2027 Recruiting Thread

[PSUForever]

Unless PSU signs several high 4 stars and perhaps a 5 star, they will not be in the final top 10. Ratings are skewed by numbers and not quality. Since PSU will likely have one of the largest classes, their rating will be artificially inflated. Recruiting average players (88) isn't going to produce talent to beat (91). It's been the same for years. The "portal era" means nothing if you aren't securing the top talent from there, Bottom line, if you don't have the money to sign the blue chips....where will you get the cash to win the free agent frenzy, which is the portal? I don't know what I'm talking about, but I can decipher numbers. There are about 17 schools that have a higher rating per commit than PSU currently boasts.
My assertion is that if they continue to recruit at the current level.....which is similar to what Franklin achieved, the results will be similar. "Coaching them up" is for cheerleaders, because other schools have coaches too.
I fail to see how it's being butt hurt to insist that game changers are needed at several positions and they are currently not committed. Perhaps that will happen? Getting a commit from QB #7 and 80 nationally will be evidence of a foundation.

In your world Texas A&M would have won a couple nattys over the last 10 years because they always have a ton of talent and a highly ranked recruiting class.

Yes, you need talent. Your premise though is flawed because you are only looking at HS recruiting rankings and then projecting that to play out the exact same way on the field. In your world a team with an average player ranking of 89 can never beat a team with an average player ranking of 92 or 93. What positions do the most talented players on the 89 average player team play? What are you doing in the portal? Not just getting the highest rated guy available but strategically filling a need with a guy who fits your culture. What about intangibles like veteran leadership or mental and physical toughness? Player development? Many factors to consider.

 

[rigi19041]

In your world Texas A&M would have won a couple nattys over the last 10 years because they always have a ton of talent and a highly ranked recruiting class.

Yes, you need talent. Your premise though is flawed because you are only looking at HS recruiting rankings and then projecting that to play out the exact same way on the field. In your world a team with an average player ranking of 89 can never beat a team with an average player ranking of 92 or 93. What positions do the most talented players on the 89 average player team play? What are you doing in the portal? Not just getting the highest rated guy available but strategically filling a need with a guy who fits your culture. What about intangibles like veteran leadership or mental and physical toughness? Player development? Many factors to consider.

Do you have a statue picked out?


How did campbell lose to Cincinnati, wvu(3x), northern Iowa and Memphis?

 

[Marshall2323]

Franklin had some classes that averaged out at 88, but he had a lot of classes that were over 90 and even a couple over 91. I agree that the overall average player rating is a better metric to evaluate a class by.

But, for some additional perspective, Michigan won (cheating aside) a national championship with classes that averaged mostly at 90 and one 89. In the same time span, PSU recruited neck-and-neck in terms of average talent, and yet, couldn't achieve the same results. I think the big difference was how Michigan was able to turn recruits at certain key positions into really good players while PSU did not quite get there (especially along the trenches). Michigan was also more successful at finding an identity on offense and then sticking to it and developing it.

I can tell you as someone who played and coached a bit.....knowing just run or pass, left or right is an incredible advantage as well as knowing what defensive look you will get before the next snap. let alone more precise information. It's unfortunate that some great athletes, who may have won anyway, were betrayed by their coaching staff. I'm sorry, but to me, that NC will be forever tainted. I can't dismiss the evidence of what Michigan was under Harbaugh prior to Stalions and what they became after. Even though they won critical games after he was exposed, you need to wonder what those 2-3 years would have looked like without the sign stealing. Michigan was 49-22 in six years under Harbaugh prior to the funny business.
All of that aside. Winning is hard. Fans think their school is entitled to win virtually every game. Yet after every week in the season winning and losing teams are split at 50-50.

 

[Marshall2323]

Agreed. Weird how Franklin averaging the #15 class was apparently elite recruiting while Campbell getting us into the top 15 his first class, after starting from nothing when he got here, is a failure. James Gang saying James Gang things.

I was not the one who promised "excellence at the highest level" and promised increased funding for coaches salaries and NIL. Let's not forget the "NC that our fans deserve."
If what Franklin did is the "goal" then this staff is killing it.
I've never seen such excitement over a 3 star QB rated #30 in the nation ....beating out Boston College here.
Currently PSU's average commit is rated 88.56, while the stumble bum, who fell to a vastly inferior program at VT is recruiting an average commit of 88.27 (per 24/7).

Now one could argue that PSU must fill about 30 spots with this incoming class (thanks to the incompetence of Pat Kraft) and therefore, the money needs to be spread out to cover the increased traffic, That's reasonable to assume. Keep in mind,
that this cycle is likely to continue for at least another year. As I've said before, I'm not concerned about 2026 due to the schedule. However, recruiting predominantly 3 stars isn't worthy of long term optimism.

 

[Marshall2323]

Marshal and Rigi are hoping and praying MC fails.. they hate PSU and love BGJ. They both will disappear when things are going well, with an occasional negative post. But they will be posting full force when the first negative happens.

I hate PSU so much that I've hung around since I attended my first PSU game in 1966. LOL
Here's the irony. When all the fair-weather fanboys inevitably turn on Campbell (and they will, because no coach can measure up to their standards) I'll be the one defending him and being criticized for that.

 

[Marshall2323]

Also, any rational person knows that it's going to take Campbell at least a few seasons to transform the program the way he wants it, and most likely the 2026 PSU team at best will be a borderline playoff team if almost everything goes right; he wasn't going to come in and attract a 1991 caliber recruiting class overnight. However, I'm very pleased with what he's done so far.

I just want to see a tough team both physically and mentally that plays great fundamental football and is tough to beat, and just hope that some things fall their way. If PSU shows this in 2026, then Campbell's succeeding classes should be even better as well as the portal players because he's going to have a lot to sell, especially with the renovated stadium.

The stadium matters little in today's "college" football. Services go to the highest bidder.

 

[NOYDB]

I hate PSU so much that I've hung around since I attended my first PSU game in 1966. LOL
Here's the irony. When all the fair-weather fanboys inevitably turn on Campbell (and they will, because no coach can measure up to their standards) I'll be the one defending him and being criticized for that.

You’re an old grumpy douche that finds the negative in any positive. Narcissistic bs

 

[searay26]

Hardly the year to fairly compare PSU versus VT recruiting. Let's look again in a couple of years and see who is doing better. Give Campbell a chance to catch up with longer term relationships with targeted recruits.

 

[LMTLION]

Hardly the year to fairly compare PSU versus VT recruiting. Let's look again in a couple of years and see who is doing better. Give Campbell a chance to catch up with longer term relationships with targeted recruits.

You’re right, but that’s just not how we operate here. We got Joe bots and Franklin bots. Lately the Franklin bots are a lot more annoying.

 

[CyphaPSU]

Hardly the year to fairly compare PSU versus VT recruiting. Let's look again in a couple of years and see who is doing better. Give Campbell a chance to catch up with longer term relationships with targeted recruits.

This is level-headed thinking. However, if I may just extend this thought out a little farther, I think an even more relevant comparison would be against teams we actually compete against on the field. Over the last decade, it's a school like Michigan that we have recruited on level terms with when it comes to class rankings. I think it's reasonable to say that we need to see in the next few cycles where Campbell's classes measure up to that level of B1G competition. NIL is unfortunately a huge factor, too, but I'm interested in seeing how his staff's different approach to that (and the expectation of more cash money for NIL theoretically being at play according to Kraft's statement a few months back) might bear fruit. I've said before, for this cycle, I'd be content if we just get to double digits in terms of blue-chip recruits by the time signing day comes.

Since Campbell expressly stated that their intention is to primarily build the program through high school recruiting and not the portal, HS recruiting is still going to obviously be a major point of discussion for the direction of this program. In addition to strong player development, eventually you do need to sprinkle in some high 4-star and 5-star athletes who can be the game-changing players that elite teams have to really account for (we can do this because we have done this). We cannot forget that the programs that recruit at an elite level tend to also have really strong coaching staffs who have the ability to develop as well. Difference-making athletes are not really optional if you want to win at the highest level—especially in the trenches.

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

Sounds like we're going to get another RB commit today from 3* Chukwuma Odoh from NJ. Another big back at 6' 215. Notable offers from Miami, Kentucky, UMD, Auburn, Wisky, MSU.

 

[bdgan]

Hardly the year to fairly compare PSU versus VT recruiting. Let's look again in a couple of years and see who is doing better. Give Campbell a chance to catch up with longer term relationships with targeted recruits.

That's one of the drawbacks of selecting Campbell as coach. He doesn't have established connections to high schools in the northeast.

 

[taryn]

That's one of the drawbacks of selecting Campbell as coach. He doesn't have established connections to high schools in the northeast.

YET !!!!!!

 

[PSU4U]

That's one of the drawbacks of selecting Campbell as coach. He doesn't have established connections to high schools in the northeast.

He seems to be doing ok. Some of those who got away weren't coming here anyway. But to your point this season and another year won't hurt him either on establishing relationships in the east.

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

Bourque trending VTech today prior to the announcement.

With all the Allar stuff in the news this week, just seems like a baffling decision on his part. Pressure is on Danny Obrien to finally not ruin a QB.

 

[bdgan]

Bourque trending VTech today prior to the announcement.

With all the Allar stuff in the news this week, just seems like a baffling decision on his part. Pressure is on Danny Obrien to finally not ruin a QB.

Pretty big loss IMO unless PSU can pick up a top QB from the portal. I hope we get Wood and I hope he turns out to be a diamond in the rough but counting on a kid that isn't even ranked nationally isn't a good sign.

VT is a strange choice given that PSU is closer to home and VT already has Grunk (SO), Baker (FR), and Huhn (FR) who were all highly rated. I have to think PSU was able to offer more money for a position of need.

 

[PSUForever]

I was not the one who promised "excellence at the highest level" and promised increased funding for coaches salaries and NIL. Let's not forget the "NC that our fans deserve."
If what Franklin did is the "goal" then this staff is killing it.
I've never seen such excitement over a 3 star QB rated #30 in the nation ....beating out Boston College here.
Currently PSU's average commit is rated 88.56, while the stumble bum, who fell to a vastly inferior program at VT is recruiting an average commit of 88.27 (per 24/7).

Now one could argue that PSU must fill about 30 spots with this incoming class (thanks to the incompetence of Pat Kraft) and therefore, the money needs to be spread out to cover the increased traffic, That's reasonable to assume. Keep in mind,
that this cycle is likely to continue for at least another year. As I've said before, I'm not concerned about 2026 due to the schedule. However, recruiting predominantly 3 stars isn't worthy of long term optimism.

If you actually coached then you should know something about players fitting with an offense you want to run. Also about building a strong culture. Did you not learn anything from the Drew Allar debacle??

Your guy BGJ failed miserably at that as his tenure came to a close and this is why he got canned. Well that and how he managed to lose yet another totally winnable big game at home then put together two of the most embarrassing losses in Penn State football history back to back against mighty UCLA and NW all the while having an overwhelming talent advantage. Wait....didn't you say that superior talent always wins vs lesser talented teams?

We are not done with our '27 recruiting but you have already doomed us. Nice. And you have already doomed Campbell. Double nice. We have some game changers as you like to say in the class already so stop trying to paint this narrative that the whole class is comprised of low 3 stars and it is by far the worst recruiting class in Penn State football history. It is Campbell's first year so it will take some time.

We sure as heck gave BGJ time to lose to OSU every year and every other big game for that matter. Oh yeah, that wasn't his fault he didn't have the talent to ever beat OSU. But then again in 2022 BGJ managed to reel in the #6 class overall so he surely beat OSU one of those years after that. Nope. That's your guy! There is a BOGO on Va Tech season tickets, snatch them up!

 

[PSUForever]

That's one of the drawbacks of selecting Campbell as coach. He doesn't have established connections to high schools in the northeast.

But will certainly build it over time.

 

[bdgan]

But will certainly build it over time.

Hopefully but it would be nice to have a guy who already has connections in the region. It could take several years to build those from scratch.

 

[LMTLION]

Hopefully but it would be nice to have a guy who already has connections in the region. It could take several years to build those from scratch.

He has already recruited the region quite well in his very first recruiting cycle.

 

[WaffleShopper]

Hopefully but it would be nice to have a guy who already has connections in the region. It could take several years to build those from scratch.

They do have several assistants that have those connections (Smith, Huggins, Connor, etc).

 

[PSU89er]

VT is a strange choice given that PSU is closer to home and VT already has Grunk (SO), Baker (FR), and Huhn (FR) who were all highly rated. I have to think PSU was able to offer more money for a position of need.

Do you think UGa would have been able to give him more money? Bourque is going to the place that is willing to pay the most. I think both PSU and UGa said see you later. I really don't think UGa has been an option for Bourque this entire time, and I think PSU played the game for a while, back when PSU was getting CBs for him. Bourque is about as likely to go to UGa as he is ND, OSU and Auburn.

Just based on the number of high profile QBs that never pan out. I'd have a hard time spending a lot of NIL an any true freshman QB, but thats me. I think ORegon is nuts to give Mencl three million, if that is acutally true. I guess I'd be looking at lower kids you really like telling them the big money is there is you get to the top of the position or bringing in rent a starters through the portal. IF you are going to spend millions on a QB. I rather know hes going to start.

 

[TheWizardofCamelot]

I t

Pretty big loss IMO unless PSU can pick up a top QB from the portal. I hope we get Wood and I hope he turns out to be a diamond in the rough but counting on a kid that isn't even ranked nationally isn't a good sign.

VT is a strange choice given that PSU is closer to home and VT already has Grunk (SO), Baker (FR), and Huhn (FR) who were all highly rated. I have to think PSU was able to offer more money for a position of need.

I think your info might be old.

PSU moved on from Bourque because they like Woods more - highly accurate and provides a dual threat with his legs which Bourque does not. Woods was recently bumped to 4*s on other sites and is widely considered a top 25 passer in the country now.

 

[rigi19041]

I t

I think your info might be old.

PSU moved on from Bourque because they like Woods more - highly accurate and provides a dual threat with his legs which Bourque does not. Woods was recently bumped to 4*s on other sites and is widely considered a top 25 passer in the country now.

Psu moved on because borque wanted twice as much money.

 

[LB99]

He has already recruited the region quite well in his very first recruiting cycle.

??

 

[DaytonRickster]

Hopefully but it would be nice to have a guy who already has connections in the region. It could take several years to build those from scratch.

Do Terry Smith and Savon Huggins not have eastern HS connections?

 

[Midnighter]

I mean, dropping Michigan and passing on UGA and PSU for VT is bold.

 

[NittanyLionRoar]

Pretty big loss IMO unless PSU can pick up a top QB from the portal. I hope we get Wood and I hope he turns out to be a diamond in the rough but counting on a kid that isn't even ranked nationally isn't a good sign.

VT is a strange choice given that PSU is closer to home and VT already has Grunk (SO), Baker (FR), and Huhn (FR) who were all highly rated. I have to think PSU was able to offer more money for a position of need.

PSU went all in for Will Wood. Their actions recruiting the two tell you who they want more. Plus it’s looking like Will Wood has a better skill set (high intelligence, mobility, accurate with all different throws). Bourke is certainly very good, but the comparisons sound a lot like Hack and Allar, who threw very pretty long balls and looked the part but needed to work on their mental game. Apparently the rough edges that Bourke needs to brush up on are skills Will Wood already naturally possesses.

 

[RyanSnyder]

Penn State lands commitment from New Jersey running back Chukwuma Odoh

Penn State set out for a pair of running backs in the Class of 2027, and over the span of a few days they have accomplished that goal.

www.on3.com

 

[RyanSnyder]

 

[RyanSnyder]

 

[rigi19041]

That's one of the drawbacks of selecting Campbell as coach. He doesn't have established connections to high schools in the northeast.

35 years in Ohio and no ties to the northeast???

 

[LB99]

Penn State lands commitment from New Jersey running back Chukwuma Odoh

Penn State set out for a pair of running backs in the Class of 2027, and over the span of a few days they have accomplished that goal.

www.on3.com

That’s a fast kid for that size.

 

[Corner Room Breakfast]

I hope Borque goes to GA and not a Big-10 team.

He's going to VT, and I'd like to see 3 posters from this thread commit with him.

 

[EricStratton-RushChairman]

He's going to VT, and I'd like to see 3 posters from this thread commit with him.

Funniest line of the month on this board!

 

[bdgan]

He has already recruited the region quite well in his very first recruiting cycle.

It depends where you set the bar.

We missed the top 4 in PA unless we get Sesay
We missed the top 3 in MD
We missed the top 5 in NJ (ND dominating NJ)
We did get the #4 player in Ohio

I think Campbell is doing reasonably well considering he lost virtually all of the 2026 class and early commits from the 2027 class but right now we're probably looking at somewhere around 7th in the BiG for average rating (8-4 type talent). Campbell walked into a tough situation and is probably making the best of it but it's going to take some time to rebuild.

 

[bdgan]

Do you think UGa would have been able to give him more money? Bourque is going to the place that is willing to pay the most. I think both PSU and UGa said see you later. I really don't think UGa has been an option for Bourque this entire time, and I think PSU played the game for a while, back when PSU was getting CBs for him. Bourque is about as likely to go to UGa as he is ND, OSU and Auburn.

Just based on the number of high profile QBs that never pan out. I'd have a hard time spending a lot of NIL an any true freshman QB, but thats me. I think ORegon is nuts to give Mencl three million, if that is acutally true. I guess I'd be looking at lower kids you really like telling them the big money is there is you get to the top of the position or bringing in rent a starters through the portal. IF you are going to spend millions on a QB. I rather know hes going to start.

Georgia might have offered more money but I can't imagine VT would have more money, especially with 3 highly rated recruits already on the roster. I think top teams can afford to pay a lot to their starter and maybe a lot to a young #2 but I don't think VT should be able to outbid PSU much less do it 3 or 4 deep.

 

[bdgan]

I t

I think your info might be old.

PSU moved on from Bourque because they like Woods more - highly accurate and provides a dual threat with his legs which Bourque does not. Woods was recently bumped to 4*s on other sites and is widely considered a top 25 passer in the country now.

247 composite has him rated the 29th highest QB and 488th rated player overall.

 

[Blair10]

It depends where you set the bar.

We missed the top 4 in PA unless we get Sesay
We missed the top 3 in MD
We missed the top 5 in NJ (ND dominating NJ)
We did get the #4 player in Ohio

I think Campbell is doing reasonably well considering he lost virtually all of the 2026 class and early commits from the 2027 class but right now we're probably looking at somewhere around 7th in the BiG for average rating (8-4 type talent). Campbell walked into a tough situation and is probably making the best of it but it's going to take some time to rebuild.

Actually, I believe the pressure or more on Kraft. Penn State has an NIL funding issue. The top players are overwhelmingly going to where they can get the most money.

In order to be more competitive with Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia, Ohio State, USC, and Miami, Penn State needs a bigger war chest full of money. That’s on AD Kraft to make that happen.

In the meantime, Campbell’s job is to get great value for the existing NIL funding he currently has. So far, I think Campbell is doing an excellent job by not overpaying for a position. The best example is QB Peter Bourque.

 

[LMTLION]

It depends where you set the bar.

We missed the top 4 in PA unless we get Sesay
We missed the top 3 in MD
We missed the top 5 in NJ (ND dominating NJ)
We did get the #4 player in Ohio

I think Campbell is doing reasonably well considering he lost virtually all of the 2026 class and early commits from the 2027 class but right now we're probably looking at somewhere around 7th in the BiG for average rating (8-4 type talent). Campbell walked into a tough situation and is probably making the best of it but it's going to take some time to rebuild.

You are making conclusions before these players play their senior year in high school. The recruiting service ratings, which no coach in the country bases their assessment on, will continue to move until senior seasons conclude and signing day hits. The general assessments that are out there indicate a number of our players will go up in those individual ratings. Campbell is ahead of where most thought he would be at this point in terms of recruiting.