Penn State's three 2027 commits now rank in five-star territory following updated On300

Penn State may never get off to a better start in a recruiting class than it did this year for the Class of 2027. Coming into the day, McKeesport running back Kemon Spell was already ranked the No. 1 running back in the country and No. 8 overall in the On300. That remains the case.

About 12 miles west of McKeesport, you’ll find the top Penn State commit in Western Pennsylvania, wide receiver Khalil Taylor. Taylor technically dropped two spots from No. 16 to No. 18, but he’s still the third-ranked wide receiver in the country and well within range of earning a five-star rating.

Penn State’s third commit, Delaware offensive tackle Layton von Brandt, made the most significant move among the group, rising five spots from No. 37 to No. 32. For those who may not follow rankings closely, On3 progressively assigns five-star ratings to 32 players in every class. As of now, only three players have earned that distinction since it’s early in the cycle. However, just the fact that all of them now rank within that threshold is just another sign that James Franklin and his staff are off to a blazing start. In fact, there are only five players committed within the Top 32 at the moment, giving them more than every other school combined. Again, it’s early, but this start

Time will tell if all three stay that high in the rankings, but beyond the commits, another coveted prospect – Coatesville offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller – also climbed into potential five-star territory. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound linemen climbed 12 spots to No. 28 nationally. His head coach, Matt Ortega, recently called Hiller a “once-in-a-lifetime kind of player.”

Link: New PSU pick logged in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine

Overall, it looks to be a very strong year for Pennsylvania, as the latest update now has 12 Keystone State prospects within the On300. That number was previously 10. The latest two additions are Downingtown East edge rusher Abraham Sesay, who went from unranked to No. 170 nationally, as well as Penn Hills Ath. Carter Bonner. He was previously a high three-star and is now ranked No. 175 nationally.

Pennsylvania also has two other Top 100 prospects in wide receiver Matthew Gregory (No. 41) from Pottstown and offensive lineman Terrance Smith (No. 88) from Lansdale. Penn State is expected to be a top contender with both.

Outside of the Keystone State, we also have to mention two other notable additions to the On300. Down in Virginia, Battlefield linebacker Noah Glover went from unranked all the way to No. 145 nationally. Penn State offered him ahead of most promiment schools. They also hosted him for a visit in April.

Also, the next upcoming prospect at McDonogh in Owings Mills, Md., defensive lineman Joseph Buchanan, joined the list at No. 250. Buchanan didn’t visit any schools this spring but has been to Penn State twice already, inclduing last October for the game against UCLA.

Notable 2027 Prospects within the On300

* Has previously visited Penn State

2) OL Mark Matthews
4) OL Kennedy Brown
5) CB Joshua Dobson
6) DL Jalen Brewster
7) CB John Meredith *
8) RB Kemon Spell *
9) DE Chris Whitehead *
13) OL Cooper Hackett
15) Ath. Xavier Sabb *
18) WR Khalil Taylor *
19) Saf. Tory Pittman III
20) OL Qua Ford
23) WR Monshun Sales *
24) LB Kaden Henderson
25) OL Elijah Hutcheson
26 ) DE David Jacobs Jr.
27) WR Dakota Guerrant *
28) OL Maxwell Hiller *
29) RB Tyson Robinson
30) WR Osani Gayles *
31) TE Brock Williams *
32) OL Layton von Brandt *
33) RB David Gabriel Georges
34) Saf. Honor Fa’alave-Johnson
38) OL Oluwasemilore Olubobola *
41) WR Matthew Gregory *
43) RB Landen Williams-Callis *
45) WR Quentin Burrell
46) DE Anthony Sweeney *
48) CB Juju Johnson
49) DE Jaiden Bryant
50) RB Noah Roberts
55) DE Rashad Streets *
57) TE Jack Brown
58) LB Jalaythan Mayfield
59) CB Xavier Hasan
60) WR Julian Caldwell
62) TE Seneca Driver
66) OL Jake Hildebrand
67) CB Corey Hadley Jr.
68) CB Duvay Williams
70) RB Abdul Turay *
73) RB Isaiah Rogers
74) Ath. Myson Johnson-Cook
75) WR Quentin Hale
76) WR Julius Jones
78) CB Donte Wright
79) Saf. Adryan Cole
87) TE Jaxon Dollar
88) OL Terrance Smith *
89) DL Khing Thibodeaux
90) CB Hayden Stepp
92) CB Ace Alston

Link: Texas safety Jordan Deck reveals why Penn State is ‘definitely in the mix’

104) DL Recarder Kitchen *
110) QB Peter Bourque *
114) OL Kyler Kuhn
118) LB Quinton Cypher *
120) OL Sean Tatum
122) QB Keegan Croucher *
128) DE Rion Jackson
129) CB Bryce Williams *
139) RB Elijah Kimble
145) LB Noah Glover *
146) WR Iveon Lewis *
156) TE Zac Fares
157) QB Peyton Houston *
158) RB Andrew Beard *
159) OL Brody McNeel
162) WR Anthony Roberts
162) RB Ty Keys
163) DE Aidan O’Neil *
168) DL Jon Ioane
170) DE Abraham Sesay *
172) DL Jamar Thompson
175) Ath. Carter Bonner *
181) CB Aaryn Washington
183) DE James Pace III *
185) QB Lonnie Andrews III
189) TE Anthony Cartwright *
193) OL Carter Jones *
196) Saf. Khalil Terry

Link: Four-star CB Dorian Barney: ‘That’s probably the best visit I’ve been on’

200) OL Cameron Wagner *
201) DL Carter Blattner
202) WR Myles McAfee *
212) Ath. Brayton Feister *
216) OL Jaiden Lindsay *
218) OL Q’Mari Hudson
221) Saf. Marquis Bryant *
226) OL Jimmy Kalis *
229) WR Javien Robinson *
230) CB Larry Moon *
233) TE Jordan Karhoff
247) CB Jaden Carey
250) DL Joseph Buchanan *
251) Ath. Colt Lumpris *
255) LB Mikahi Allen *
259) TE Titus Hawk
262) CB Bryson Brown *
265) OL Jameer Henry
267) OL Peyton Miller *
268) Saf. Gideon Gash
270) LB Brandon Lockley *
283) LB Ellis McGaskin
288) QB Kevin Parker
289) CB Samari Howard
291) DL Jaylen Mercer
295) CB Raylaun Henry
299) RB Armand Hill *