Skip to main content
Penn State

Penn State stays hot on the recruiting trail, adds 2026 four-star CB Jaziel Hart

Mug-Shot 4x4by:Ryan Snyder•05/22/25•

RyanSnyderOn3

jaziel-hart-penn-state-football-recruiting-on3
Cornerback Jaziel Hart (Credit: Ryan Snyder | Blue White Illustrated)

Penn State picked up commitment No. 17 in its Class of 2026 on Thursday with the addition of Roanoke, Va., cornerback Jaziel Hart. A four-star prospect by On3, Hart earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in June 2024 after camping with the staff.

Despite totaling more than two dozen offers, it was an offer he earned about a week later from Michigan that ultimately proved to be Penn State’s top competitor for the 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback. In the end, it was PSU’s consistency throughout the past year that won the North Cross prospect over.

“The reason I’m deciding now is because I feel like they’ve been recruiting me long enough and hard enough over every other school,” Hart said. “They’ve shown great hospitality and have kept me as a top priority throughout this entire process. I’ve seen that, and my parents have seen that.

“So, I’m mainly choosing them because of the loyalty they’ve shown me, and now my loyalty to their program. I’ve also seen their loyalty to Penn State. Many of them have been there for a while. Coach Terry [Smith] and Coach [James] Franklin have been there for over a decade now. That shows me a lot.”

Since May 2024, Hart has made six visits to Penn State. He’ll take his seventh next weekend, May 30 to June 1, when he joins the rest of the committed players for his official visit.

Up until last month, all of those visits were for games or another large-scale recruiting event. However, when he came back to campus the Friday before the Blue-White Game, April 25, that trip allowed him to see what it’s truly like to play for Penn State on a daily basis.

It ended up being a key visit for him, looking back.

“I love their 1-0 culture. Coach Franklin’s approach just fits me well,” Hart said. “I see how much he cares about his players. He cares about his players as much as he does about winning.”

Penn State now holds commitments from two cornerbacks in the 2026 class, with Hart joining three-star prospect and New Jersey native Julian Peterson. Smith and the recruiting staff also continue to push hard for four-star prospects Khary Adams, from Maryland, and Dorian Barney from Georgia.

While Hart holds a four-star rating from On3, the Industry Rankings, which are used to determine the Team Rankings, rate him as a three-star prospect. Although he’s outside of the On300, our scouts have him ranked at No. 35 at cornerback and No. 7 in Virginia for his class. The Industry Rankings slot Haziel at No. 453 nationally, No. 40 at cornerback and No. 12 in Virginia.

You may also like