With two huge commitments yesterday, Penn State has achieved what had seemingly been impossible: being the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big Ten. While both signees were only three-star players, they completely fit the profile of what Campbell is trying to build. Sean Currie is only the second tight end in the class, but he could develop into a solid blocker up front. Aniti Paiva is a three-star defensive tackle, but his ability to open up space for other players up front cannot be denied.
As it currently stands after this weekend’s newest additions to the Class of 2027 lineup, Penn State ranks No. 5 in the nation in the updated class rankings from 247Sports. Penn State also leads the Big Ten with the No. 1 recruiting class at the moment.
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This adjustment to Campbell’s recruiting style is a bit of a risk, but at Iowa State, Campbell was able to make all his new recruits work in a system that fits them. The fact that his first class at Penn State is regarded so highly is a good sign of a potentially smooth adjustment process even in a much more grueling conference. This also marks one of the largest classes in the nation this cycle, ranking only second behind Oklahoma State. That volume could also be a massive factor to the success of Penn State’s incoming class.
Most importantly though is that all the players that Campbell recruits are either versatile enough to be molded or fit in, no matter what recruiting rankings say about them. For Sean Currie, football may not have even been his top sport, as he was also a highly ranked lacrosse recruit and had committed to Virginia to play both sports. Still, when he de-committed, it was a sign to the Penn State staff that this kid could improve and be useful at the same time. In Paiva’s case, Campbell was simply following his Iowa State blueprint: find a player with a low recruiting ranking that still fits our team’s profile, and work on building him up.
At this point, no one truly knows what the future holds for this class. However, due to its rank, it may be time to start thinking big about what it could become.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Updated recruiting rankings see Penn State leading Big Ten
