Top 4-star Penn State commit is slipping away, on an official visit to Notre Dame

Penn State has just 12 members of its 2026 recruiting class remaining, and with James Franklin now in place at Virginia Tech, that number will continue to shrink. However, Franklin and the Hokies aren’t the only ones trying to pluck top talent out of Pennsylvania. 

Under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has emerged as a real thorn in Penn State’s side. The Fighting Irish already hold a commitment from the top-ranked player in PA, Joey O’Brien, and now they could be on the verge of flipping 4-star safety Matt Sieg to join him. 

Despite remaining committed to Penn State, Sieg has reopened his recruiting, though Notre Dame didn’t appear to be on his radar. Pitt has been in hot pursuit, and before Franklin was hired in Blacksburg, Sieg named the Panthers along with Indiana, West Virginia, and “wherever James Franklin ends up” as his finalists. 

Now, Sieg is reportedly on an official visit to South Bend, which could be the death knell for the Nittany Lions. Without a long-term head coach in place, Penn State has no way of fighting off Pitt, Indiana, WVU, or Virginia Tech, and it certainly can’t trade blows with Freeman and Notre Dame. 

Matt Sieg reportedly on offical visit to Notre Dame

When Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU, he did so because he felt his recruiting abilities were capped by Notre Dame’s high academic standards. Well, whatever ceiling was there, Freeman has blown through it. Notre Dame’s 2026 class currently ranks No. 4 in the country, one spot ahead of Oregon and two spots better than Ohio State. 

Freeman has bested Franklin and Penn State in multiple recruiting battles over the recent years, including for O’Brien and four-star cornerback Khary Adams in 2026. Between O’Brien, four-star offensive linemen Grayson McKeogh and Tyler Merrill, Freeman has already landed three of the top six players in Pennsylvania. With Sieg, No. 4 in PA according to 247Sports Composite, he could make it four. 

Sieg was a key member of Penn State’s recruiting base, a Western PA native and WPIAL football star. However, the top Penn State commits from the WPIAL, David Davis in 2026 and Kemon Spell, Khalil Taylor, and Gabe Jenkins in 2027, all de-committed from the program in the wake of Franklin’s firing. Now, whether it’s for Notre Dame, Pitt, Virginia Tech, or somewhere else, it’s almost inevitable that Sieg will be next.