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What went into Daniel Jennings' decision to reclassify and arrive at Penn State this year?

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•06/05/25•

GregPickel

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Defensive end Daniel Jennings has officially signed with Penn State. (Credit: Ryan Snyder | Blue White Illustrated)

Penn State learned earlier this year that Class of 2026 four-star defender Daniel Jennings was interested in reclassifying to the Class of 2025 and coming to campus a season earlier than expected. Both sides were intrigued by the idea. But, it goes without saying that it can’t be acted on unless some things fall into place. They ultimately did, as Jennings was able to complete the academic requirements to both graduate high school and enroll at Penn State early. He signed with the program in mid-May and will be in town shortly to get ready for his first preseason camp at the college level.

“It really had nothing to do with us [pushing the idea],” Lions coach James Franklin said Thursday. “He wanted to reclass[ify]. Wanted to see if it could work from a Penn State’s perspective, if we had room to make it work. He was working back at home with his high school. Part of it, I think, is he lost his high school coach. High school coach left, and basically felt like, in some ways, he was ready.

“I think he was the Player of the Year in West Virginia. He was the number one player as a junior in the state. So once they wanted to do that, then it was ‘Ok, is there a way to make this work, to fulfill your responsibilities for graduation of high school from an NCAA perspective and from a Penn State perspective?’ And then once we realized we could check all those boxes, we said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.'”

Value proposition led Jennings to come to Penn State early

The decision is already working out for Penn State. Jennings is the second defensive end to reclassify in as many years. He follows in the footsteps of Max Granville, who arrived early a year ago, played 52 snaps over seven games on defense, and put himself in prime position to have a big role in 2026. Unfortunately, those plans are on hold, as he’s now dealing with a long-term injury. It makes Jennings’ arrival all the more important from a numbers perspective.

That bit of news aside, Jennings hopes to have a similar year one to his now second-year teammate. He is already carrying around 250 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame. And, the Princeton, W.Va., native comes in as a four-star who hopes to make an impact in some way this fall after essentially deciding on a value proposition regarding what was best for his future.

“I think for them, it’s like, what’s more valuable? Even worst case scenario, playing a senior year, or redshirting at Penn State? Although he’s going to have the opportunity to come in and compete, I think they felt like we’re going to base this decision on the worst-case scenario,” Franklin said. “And him being here and being in our weight program and nutrition program and getting an extra year of school started ahead of time, I just think they felt like the value of it.

“I think the other thing is, he’s not like a 205-pound defensive end. We’ve taken some kids that were 205 pounds and they had to grow into it. He’s already over 250 pounds. So I think those things played a factor into it as well. But it wasn’t us. It was something he wanted to do.” 

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