Recruiting burst lands Penn State atop 2026 On3 Industry Team Rankings
Penn State football hasn’t yet wrapped up its huge Lasch Bash recruiting weekend. Hosting dozens of the top prospects in the Class of 2025 and 2026, the Nittany Lions have made waves anyway.
And, on Saturday night, that formally took shape in the updated Class of 2026 On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings.
Making the program’s debut in the rankings, Penn State is No. 2 nationally for the cycle. The Nittany Lions trail only Auburn, who currently features five commitments for the Class of 2026.
On Saturday, the Nittany Lions picked up two verbal commitments to boost their total to four. The latest, likely five-star offensive tackle Kevin Brown, is joined by Harrisburg teammate Messiah Mickens, California quarterback Troy Huhn, and Delaware wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers. Brown is the top prospect to commit to Penn State, checking in at No. 37 overall with consensus four-star status. Mickens and Huhn are both Top 100 prospects, the running back holding the No. 65 designation in the On3 Industry Rankings and Huhn rated at No. 76 overall. Rogers currently has three-star status.
With the new ranking, Penn State immediately vaults to the top of Big Ten programs for the Class of 2026 cycle. Southern Cal is third nationally with five commitments, including four four-stars. Also, conference teams yet to crack the minimum three-commitment barrier to a number ranking include Oregon (two four-stars), Ohio State (one five-star), and Michigan (one four-star).
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Penn State boosts status with two big commitments
The first commitment of the day came from Rogers, who made his pledge in the afternoon. The receiver was a standout throughout the summer camp cycle, excelling at the June 14 LionStrong 7-on-7 tournament as well as the weekend’s Lasch Bash camp.
Listed at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, Rogers came to Penn State’s June 14 LionStrong 7-on-7 tournament as a relatively unknown prospect. At the time, he had early offers from Indiana and James Madison, but that changed quickly when he tested for head coach James Franklin and his staff that day.
Not only did Rogers clock in multiple 40 times in the 4.3-second range, but he also had a broad jump that was just shy of 11 feet. Athletically, Rogers had arguably the best numbers of any skill position player who camped at Penn State this summer. That led to Penn State inviting him back on campus this weekend for its Lasch Bash Barbecue, where Rogers decided that he didn’t want to drag out his recruitment.
Lasch Bash delivers fireworks
Further, the evening also brought big news for the Nittany Lions. Not long after Rogers’ pledge, Penn State picked up a second commitment in the form of Brown, one of the top offensive line prospects in the country for the Class of 2026.
Harrisburg (Pa.) offensive tackle Kevin Brown, ranked No. 37 overall in the cycle according to the On3 Industry Rankings, has announced his commitment to Penn State. He was among the marquee visitors at the Nittany Lions’ Lasch Bash this weekend and arguably Penn State’s top overall target in the early stages of the 2026 cycle.
Penn State targeted Brown since he was a freshman at Harrisburg High, where his father Tim Brown was a standout offensive lineman before going on to start for West Virginia and eventually play in the NFL.
For complete, continuing coverage of Penn State’s Lasch Bash weekend, stick with Blue White Illustrated. Take advantage of our special promotional rate of one month of a premium subscription for $1, taking you through the big recruiting weekend as well as the start of preseason camp for the program this week.
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