Penn State stays hot in 2026, adds commitment from four-star DE Daniel Jennings
Over the last few months, Princeton (W.Va.) Senior High defensive end Daniel Jennings has become a regular visitor at Penn State. On Wednesday evening, the junior standout became the latest member of the Nittany Lions’ Class of 2026. Jennings committed to Penn State fresh off of his latest trip to Happy Valley, which happened on Friday for the first day of the Lasch Bash weekend.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound prospect first popped up on campus for a spring practice in March, then returned in April for the Blue-White Game, in June for a camp and then again over the weekend. Jennings worked out for the staff on his last two visits. While he did some linebacker work at camp back in June, the Nittany Lions project him as a defensive end at the next level.
Jennings also has scholarship offers from Illinois, UNLV and West Virginia. His decision came down to Penn State and West Virginia. Jennings camped at Notre Dame, UNLV and West Virginia in addition to Penn State back in June.
Across the border at Graham High School in Bluefield Virginia, Jennings earned All-State honors as a sophomore in 2023 as a linebacker. He was one of just four freshmen to make the Class 2 All-State team. The G-Men fell in the state semifinals to Radford in December but finished with a 12-2 record and a Southwest Virginia Regional title. Jennings played as an edge rusher and in a multipurpose role on offense, often lining up as a running back.
Penn State’s latest four-star addition in 2026
Ranked No. 183 in the nation by On3, Jennings was up to 235 pounds at one point but has now dropped about 15 pounds to 220. At the Under Armour Camp in Baltimore back in May, he ran a 4.7-second 40-yard dash and a 4.6-second shuttle, which stacked up well among his peers. His recently updated On3 Industry ranking has Jennings as a four-star prospect and the No. 236 prospect nationally. He’s the No. 23 Edge prospect nationally.
Penn State now has five commitments early in the Class of 2025. Jennings is the third prospect to jump aboard since the Lasch Bash this weekend, joining Delaware wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers and Harrisburg offensive lineman Kevin Brown. The group joined Top 100 quarterback Troy Huhn and Top 100 running back Messiah Mickens in the class. The Nittany Lions’ group ranked second nationally heading into Wednesday.
