Penn State could lose elite 2027 commit to familiar foe on the recruiting trail

After Notre Dame defeated Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl, Marcus Freeman went after the Nittany Lions again, poaching running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider from James Franklin’s staff. While Seider is an excellent position coach and was a key member of the Penn State staff, that’s not the worst of it. 

Now that Seider is in South Bend, he’s looking to bring his former recruits with him. Seider and Notre Dame have scheduled an official visit for 2026 Penn State running back recruit Messiah Mickens, a longtime commit to the Nittany Lion’s class. The four-star running back appeared to be the focus of Seider’s efforts, but then on Monday, he began his push for another Pennsylvania back that he had helped recruit to Penn State. 

Notre Dame extends offer to 2027 four-star running back Kemon Spell

Kemon Spell committed to play for the Nittany Lions last August before he even played a snap as a high school sophomore at McKeesport High School in Western PA. Since that commitment, Spell has shot up to five-star status for some recruiting outlets and is a consensus top 30 player in the 2027 class. 

Spell has also received interest and offers from Tennessee and UCLA after committing to the Nittany Lions, but none felt like nearly as big a threat as Notre Dame. Seider recruited Spell to Penn State after just his freshman year in high school, a dominant season that allowed him to become one of the first players to commit in the entire 2027 class. Now, Seider is looking to leverage that long-term relationship for the benefit of his new team. 

Seider was one of Penn State’s most important coaches on the staff and it’s no surprise that players he recruited are interested in following him to South Bend. While neither Mickens nor Spell have committed yet, it will be a big surprise if Franklin and new running backs coach Stan Drayton manage to hold onto both through signing day. 

It would be surprising if the Nittany Lions took a step back in the run game without Seider next season. Both Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen are back for a season year in offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s run-heavy scheme, but Seider’s activity on the recruiting trail for Notre Dame is putting the future of the position could be in jeopardy for the Nittany Lions.