Penn State had no 2027 class following the firing of the former head coach.

With Matt Campbell having his staff assembled, they have been putting in a ton of work to retain current players, recruit a 2026 class that only had two players sign on National Signing Day when the team had no long-term coach at the wheel yet (it is now up to 15 commits plus 3 PWO), and hitting the transfer portal hard for 39 new players (and they are still active there).

Now, much of the attention has pushed to the future and that starts with building the 2027 class.

Previously, the program had in-state five-star RB Kemon Spell, four-star in-state top-10 players in LB Gabriel Jenkins and WR Khalil Taylor, and four-star OT Layton Von Brandt out of Delaware. The group all decommitted within a week after two disgusting losses to bad teams and the subsequent firing of the former head coach.

The staff has been hard at work visiting and recruiting players from the 2027, 2028, and even a few from the 2029 class, but one area of clear focus for Campbell and Co. has been trying to re-gain the commitments of those four previously committed players. That focus will be clear this weekend as they host Kemon Spell, the top running back in the 2027 class, on a visit at Penn State. The staff would follow the same formula by getting Spell to commit again as he was the first commitment to the class in August of 2024 under the previous staff.

There is a ton of smoke and rumors around Spell and momentum seems to be building for him to join the program again, but this weekend could play an important role in that.

The staff will also be bringing back Khalil Taylor and Gabriel Jenkins this weekend, so will have at most of the previously committed players back on campus as they try to re-gain that momentum.

Other 2027 recruits who have announce their intention to visit the program this weekend include:

 RB Kelvin Morrison (PA)

TE Cooper Terwilliger (SD)

CB Zachary Gleason (PA)

ATH DeAnthony Crittenden (OH)

OT Lucas Rhoa (CA)

ATH Cade Cooper (PA)

OL Kyler Kuhn (MO)

LB Case Alexander (OK)

OT Davis Seaman (OH)

LB Kaylon Bailey (OH)

ATH Da’Von McDougle (OH)

K Domenic Pratt (PA)

ATH Ka’Ron Ceaser (NJ)

Additionally, four-star receiver Samson Gash, an unsigned 2026 recruit currently committed to Michigan State, plans to visit this weekend. The Penn State legacy recruit is currently committed to Michigan State but Terry Smith had gotten Penn State back in the conversation once he had taken over as Interim Head Coach.

2028 PA prospects Edge George Parkinson IV and DL RJ Cruz III has also announced they’ll be onsite this weekend.

— Paul Bowman for Sports Talk PHL