Aliquippa's QaLil Goode (14), Gavin Wilcox (13), and Arison Walker (15) attempt to hold back McKeesport's Kemon Spell (20) from scoring a touchdown during the second half of the WPIAL 4A Championship game Friday evening at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Penn State Football, and head coach Matt Campbell have a massive recruiting weekend ahead of them. Over the weekend, Penn State is slated to host over 15 recruits, most of which are crucial blue chip prospects.
In what is Campbell‘s first true Penn State recruiting weekend, he has already arranged a star studded lineup. The list features, Kemon Spell, Khalil Taylor, Samson Gash, and several other elite prospects.
It’s a very impressive list of visitors.
The “Matt Campbell Era” Recruiting Kickoff: 3 Major Storylines
With all of that talent coming to Happy Valley in the days ahead, here are three thoughts on this massive recruiting weekend.
The Kemon Spell Saga: Can the Nittany Lions Close?
The headliner of this weekend’s stacked visitor list is Kemon Spell.
The one time Penn State commit is rated as a five star top three player in the country.
Simply put, Kemon Spell is as premiere of a prospect as they come.
Spell has offers from Georgia, Ohio State, and nearly every other school in the country.
There has been plenty of Penn State buzz with Kemon Spell. Sources have indicated that Spell may be sizing Penn State up and could be a lot closer to committing than you would think. Georgia still poses a threat, but keep Kemon Spell circled this weekend.
The Flip Watch: Can PSU Land Samson Gash?
One of the more slept on visitors for Penn State is Samson Gash.
Gash is a Michigan State commit. Despite his commitment to the Spartans, Gash is still entertaining Penn State. After all, his father was a Nittany Lion.
Gash is slated to visit Penn State this weekend and then visit Michigan State next weekend.
In a perfect world for Penn State, they would get the last visit with Gash, but that isn’t happening.
The door is open for Samson Gash and Penn State.
His time to sign is quickly approaching in February. Given the urgency with Gash, he will be top priority for the staff.
If they are able to throw him a nice NIL package, and impress him in general, Matt Campbell may win his first recruiting battle at Penn State.
“Keystone” Consistency: Matt Campbell’s In-State Focus
One of the biggest questions around Matt Campbell and Penn State was his ability to recruit the traditional Penn State footprint.
Well, he is off to a great start in the keystone state.
The majority of visitors this weekend are from Pennsylvania.
Stars like Khalil Taylor, Gabe Jenkins, Cade Cooper, George Parkinson, and several others show how seriously Matt Campbell is taking Pennsylvania recruiting.
Campbell wants to dominate the state.
Considering how rich Pennsylvania is in the class of 2027, Campbell will need to build a strong foundation with Pennsylvania recruits.
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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.
- Inside Matt Campbell’s Penn State Football Recruiting Kickoff: Blue Chip Targets, Storylines to Watch - January 22, 2026
- “The Future of Happy Valley”: 5-Star Kemon Spell Leads Monster Penn State Football Recruiting Weekend - January 22, 2026
- Penn State nabs Quality 2026 Edge Rusher Elijah Reeder - January 21, 2026
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