Penn State’s 2027 Edge Rushers: The Next Wave of Defensive Dominance?
Penn State Football recruiting has cooled down during these dog days of summer. However, it serves as a great time to become acclimated with the upcoming class of 2027. Last week I dove into Penn State’s top offensive targets. This week I will delve into the defensive targets.
With 3 commitments, all on the offensive side of the ball, here are some Edge Rushers to look for in the class of 2027.
Three Elite Priority Targets
When looking at the early prospects of the 2027 Edge Rusher board, three elite prospects easily stick out for Penn State Football.
The first prospect is Virginia native, Chris Whitehead. Whitehead is an elite prospect. Personally, I believe that Whitehead is the best Defensive End prospect for Penn State Football in 2027. He just has the makings of an all around elite Edge Rusher. Additionally, I have heard good things about Penn State from Whitehead’s camp. Penn State was the first big school to come calling and that should only help them in Whitehead’s recruitment.
Another elite, blue chip talent is Anthony Sweeney. Out of the DMV, Sweeney is an ON3 Industry top 30 player in the country. Sweeney has been to Penn State and they make sense in that, Penn State has a proven track record developing east coast Defensive Ends. Maryland, Tennessee, Ohio State, and others are involved with Sweeney.
On top of Sweeney, is another DMV player. James Pace, who is a Dematha Catholic atendee. Pace is a top target for Penn State in this 2027 class. James Franklin has had no problem dipping into Dematha before. Grabbing KJ Winston, Lavar Keys, and Darrell Carey recently. Pace is another top tier player. Penn State, Maryland, Alabama, and other top programs are in play for Pace.
Additional Talent Penn State is Targeting
In addition to the three aforementioned elite prospects, are three other prospects that are pretty darn good in their own right.
The first additional target for Penn State is Abraham Sesay. Weirdly enough, Sesay is the only Pennsylvania prospect that Penn State has offered thus far. Reports on Sesay coming off a Penn State camp in June were really good. He is a prospect that could see his recruitment take off pretty soon. The in-state kid likes the Nittany Lions and they like him. Sesay’s recruitment reminds me of Jackson Ford a little bit. A highly skilled, in-state player, with a low floor. Sesay is a player I can certainly see being in Penn State’s class of 2027.
Rashad Streets is another talented prospect that Penn State is involved with. The North Carolina prospect was able to make it up to Penn State this spring. Penn State, North Carolina, NC State, and others are all in the mix for Streets.
Besides Streets and Sesay, another prep player to look out for is Michigan product, Recarder Kitchen. The four star out of Michigan has a lot of substantial midwest schools involved like Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame. Just based off of a gut feel, Michigan makes sense here. Granted, there is still a lot of time to see how Kitchen’s recruitment plays out.
A Wealth of Elite Talent at Edge Rusher in 2027
Similar to a lot of other positions in the class of 2027, the Edge Rusher pool for Penn State seems really strong.
There are just so many elite prospects. In my opinion, if Penn State can land any of Whitehead, Sweeney, or Pace, paired with a guy like Abraham Sesay, that could be as good of a Defensive End haul as you could ask for in this class. The top end talent that Penn State and Deion Barnes are recruiting is just flat out elite at this stage in the cycle.
As always, time will tell, but Penn State has a really good chance to make the class of 2027 Edge Rusher haul really good.
MORE Penn State Football News from NittanyCentral:
- 2027 Olu Olubobola Gets Message of “Growth and Progression” From James Franklin
- “Penn State Has Been Special” Top 2027 OL Carter Jones Talks Recruitment
- Penn State Aims for Elite O-Line in the Class of 2027
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Purdy was born and raised in central Ohio and served for four years writing for his high school's newsletter. Currently studying Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania, Ian has been a lifelong Nittany Lion fan.