James Franklin has consistently been known to recruit well since being at the helm at Penn State. But, the 2027 recruiting class is shaping up to be one of, if not his best class ever.
The Nittany Lions have an early start on the junior class and could be in the running for some other big names in the 2027 class.
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Penn State makes top 3 for highly-ranked recruit
Quarterback Keegan Croucher revealed his top 3 ahead of the 2025 season, featuring the Nittany Lions alongside Ole Miss and Oregon. The 6-foot-4 inch quarterback is the No. 125 player overall, No. 10 quarterback in the country and No. 2 player in the state of Connecticut, according to 247Sports composite.
The four-star quarterback will play at Cheshire Academy, the same high school were current Penn State tight end Luke Reynolds played.
The pipeline to Cheshire Academy could be created if Penn State were to land Croucher as the signal caller in the Class of 2027.
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Penn State sits at No. 1 in current 2027 recruiting rankings
The Nittany Lions have already landed four commits in the 2027 recruiting class, the most of any team in the top 10 of the rankings. With the addition of 4-star cornerback Gabriel Jenkins, Penn State surpassed Sacramento State for the top class in the country.
Jenkins became the first defensive addition to the class, joining running back Kemon Spell, offensive lineman Layton Von Brandt, and wide receiver Khalil Taylor.
Spell, Taylor, and Jenkins all come from the Pittsburgh area, playing in the WPIAL. Recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith played a big part in the addition of three Pittsburgh area natives.
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Potential 2027 targets
Sticking with the theme of the 2027 class, the Pittsburgh area has some additional recruits that could join the trio. 4-star wide receiver Javien Robinson, a teammate of Spell at McKeesport, ranks as the No. 6 player in the state. Robinson has already taken three unofficial visits to Penn State and would make the second WPIAL receiver in the class.
Additionally, 4-star athlete Carter Bonner from Penn Hills is another top-10 in-state player. Former Penn State players, Dante Cephas, Daequan Hardy and Tank Smith all played at Penn Hills in high school before joining the Nittany Lions.
The final top-10 in-state recruit from the southwestern Pennsylvania area is Central Catholic offensive lineman Jimmy Kalis. The offensive tackle is a part of an offensive line that could all play power-4 level football in college. Kalis took two unofficial visits and holds an offer from the Nittany Lions and could be another big piece in Phil Trautwein’s room.
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Terry Smith has been known to dominate the Pittsburgh area, and additional pieces from the Steel City could bolster what could be one of the best recruiting classes under James Franklin.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State football likely to have historic 2027 recruiting class
