Penn State’s 2027 recruiting reshuffle continues with LB Blake Betton’s Wisconsin flip

First-year Penn State head coach Matt Campbell faced his first test as a big-time player on the recruiting trail this summer. He and general manager Derek Hoodjer fared well, reeling in the No. 20 class in the country with 21 commits. 

The bigger test, however, is keeping that class intact through the early signing period, which opens on Dec. 2, for the 2027 class. That challenge is proving more difficult, particularly as the Nittany Lions have slipped to the bottom of the Big Ten, losing their first four conference games. 

Auarterback Will Wood was the first departure, opting to stay closer to home at Boston College, and a week after his announcement, linebacker Blake Betton officially flipped to Wisconsin, a move that had become expected. 

Campbell offset the departures on Saturday by landing 3-star running back Jordan Hall over Ohio State. Still, the pressure is building on Campbell and this first year Penn State staff to deliver a crop that can provide a significant talent influx to a roster that badly needs it. 

Matt Campbell may need to go after another linebacker in the 2027 class

Betton is the No. 468 overall recruit in the country per the 247Sports Composite, and the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Minnesota product is the No. 35 linebacker in the country. He’s a meaningful loss from a class that now holds just one linebacker commit, four-star Case Alexander, which is a position of major need for the Nittany Lions going forward.

Tony Rojas technically has another year of eligibility, but he could be heading to the NFL after this season. Kooper Ebel and Cael Brezina have struggled to transition from the 3-3-5 system they ran under Campbell’s longtime DC Jon Heacock at Iowa State to the 4-2-5 D’Anton Lynn is running at Penn State this year. So, even with eligibility, they may not, or at least should not, be considered as long-term pieces for the program. 

Behind Rojas, Ebel, and Brezina this year are Cam Smith and Alex Tatsch, both in Year 2 on campus. However, Tatsch suffered his third significant injury in the last three years, which will keep him out the rest of the year, and Smith is just now getting back from a nagging injury that cost him most of the first part of the year. 

Linebacker is typically Penn State’s most reliable position, but right now, it’s a mess. Meanwhile, Wisconsin has one of the best young linebacker duos in the country with Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa, and a potential path to 10-2 after beating USC in Week 8. Financials aside, it’s not too hard to see why Betton made this call. 

But factoring the financials in, Wisconsin made a major investment this offseason to help rescue Luke Fickell from the hot seat, and the fact that it's seemingly paying off will keep the money train rolling in Madison.

Reshuffling is fine, but Penn State’s class can’t start crumbling

In the NIL era, commitments mean less than ever. Players know competing offers are their leverage, and they rightfully exercise it right down to the point they put pen to paper. And a first-year head coach with no proven track record at his new program could be uniquely susceptible to the change of heart that comes with a competing offer. 

Flips are the name of the game. Reshuffling is okay for this Penn State class, as it is with Wood and Betton heading out, and Hall coming in. But if the number of players leaving starts to outpace the number coming in a more significant way, then it’s time to worry about Campbell’s ability to get this class across the finish line.

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