Penn State head football coach James Franklin speaks to reporters during a press conference in Holuba Hall on Thursday, June 13, 2024, in State College.
Yes, I know, it is only April of 2025. But Penn State Football Recruiting has been on an absolute tear.
The class of 2026 is nine months away from signing. The class of 2027 is an even further out, one year and nine months away from signing.
However, the Nittany Lions look primed to be able to sign top-ten classes in both 2026 and 2027.
Currently, according to the 247 Sports 2027 team rankings, Penn State Football holds the top recruiting class.
Right now, there are only eight ranked 2027 prospects that are committed, and Penn State currently claims three of those. Obviously, this is a small sample size, but the Nittany Lions are off to a good start in the class of 2027.
Penn State’s recruiting footprint looks like it should be loaded with talent. Talent from within Pennsylvania, the DMV, Virginia, and the east coast are ripe in this young class of 2027.
So, given the talent that is near Penn State in this class of 2027, here are five of the most important recruits for Penn State Football.
Just to be clear, none of these prospects are “must get.”
This class is still very young. Rankings will fluctuate. Players will rise and fall. Penn State will make choices between prospects and much more. But as of right now, here are the 5 most important recruits for Penn State Football in the class of 2027.
Penn State Football Recruiting: 5 Top Recruits to Watch for 2027
5. ATH Xavier Sabb (Glassboro, NJ)
After missing on Xavier’s older brother Keon Sabb in the class of 2022, Penn State would like to get Xavier Sabb this time around.
Sabb is a very talented football player. He can play Wide Receiver, Safety and can return kicks.
After watching his film, the word I would use to describe Sabb is: Shifty. Sabb shows terrific ability to change direction, make people miss and also run past defenders. On defense, he is a ball-hawking safety who can make plays.
I need to put some feelers out as to where teams are projecting Sabb to play at the next level. However, I would imagine that position is Wide Receiver.
Sabb’s ranking right now is very high. He is ranked as the 7th overall player by both 247 Sports and ON3. Sabb is headed toward being considered a five star talent.
If the Nittany Lions can keep Xavier Sabb close to home, they will be rolling at the Wideout position in this class. With Khalil Taylor already on board, Penn State would absolutely love to add Sabb to the mix at Receiver.
2027 Wide Receiver Commit, Khalil Taylor. (Photo courtesy of Khalil Taylor.)
4. CB Gabe Jenkins (Imani Christian, PA)
Recently, Penn State head coach James Franklin and Terry Smith have shown an ability to go into the Pittsburgh metro and get talent. This class of 2027 is no different.
Imani Christian Cornerback, Gabe Jenkins will be a priority for Penn State. Jenkins checks in at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. For Imani Christian, Jenkins had a do-it-all all role this past season.
Jenkins played wildcat Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, and Cornerback. He projects as a Corner in college. His Cornerback tape is pretty good. He shows great ball skills and has really good physicality. He will need to continue to learn the nuances at Cornerback.
Penn State is quietly starting to build a pipeline with Imani Christian. 2025 signee, Dayshaun Burnett was an Imani Christian product and 2026 commit David Davis also attends Imani Christian. Given these connections, Jenkins talent and Terry Smith’s prowess in western Pennsylvania, Penn State will continue to prioritize Gabe Jenkins in the class of 2027.
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3. DL Chris Whitehead (Lloyd C. Bird, VA)
Penn State has been able to recruit Virginia very well under James Franklin.
The Nittany Lions’ staff hopes this trend continues in the class of 2027.
Whitehead is the ON3 Industry Rankings’ fifth-best player in the country. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Whitehead just has the look of an elite Penn State Edge Rusher. He is athletic, bends well, and is physical.
The Virginia native checks all of the right boxes for a Defensive End. Honestly, he reminds me a little bit of Penn State standout, Chop Robinson. I make that comparison because Whitehead has similar length and movement. Obviously time will tell if Whitehead is as good of a player as Robinson, but he certainly does not lack the potential.
For Penn State and Deion Barnes, getting Whitehead would be huge in this class of 2027. He could continue the run of elite Edge Rushers produced at Penn State.
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2. Peter Borque (Tabor Academy, MA)
Penn State Football recruiting has struggled at times at the Quarterback position.
For instance, 2025 enrollee Bekkem Kritza was rated outside of the top 50 Quarterbacks in the nation. Go back even further to the class of 2023, and Penn State had to flip Jaxon Smolik from Tulane to get their signal caller.
While Smolik and Kritza’s production at the college level is yet to be seen, these are not the type of prospects Penn State wants to bring in annually.
Ideally, about 3 out of every four years, Penn State brings in a Drew Allar or Ethan Grunkemeyer level recruit. Peter Bourque would do the trick for the class of 2027.
Currently, Borque is rated firmly in the top ten of passers in the country. He is a true blue chip Quarterback.
Bourque has tremendous talent. The Tabor Academy star can run, throw, and throw on the run at elite levels.
By the way, did I mention that Bourque has great accuracy? Being from well within the recruiting footprint for Penn State, they would love to get Bourque. He is the level of Quarterback that the Nittany Lions would like to bring in on a consistent basis.
1. OL Maxwell Hiller (Coatesville Area, PA)
Coming in at No. 1 on this list of five most important recruits for Penn State in the class of 2027 is none other than in state star, Maxwell Hiller.
Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein has done an unbelievable job at transforming the Penn State Offensive Line unit, including getting elite talent on the recruiting trail.
The Nittany Lions will want Maxwell Hiller to stay home to continue that trend. Hiller is as close to “must have” as it can get at this stage in the class of 2027 recruitment.
As things stand right now, Hiller is listed as the top interior Offensive Lineman in the country according to ON3 Industry Rankings.
However, he has played a lot of Tackle in high school. We will likely know which spot he fits the mold of as he grows and progresses. Either way, Hiller is a massive target for Penn State. The Coatesville Area elite has a great first strike and finishes blocks well. Hiller will be one of, if not the top overall target for Penn State in the class of 2027.
MORE Penn State Football News from NittanyCentral:
- James Franklin Updates Heated Backup QB Battle
- Penn State Hoping Big Challenge for Drew Allar Pays Big Dividends
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Ian Purdy covers Penn State Football Recruiting for NittanyCentral.
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.
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