Penn State is pushing to pry 2027 4-star WR Deshawn Hall out of SEC country

For the final few years of the James Franklin era, the wide receiver position became a sore thumb for Penn State, and once he was hired, Matt Campbell addressed it by bringing known commodities with him in the Transfer Portal. 

In 2026, Penn State will start former Cyclones Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, and sophomore wide receiver Koby Howard has the potential to make a major impact as well. Still, the pipeline needs to be replenished. 

So far, Penn State's 2027 class includes two wide receiver commits, four-star Landon Blum and three-star Jamir Dean, but there could be another on the way if Campbell and wide receiver coach Kashif Moore can pry four-star Deshawn Hall out of SEC country and away from Alabama and Tennessee. 

On Wednesday, the 6-foot-5 playmaker from Prattville, Alabama, named Penn State, Alabama, and Tennessee as the programs standing out in his recruitment. 

4-star Deshawn Hall is a perfect fit for Penn State’s WR room

Campbell wasn’t able to keep former Iowa State WR coach Noah Pauley on his staff at Penn State. Nonetheless, his program has a reputation for developing wide receivers and a clear vision for the types of players it wants to bet on. 

Not to say every Penn State wide receiver will fit this model, but generally, Campbell’s recruiting targets, commits, and transfer pickups have been big, physical, outside receivers. Blum is 6-foot-4, Dean is 6-foot-2, Sowell is 6-foot-3, Karon Brookins is 6-foot-5, Keith Jones Jr. is 6-foot-5, and Hall is 6-foot-5, 185-pounds. 

Hall isn’t necessarily a burner on tape, though some of that may be tied to a quarterback who can’t necessarily push the ball downfield reliably enough to let him stretch his legs. Either way, though, he can stretch the field because of his remarkable ability to box out and win at the catch point, which is so valuable to a quarterback. 

Hall is the 201st-ranked player in the country and the 25th wide receiver by 247Sports Composite, so he’s not necessarily projected to be an instant contributor. He can run routes better than you might expect for somebody with his profile as a jump-ball winner, but he’ll need to continue to develop his route-tree at the next level. But he’s oozing with potential and is a perfect fit for a wide receiver room filled with tall, rangy pass-catchers who live above the rim. 

The only problem is getting him out of SEC country, with Alabama pushing hard for him. The Crimson Tide is also considered one of the frontrunners for the class’s No. 1 receiver, Monshun Sales, who, at 6-foot-5, is just a more souped-up version of the same type of player. If the Tide land Sales, Hall may move down their list, and open the door for Penn State, but there are still Josh Huepel’s Volunteers to contend with. They’ve also had great success with a massive wide receiver corps, and don’t ask them to run detailed routes, which could ease his transition. 

Penn State still has about two months to sway Hall, and it’s important that they do because he’s an ideal high-upside, blue-chip target for Campbell. His official visit to Happy Valley is scheduled for June 5, and he also has trips set to Auburn, Alabama, and Tennessee.

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