Head coach Matt Campbell's recruiting hot streak isn't over yet. With interest rising from Class of 2026 and 2027 talent, four- and five-stars in recent weeks in particular, a Class of 2028 recruit is next.
Matt Campbell goes way off the board with latest transfer addition to the Penn State QB room
Four-star edge rusher and Pennsylvania native George Parkinson IV just completed his sophomore high school season. According to 247Sports Composite rankings, Parkinson is the 52nd-ranked recruit from his class, No. 6 edge rusher, and No. 2 recruit from the state.
He announced his upcoming visit to Happy Valley on Twitter/X on Friday, Jan. 23.
Looking forward to heading back to Happy Valley tomorrow and meeting the new coaching staff. #WEARE 🦁 @PennStateFball @CoachMC_PSU @TrentSlattenow @CoachTerryPSU @tyler_calvaruso @RyanSnyderOn3 @CoachSmith_9 @DerekHoodjer @MalloeMalloe pic.twitter.com/YFK1jvZHhJ
— George Parkinson IV (@ParkinsonIV) January 23, 2026
Four-star EDGE George Parkinson IV sets visit with Penn State football
On Saturday, Jan. 24, the young defender will visit Penn State football. He wrote in his post on social media that he's excited to meet the new coaching staff, including Campbell, director of player personnel Trent Slattenow, associate head coach and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, and edge rushers coach Christian Smith.
The Nittany Lions were the second school to extend an offer to Parkinson, doing so on Feb. 14, 2025 roughly three months after Maryland struck first. Since then, Parkinson's accumulated 13 offers and took one unofficial visit. On June 21, 2025, the edge rusher had an unofficial visit with Florida State.
Now with a new coaching staff in place, Campbell will have to re-extend the offer to Parkinson. As a top 10 edge rusher from his class, that should be no problem.
In the 2025 season, Parkinson registered 53 tackles, 23 quarterback hurries, 11 tackles for loss, and eight sacks.
Campbell did well with retaining and regaining attention from Pennsylvania recruits. Of those includes edge rusher Jackson Ford and quarterback Peyton Falzone, who were the two Class of 2026 recruits to sign with the blue and white during the Early Signing Period.
Ford, a four-star and 240th-ranked overall recruit, is also from Malvern, Penn. and attends the same school — Malvern Prep — that Parkinson does. That connection, especially with Ford enrolled and ready to get started come the summer, can go a long way for Campbell and his staff.