Penn State AD Pat Kraft comments on spree of decommitments after James Franklin firing

Penn State’s firing of head coach James Franklin on Sunday sent shockwaves not only through college football, but also through the program’s 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes.

Commits in both cycles were very much caught off-guard by the news, with some opting to let the dust settle a bit before making any decisions. Others, however, chose to leave the classes and are now looking at new options.

That includes all three of the Nittany Lions’ 2027 commits, headlined by five-star running back Kemon Spell. And while losing a player of that caliber has huge effects on the Nittany Lions’ class, athletic director Pat Kraft isn’t focused on that right now, he told reporters on Monday.

“I’m just gonna be very honest. I’m less worried about ’27 kids and more worried about my kids in the locker room right now. That’s my focus,” Kraft told reporters.

The Nittany Lions still have 23 commitments in the 2026 class, a group that ranks No. 17 nationally and No. 5 in the Big Ten. Retaining those players will also be a major priority for whomever is hired to replace Franklin. But with no sitting head coaches available to be hired before the end of the regular season, they’ll have to work hard to do so.

Multiple PSU commits took to social media on Monday to announce they were staying committed to Penn State but also reopening their recruitment to other teams. And with more than a dozen blue-chip prospects in the class, the vultures will be circling over the next seven weeks before National Signing Day.

Nittany Lions 2026 class remains mostly intact — for now

A couple, however, have already announced their decisions to decommit and go back on the market. Three-star wide receiver Lavar Keys announced his decision on Sunday afternoon, followed by four-star wideout Davion Brown on Monday.

Brown, the nation’s No. 208 overall prospect, had been committed to PSU since May when he chose them over Duke, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and a host of other programs.

Keys, meanwhile, had been pledged to the Nittany Lions for over a year dating back to August 2024.

Penn State’s top commit in the class, interior lineman Kevin Brown, remains committed but says he was shocked by the decision.

“I can’t believe they fired him. But it’s a business,” Brown said.