After cleaning up on in-state recruiting in Pennsylvania over the 2022 through 2024 cycles, Penn State Football has struggled so far in the 2025 class in the state of Pennsylvania. While still a way off from national signing day, Penn State has failed to secure the commitment of any of the top seven prospects from the state of Pennsylvania in the 2025 class.

James Franklin, Penn State Football — Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Although the Nittany Lions are still pushing hard to flip one of the top in-state prospects on the board committed elsewhere, the 2026 cycle is already looking much more promising for Penn State’s in-state recruiting.

With over a year left to go until early signing day for the 2026 recruiting class, Penn State already is building a special class of in-state talent, securing the commitment of two of the top three overall players in Pennsylvania.

Penn State Football Dominates The State During Lasch Bash

Penn State Football Entrance

On Saturday, after Penn State’s annual Lasch Bash junior day, Penn State’s 2026 class expanded by two members, including elite in-state offensive tackle Kevin Brown.

As the number 36 overall player in the country and the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania in the 2026 class, Brown is a cornerstone for the Nittany Lions 2026 class and was one of the top targets on the board for head coach James Franklin and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein.

We are…#107kstrong #PSUnrivaled @coachjfranklin @CoachTrautFB @psufootball pic.twitter.com/zhCETXYBb2

— Kevin H. Brown (@KevinHBrown07) July 27, 2024

The second of Penn State’s in-state commitments is Penn State’s longest-standing 2026 commit, running back Messiah Mickens, who has been committed to the Nittany Lions since last August.

Mickens, a four-star prospect ranked inside the top 100 prospects in the country according to 247Sports composite rankings, is a high school teammate of Kevin Brown and the number three overall player from the state of Pennsylvania in the 2026 class.

#AGTG COMMITTED 🔵⚪️ #Happyvalley @Hayesfawcett3 @Coach_JHiII pic.twitter.com/oaDNO1l43s

— Messiah Mickens (@Messiah_1M) August 19, 2023

Paired with Mickens and Brown, Penn State holds the commitment from top ten quarterback Troy Huhn from California and speedster wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers from Delaware.

With four commits, Penn State’s class sits as the fourth-ranked class in the nation early in the 2026 cycle. After a down class of 2025 of in-state recruiting, Penn State is well on its way to righting that ship in 2026.