Top linebacker target Mathieu Kanu shares Penn State official visit date
Penn State is wasting no time locking in official visits with its top 2026 recruits from across the country. On Monday afternoon, linebacker Mathieu Kanu became the latest player to confirm his plans, informing Blue White Illustrated that he’s set an official visit with the Nittany Lions for June 13-15.
In January, Patriot High School became a popular stop for coaches across the country, as the 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker earned nine new offers. With the addition of Wisconsin last week, Kanu is up to 19 schools and counting.
The Nittany Lions extended their offer in mid-November after Kanu visited for the White Out game. Since then, he’s returned to State College twice more, attending the regular season finale against Maryland on Nov. 30, as well as a junior day a few weeks ago on Jan. 25.
Following all three visits, the Manassas, Va., native has made it no secret that head coach James Franklin and his staff have emerged as the team to beat.
“Penn State is still the clear leader after today,” Kanu said when asked where the Nittany Lions stand following his junior day visit.
He went on to add, “I like everything they stand for. From education to the training staff to nutrition. Also, the scheme they run is very similar to what my team does.”
Link: Key defensive recruit Kaden Gebhardt sets official visit with Penn State
As of now, Penn State is the only school that Kanu has locked in an official visit with, but he did say that a visit with Virginia Tech is in the works. The Hokies hosted him on campus three times in 2024. He also took the opportunity to meet with West Virginia’s new coaching staff on Feb. 1.
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(UPDATE: 1:45 PM ET – Kanu confirmed he’ll visit Va. Tech June 20-22 via social media)
Kanu said it’s also likely that he’ll return to Penn State in April to watch a spring practice but still has to set a date. That’ll be his first opportunity to meet with new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
“Knowing what he did for Ohio State this season and through the playoffs, especially against major teams, and then being able to help them win the natty, that would be a great addition for Penn State with the roster they have on defense and the guys returning,” Kanu said when asked about Knowles on Jan. 26.
During his junior season, Kanu totaled an eye-catching 137 tackles in 13 games. He also had 16 tackles for loss, three sacks and three forced fumbles.
Kanu is currently unranked by On3 and in On3’s Industry Rankings. That’s expected to change later this month when 2026 rankings are updated for the first time since October. Penn State is considered a heavy favorite in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine after national analyst Steve Wiltfong logged a pick for the Nittany Lions to land Kanu a few weeks ago. As of now, it lists PSU with a 93.1 percent chance of landing his commitment.
