As Penn State’s bewildering head-coaching search shifts toward Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, it’s worth revisiting the Nittany Lions’ 2025 recruiting outlook.
According to 247Sports, Penn State’s two-player class ranks 155th nationally — behind programs such as South Dakota State, Murray State and Jackson State.
By contrast, Campbell’s recruiting class was ranked 50th by 247Sports.
Penn State’s class sits last in the Big Ten, which is hardly surprising given the program has been without a head coach since James Franklin was fired on Oct. 12. Since then, Penn State has reportedly been turned down by several coaches for its HC opening, including BYU’s Kalani Sitake.
Penn State’s two-player class is composed of four-star QB Peyton Falzone and four-star edge-rusher Jackson Ford, who signed before Falzone. The QB, a former Auburn commit from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, initially committed in June 2024 to Virginia Tech, where Franklin landed as HC.
“I’m glad I have a roommate at least,” Ford told The Athletic’s Grace Raynor after Falzone’s signing. “We’re in this together.”
Of course, social media had some fun with Penn State’s tiny recruiting “haul.”
