Penn State’s 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes have fractured since the program fired James Franklin, and no program has taken bigger advantage than Notre Dame. Marcus Freeman had already been encroaching on James Franklin’s in-state recruiting control, earning commitment from three of Pennsylvania’s top 10 recruits in the 2026 class, including five-star safety Joey O’Brien, and now he’s making further inroads.
Notre Dame is predicted to land 2027 five-star running back Kemon Spell, who had been committed to Penn State since his sophomore season, but while Freeman and his staff wait for Spell, the top recruit in PA, to make it official, they added a commitment from PA four-star offensive lineman James Halter.
Halter is the No. 6 recruit in PA for 2027 and is Notre Dame’s fifth commit in the 2027 class. The Fighting Irish rank No. 4 in the country while Penn State, previously No. 1, no longer has a 2027 commit.
BREAKING: Four-Star IOL James Halter has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 22, 2025
The 6’5 270 IOL from Pittsburgh, PA chose the Fighting Irish over Penn State & Ohio State
“I’m home, go Irish ☘️”https://t.co/bzIRTMl5Os pic.twitter.com/h41kOUahGI
4-star OL James Halter commits to Notre Dame over Penn State
Halter plays his high school football at Central Catholic in Pittsburgh. Penn State has typically dominated recruiting in the WPIAL, District 7 of Pennsylvania football, and the Nittany Lions had three WPIAL 2027 commits: Spell, WR Khalil Taylor from Pine-Richland, and DB Gabe Jenkins from Imani Christian before Franklin’s dismissal. All three have de-committed, and Notre Dame, not Pitt or West Virginia, has been the primary beneficiary thus far.
Freeman has leaned on former Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider, who left Happy Valley for South Bend this offseason, in his pursuit of Spell and other Penn State running back commits. Seider’s familiarity with recruiting in PA is just another reason to worry about the Irish.
In-state recruiting is always a top priority whenever a head coach takes a new job. However, Notre Dame complicates that task for whoever replaces Franklin in Happy Valley. Penn State has the prestige and NIL warchest to outdo Pitt and WVU, the other top recruiting threats in Western PA, but Freeman has kicked Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts into overdrive since taking over for Brian Kelly in South Bend.
The Fighting Irish will likely continue to press their advantage in PA while the Penn State job remains vacant, and if the Nittany Lions ultimately miss out on many of the best players from talented in-state classes for 2026 and 2027, it could set the program back and lengthen the transitional period to the next coaching staff.