Penn State football's Class of 2027 isn't littered with blue-chip prospects, but head coach Matt Campbell worked his way from zero to five in just over a month.
With official visit season kicking off for the Nittany Lions this weekend, Campbell's also hoping to add four-star wide receiver Khalil Taylor to his class. The addition of Taylor wouldn't just be a sixth blue-chip prospect, he would be only the fifth Pennsylvania commit and first blue-chip commit from the state as well.
That's where Campbell fumbled with his Class of 2027, despite putting together an early top 10 recruitment class with 20 players so far. Pennsylvania hasn't been a hot spot for the Nittany Lions, and Campbell's latest offers prove that he's trying to bounce back from those misses with early Class of 2028 offers.
Penn State offers 2028 four-star offensive lineman Nick Anderson and four-star cornerback Kia Jones Jr.
On Wednesday, the Nittany Lions extended offers to two four-star recruits: offensive lineman Nick Anderson and cornerback Kia Jones Jr.
Both prospects are from Pennsylvania and ranked in the top 10 among recruits from the state, according to Rivals Industry Rankings. Anderson is ranked eighth and Jones Jr. is ranked 10th.
Penn State football offered 2028 Kiski Area (PA) offensive lineman Nick Anderson following its prospect camp on Wednesday. He is the son of Nittany Lion letterman Bill Anderson.
— Basic Blues Nation (@basicblues) June 4, 2026
Anderson is a four-star and top-10 recruit out of Pennsylvania in the 2028 cycle, per the 247Sports… pic.twitter.com/OSrbkfi4mX
Anderson is also ranked No. 233 nationally and No. 12 among interior offensive linemen from the class, per Rivals. He has offers from West Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Virginia Tech so far.
On Wednesday, he attended Penn State's camp and showed off his agility. Anderson is a three-sport athlete at Kiski Area, playing basketball and competing in track and field as well.
His father, Bill Anderson, also attended and played for Penn State as an offensive lineman.
Campbell's prioritized installing a new culture rooted in Nittany Lion history. For instance, he's brought back former players to speak to the team and stay connected to the program. In recruitment, that priority is evident as well, extending offers to talented prospects that have Penn State connections.
Wow! Extremely blessed to receive an offer from Penn state! @CoachMC_PSU @CoachTerryPSU @theking1 @CoachStorino @Coachstorinod
— 4⭐️Kia jones jr (@Kiajonesjr4_) June 3, 2026
@BrandonHuffman @RyanSnyderOn3 @GregSmithRivals @adamgorney @GregBiggins @Andy_Villamarzo @SWiltfong_ @TomLoy247 @thechadsimmons pic.twitter.com/WAHnD6vZtd
Jones Jr. is the No. 323 recruit nationally and No. 34 cornerback, per Rivals rankings. He also has offers from Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Mississippi State.
The cornerback is also a Pittsburgh, Penn. native. It's uncertain which schools Jones Jr. is high on, but this is a potential in-state battle Campbell faces with the Panthers.
One thing is certain, though. Campbell must can't miss on in-state recruits like he did with the Class of 2027. Talent in the Nittany Lions' backyard should be a recruiting jackpot, but losing these recruitment battles isn't a good look for the first-year head coach.
While the current class isn't short on talent and Campbell's done an impressive job hitting the ground running, the next recruitment cycle should reflect the depth of Pennsylvania's prospects. Anderson and Jones Jr. are just two of them Campbell has at his fingertips, and extending these offers early proves that Campbell's going to attack Pennsylvania hard for these blue-chip players.
Add us as a preferred source on Google