Penn State football's class of 2026 recruitment is No. 7 overall in the country and No. 3 in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports. On the defensive end, specifically, the Nittany Lions pulled together a group of nine commits: safeties Matt Sieg and Darrell Carey, linebackers Terry Wiggins and Mathieu Lamah, defensive linemen Isaac Chukwurah and Alexander Haskell, and cornerbacks Julian Peterson, Jaziel Hart, and Amauri Polydor.
Of this defensive group, only Sieg and Wiggins are listed as four-stars. However, Penn State's newest addition to its class of rising high school seniors has bumped that number up to three.
Four-star Elijah Littlejohn from Charlotee, N.C. is the No. 378 overall recruit in the country, No. 36 edge rusher overall, and No. 19 student-athlete out of North Carolina. He received 30 offers and scheduled three official visits to narrow down his list.
The Nittany Lions were first on Littlejohn's calendar, visiting head coach James Franklin and his primary recruiter, linebackers coach Dan Connor, on June 6. Three days after visiting his second school, Georgia Tech, on June 13, the edge rusher declared his commitment to the Nittany Lions.
Not only did Penn State beat out the Yellow Jackets for the four-star recruit but also North Carolina State — a school with home-advantage — before Littlejohn even stepped onto campus for his official visit that was originally set for June 20.
"The coaches [at Penn State] treated me and my family so well, and I liked the atmosphere a lot,” Littlejohn said to On3 BlueWhite. “Then on the official visit, I knew Penn State was home ... The atmosphere is great for me and me and my family loves it. It is just a great place for me.”
He also received offers from Power Four schools Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
According to On3 BlueWhite, Littlejohn visited Happy Valley over April 18 and 19 following his top performer honors at the Charlotte Under Armour Camp. He received his Penn State offer from Connor that weekend in April.
Future Nittany Lion teammate Wiggins celebrated on X, posting an image of the trio of linebackers — Littlejohn, Lamah, and himself — with Connor, writing "PSU is LBU!" On the commitment post by On3's Hayes Fawcett, Wiggins also reposted with the phrase "LBU" in excitement of the latest addition to the linebacker crew of 2026.
Littlejohn announced his commitment on X, writing, "IM HOME," followed by a pair of lions.