfer portal. Wallace and Evans will be replaced by incoming transfers Kyron Hudson from USC and Devonte Ross from Troy. Both Hudson and Ross have just one year of eligibility remaining, so they are not long-term solutions at a position where the Nittany Lions have been weak for multiple years.
As a three-star recruit, Guilford was likely not a future superstar for the program. The 6-foot-2 190-pound playmaker is the 100th-ranked wide receiver in the 2026 class. The Nittany Lions need to continue stockpiling depth after adding three wide receivers in the 2025 class: four-star Matthew Outten, and three-stars Koby Howard and Lyrick Samuel.
Penn State may not be out of the mix for Guilford who still has love for the coaching staff in Happy Valley, but whether he rejoins the 2026 class or not, Franklin and Hagans will be looking for more talented wide receivers.