Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class is loaded, and James Franklin isn’t cooling off. The Nittany Lions just landed their 17th commitment in the 4th-ranked class in the country, but the group is still missing that five-star headliner. Franklin and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein are hoping that player is Immanuel Iheanacho, but the recruiting industry thinks differently.
On Tuesday, just after Iheanacho canceled his official visit with Maryland, Steve Wiltfong logged a prediction for the five-star Baltimore native to land with another one of Penn State’s Big Ten rivals, the Oregon Ducks.
Immanuel Iheanacho predicted to land with the Oregon Ducks
Also on Tuesday, five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell committed to Miami (FL). With the No. 1 overall recruit and top offensive lineman off the board, Iheanacho becomes the top remaining uncommitted player in the country, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Unlike Cantwell, who is heading into the summer and official visit season committed to the Hurricanes, Iheanacho has scheduled his commitment for August 5 after he takes visits to Texas A&M, LSU, Auburn, Penn State, and Oregon throughout May and June. He plans to head north to Happy Valley on June 13 as his penultimate official visit before heading out to Eugene the next weekend.
With the No. 4 class in the country, Penn State is third among Big Ten programs with USC leading the way and Ohio State checking in at No. 3. So, if Franklin loses out to any school for Iheanacho, he’ll have to hope it's not Lanning. The Ducks are currently 16th in the country, but that is with only eight commits, two of which are five stars.
With Phil Knight’s backing, Lanning has been an elite recruiter since arriving in Eugene in 2022. He has landed a top-five high school class in each of the last two cycles and is expected to find his way well into the top 10 of the national rankings by the early signing period in December. The recruiting surge is going to come at some point for the Ducks, Franklin just has to ensure that it’s not at his expense.
Maryland has long been a fertile recruiting ground for Penn State, but the 2026 class is a true bumper crop. Five-star edge rusher Zion Elee and Iheanacho are both top 10 national recruits, but with Elee committed to the Terps and Iheanacho leaning towards Oregon, the Nittany Lions are at risk of coming up empty.