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Penn State climbs back into Top 10 of 2026 Team Recruiting Rankings following TE Pierce Petersohn

Mug-Shot 4x4by:Ryan Snyder•06/25/25•

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Members of Penn State's 2026 recruiting class pose with head coach James Franklin.

Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff picked up commitment No. 21 in the Class of 2026 on Wednesday, adding four-star tight end Pierce Petersohn. As long as he signs and stays that high in the rankings, Petersohn will be the seventh consecutive four-star tight end or higher to commit to Ty Howle and the Nittany Lions.

A native of Dodge Center, Minn., Petersohn took official visits to Iowa State and Minnesota earlier in June. He then took his final official visit to Penn State this past weekend, and that ultimately sealed the deal.

Now, with the addition of Petersohn, who became Penn State’s seventh-ranked commitment in the class, plus the fact that On3’s Team Rankings are now counting 14 prospects for each Power Four school – more on that below – the Nittany Lions have climbed from No. 12 to No. 10 overall. They have a class score of 90.012 and remain fourth in the Big Ten.

Understanding On3’s Team Rankings

For those unfamiliar with On3’s Team Rankings, there are two major differences compared to other sites that you need to know.

1) We use the Industry Rankings, which puts together all four major recruiting sites – On3, 247, Rivals and ESPN – to find a cumulative score for each prospect. It’s not just based on On3’s rankings.

2) On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings solve the problem of varying class sizes during the recruiting cycle by totaling the highest-rated commitments for each team based on a rolling average of current total commitments among Power Four schools. That average has climbed to 14 players in recent weeks following a surge of commitments across the country during June official visits.

That second point is a major difference compared to 247Sports and Rivals, as both of those sites use a point system that grows throughout the cycle. Because of this, classes with the most commitments often rate higher early in the cycle compared to where they finish.

That’s why On3 designed this system to give a more accurate projection throughout the cycle of where a particular school is on pace to finish.

Fans can learn more about On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings here.

Around the Big Ten

USC has been at the top of On3’s Team Rankings for months now and has shown no signs of slowing down, adding 30 players already to its 2026 class. In May, the Trojans added the nation’s top-ranked tight end in California native Mark Bowman, as well as a previous Penn State target, cornerback Elbert Hill. Of course, they also added top Penn State target Luke Wafle last week. The Trojans currently have nine Top 100 prospects in the class and 20 total five or four-star players.

Ohio State has moved down two spots nationally to No. 5. The Buckeyes hold commitments from two five-star players – wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. and safety Blaine Bradford – and another 12 four-star prospects. They recently added four-star linebacker Cincere Johnson last week.

Needs vs. Wants: Where Penn State must strike to complete class

Oregon is now just one spot ahead of Penn State at No. 9 in the Team Rankings. However, they also have the least amount of commitments so far in the Top 10, with just 10 players total. Five-star tight end Kendre Harrison has remained firm with the Ducks. They also added another coveted prospect last week in safety Jett Washington.

To the surprise of some, UCLA is currently ranked No. 16 nationally and fifth in the Big Ten, just ahead of a surging Michigan class that’s climbed to No. 17 nationally. You’ll then find Illinois at No. 18, followed by Washington at No. 19 and Minnesota at No. 22.

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