Inside the Recruiting Fallout After James Franklin’s Firing: 5 Recruits Penn State’s New Coach Can’t Afford to Lose
There have been several significant ramifications of Penn State’s decision to fire James Franklin, but nowhere have they been felt stronger than on the recruiting trail.
While this is nothing to be surprised by, there is a lot of information to flesh out.
Part two of our deep dive into how Penn State’s decision impacts the Nittany Lions‘ future focuses on which prospects the new coaching staff cannot afford to miss out on.
Penn State’s Recruiting Crisis: The Must-Keep Recruits After James Franklin’s Firing
2026 OL Kevin Brown
Kevin Brown has been one of the darlings of the class of 2026.
The Harrisburg PA native has been a staple in the class of 2026 since he committed in the summer of 2024. As with most prospects, Penn State’s state of flux has caused Brown to reopen his recruitment and check things out, while also keeping his seat warm with Penn State.
Brown will visit West Virginia and Ohio State.
Interestingly enough, Brown’s Dad is a West Virginia football alum. That has the potential to swing things into West Virginia’s favor. Additionally, Ohio State is coming off of a national championship and is gearing up to win another one. They are never easy to go against.
Brown is from Harrisburg, has been to Penn State a lot, and loves Penn State. That all bodes well for the new staff.
However, each day that goes by hurts the Nittany Lions chances. No matter if Brown stays “soft committed” to Penn State, or flips somewhere else, he is a massive priority for Penn State.
2026 DE Jackson Ford
Malvern Prep star Jackson Ford is a big-time in-state prospect.
Ford chose the Nittany Lions over Michigan, Ohio State and others back in the summer.
As things stand right now, Ford does not appear to have any visits lined up. He has remained largely quiet during his recruitment and after the coaching change. No doubt, schools are reaching out to Ford and he is likely hearing them out. As I’ve said, right now it’s free game for any Penn State commits.
Ford was a big get for Penn State over the summer, and needs to lock him down come signing day.
2026 WR Jahsiear Rogers
Jahsiear Rogers was probably one of my favorite commits in the class of 2026.
The long-time Nittany Lion commit re-opened his recruitment following James Franklin being fired.
This led to him flipping his pledge to Oklahoma on Monday.
Don’t let Roger’s modest ranking fool you.
Rogers was a criminally underrated by the recruiting services. He picked up an Alabama offer within the last month, which showcases the level of prospect that Rogers is. The now Oklahoma commit will take a high precedent for the new coaching staff at Penn State.
The work will be cut out for the new coaching staff as Rogers has quickly developed a relationship with Oklahoma. That should only continue to grow. For the Nittany Lions, they should be willing to shell out any amount of cash needed to make Rogers reconsider. He is a day one impact recruit.
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2026 LB
I spent the weekend watching Terry Wiggins play Linebacker.
I have also spent the year watching Penn State’s Linebackers play. The Nittany Lions desperately need Linebackers.
Wiggins is a must-have in-stater.
He has the size, speed, and explosiveness needed to be a beast Linebacker at Penn State. One of the biggest things that sticks out to me about Wiggins is his length. He has the elite length needed to be a star at the next level.
Colorado, West Virginia, and a few others have begun courting Wiggins. Right now, he is “being patient” with Penn State as everything is in flux, but he does have a West Virginia visit coming up. I think he and his family are open to staying at Penn State, but time is ticking.
2027 RB Kemon Spell
The one time Penn State verbal is now completely open for everyone. 5 star Pittsburgh native Kemon Spell has offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia, and others. Simply put, Spell could go anywhere he wants to.
Where things stand right now, Notre Dame has done a terrific job with Spell. That goes back to he and Ja’Juan Seider’s relationship. On top of that, Spell has grown fond of Notre Dame Running Back Jeremiyah Love. He had “[A] great visit” to Notre Dame 2 weeks ago, and they are in a good spot.
With Spell only being a junior, Penn State will have a lot of time to make up for lost ground. His situation is completely different from the 2026 recruits. Just like the rest of the guys on the list, Penn State must do whatever it takes to win Spell back.
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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.
- Inside the Recruiting Fallout After James Franklin’s Firing: 5 Recruits Penn State’s New Coach Can’t Afford to Lose - October 29, 2025
- Inside Penn State’s Recruiting Meltdown After James Franklin’s Firing (Part 1) - October 28, 2025
- Top Penn State Football Candidate Passes on Job, Report Says | What it Means for Nittany Lions’ Search - October 28, 2025