Penn State keeps adding Kentucky targets to 2026 recruiting class
Penn State is fresh off making the national semifinal for the first time in the college football playoff era. Head coach James Franklin is entering his 12th season in Happy Valley with a 101-42 record as the head coach for the Nittany Lions. This Big Ten program has legitimate national championship aspirations in 2025 and a roster that should be one of the best in college football.
The Nittany Lions are looking to keep their roster in great shape as they attempt to sign a top-10 class. This program is now up to 22 commits in the 2026 cycle with a handful of head-to-head recruiting wins against Kentucky.
Linebackers Terry Wiggins and Mathieu Lamau both visited Kentucky in the spring before committing to Penn State. The Cats hosted blue-chip EDGE Jackson Samuels-Ford for an official visit before he ended his recruitment with a commitment to Penn State on Friday. This wasn’t the only UK target to come off the board to Penn State this weekend.
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Kentucky was a major contender for Greater Nashville offensive tackle Jack Fuchs before he decided to commit to Penn State. This takes a key target at a priority position off the board for the Wildcats.
Kentucky has seen four key targets commit to Penn State this cycle. The Cats are now having to reset at offensive tackle after Jarvis Strickland decommitted, Charlie Edgeworth committed to Louisville, and now Fuchs is off the board. We’ve seen UK deliver a big month by stacking some key recruiting wins in June but numerous targets have been lost to the Nittany Lions.
Kentucky’s 2026 high school recruiting class
| Player | Position | High School | Ranking |
| Messiah Tilson | S (6-2, 165) | Rockford (Ill.) Guilford | 4-star (No. 343 overall) |
| Jordan Crutchfield | CB (6-2, 195) | Vero Beach (Fla.) High | High 3-star (No. 418 overall) |
| Dallas Dickerson | WR (6-1, 180) | Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee | High 3-star (No. 461 overall) |
| Lincoln Watkins | TE (6-4, 225) | Port Huron (Mich.) Northern | High 3-star (No. 591 overall) |
| Tyreek Jemison | iOL (6-5, 330) | Dallas (Ga.) Paulding County | 3-star (No. 676 overall) |
| Prince Jean | WR (6-0, 170) | Valdosta (Ga.) High | 3-star (No. 714 overall) |
| Davis McCray | WR (6-2, 190) | San Antonio (Texas) Cornerstone Christian | 3-star (No. 1,061 overall) |
| Max Mohring | LB (6-3, 215) | Malvern (Pa.) Prep | 3-star (No. 1,260 overall) |
| Delvecchio “Deuce” Alston II | RB (6-0, 200) | Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville | 3-star (No. 1,289) |
| Cameron Miller | T (6-5, 310) | Hammond (Ind.) Morton | 3-star (No. 1,347 overall) |
| Ben Duncum | DL (6-5, 250) | Austin (Texas) Lake Travis | Unranked |
| Isaiah McMillian | CB (6-0, 170) | Katy (Texas) High | Unranked |
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