Incoming Penn State football head coach Matt Campbell has to hit the ground running in recruitment for the Nittany Lions. Their duo from the Early Signing Period, edge rusher Jackson Ford and quarterback Peyton Falzone, isn't going to cut it. While Campbell has his own recruiting classes to help that out, his resume can help draw former commits back into Happy Valley.
One key recruit to target is five-star running back Kemon Spell.
Spell is the No. 1 running back in the country and recruit out of Pennsylvania. He is also the seventh ranked athlete from the Class of 2027. Spell initially committed to Penn State on Aug. 2, 2024 and remained so until incoming Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin was fired. On Oct. 12, Spell announced his de-commitment.
Since then, he received offers from Nebraska, Oregon, and Ole Miss. He's also projected to land with Georgia, who extended Spell an offer on Oct. 8 when he was toying with the idea of de-committing from the Nittany Lions.
While Spell is predicted to hop over to the SEC, Campbell's resume can be enticing enough to sway him back.
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery played under Campbell from 2016-18. As a Cyclone, Montgomery totaled 525 carries for 2,442 yards and 23 touchdowns. He had an addiction 58 receptions for 454 yards as well over his three seasons at Iowa State. In 2019, the running back was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third down, going 73rd overall.
In his NFL career, Montgomery has 1,448 carries for 6,002 yards and 58 touchdowns with 228 receptions for 1,862 yards and four receiving scores.
New York Jets running back Breece Hall is also a Campbell product. From 2019-21, Hall played for the head coach. He had 718 carries for 3,941 yards and 50 touchdowns. Hall had 734 receiving yards and six scores on 82 catches as well. In the 2022 NFL Draft, he went 36th overall, going in the second round to the Jets.
With New York, Hall has 699 carries for 3,167 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. He registered 182 receptions for 1,601 yards and nine additional touchdowns as well.
Elite rushers coming from Campbell's tenure at Iowa State is a great pitch to sell Spell and can be the first step in reviving Penn State Class of 2027 while it bandages the wounds from the Class of 2026.