‘Campbell Effect’ is Real: Penn State Football Flips the Recruiting Map to Beat Notre Dame for Elite 4-Star TE

Penn State Football and head coach Matt Campbell continue on their hot streak on the recruiting trail on Monday, getting a commitment from four-star tight end Cooper Terwilliger.

Terwilliger’s commitment is Penn State’s seventh in the 2027 recruiting class, all coming on board since March 28. With the seven commits, Penn State’s 2027 class now ranks 18th nationally.

Who is Cooper Terwilliger? Breaking Down the South Dakota Standout

Terwilliger, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end out of Pierre, South Dakota, committed to the Nittany Lions over Notre Dame Monday morning, a key win on the recruiting trail over the Fighting Irish and Marcus Freeman.

In addition to Notre Dame, Terwilliger held offers from Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and many others. Terwilliger has set an official visit to Penn State for June 5, a popular official visit weekend for Penn State’s committed recruits.

The New “Midwest Connection”: Expanding the Penn State Footprint

The South Dakota prospect ranks 258th nationally and is ranked the number 12 tight end in the country by 247Sports composite rankings.

Terwilliger is the number one prospect in the State of South Dakota. In the 2027 class, Penn State now holds the commitment from the number one prospect from South Dakota and Iowa (Landon Blum), showing the new Penn State staff’s recruiting footprint expanding into their former recruiting footprint at Iowa State.

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Robert Shields

Penn State Football Reporter at NittanyCentral

Robert Shields covers Penn State Football for Nittany Central. As a Penn State graduate, Robert has covered Penn State football since 2019, but had been a fan of the Nittany Lions for well over a decade. During his undergraduate education, Robert was a manager in the athletic department of a division III school, working in various aspects of athletic management at football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse games.

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About the Author

Robert Shields

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Robert Shields covers Penn State Football for Nittany Central. As a Penn State graduate, Robert has covered Penn State football since 2019, but had been a fan of the Nittany Lions for well over a decade. During his undergraduate education, Robert was a manager in the athletic department of a division III school, working in various aspects of athletic management at football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse games.

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