Where does Penn State now sit in the 2025 Team Recruiting Rankings following Cam Smith?
Penn State picked up commitment No. 24 in its Class of 2025 Thursday, flipping St. Joseph’s Prep linebacker Cam Smith from Duke. A four-star prospect according to On3’s Industry Rankings, Smith is ranked No. 264 nationally, making him the sixth-ranked player in Penn State’s class. Although he resides in Salem, N.J., Smith is ranked within Pennsylvania because he plays in Philadelphia, giving the Lions their fourth Top 10 prospect in the state.
However, because Penn State came into the day nearly a full point behind Oklahoma at No. 15 nationally, the Nittany Lions remain at No. 16 in On3’s Team Rankings with an overall class grade of 89.821.
Understanding On3’s Team Rankings
For those unfamiliar with On3’s Team Rankings, there are two major differences compared to other sites that you need to know.
1) We use the Industry Rankings, which puts together all four major recruiting sites – On3, 247, Rivals and ESPN – to find a cumulative score for each prospect. It’s not just based on On3’s rankings.
2) On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings solve the problem of varying class sizes during the recruiting cycle by totaling the highest-rated commitments for each team based on a rolling average of current total commitments among Power Four schools. That average is now up to 17 prospects currently.
So, if you’re wondering why Penn State ranks lower at On3 when compared to sites like 247 and Rivals, it’s because we’re aiming to project where the Nittany Lions are on pace to finish come National Signing Day.
Fans can read much more on On3’s Industry Team Recruiting Ranks by clicking here.
Around the Big Ten
Alabama briefly passed Ohio State as the top overall team in On3’s Team Rankings last month, but the Buckeyes are once again the top-ranked team nationally with 24 commitments total. Not only does Ohio State hold commitments from three of the nation’s Top 10 overall players, but they also have 10 prospects committed who rank among the Top 100 nationally.
Three Things: What does Cam Smith’s flip mean for Penn State recruiting?
You’ll find Oregon at No. 2 overall in the conference and No. 4 nationally, making the Ducks the only other Big Ten program that ranks even close to Ohio State at the moment. With just 15 commitments total, Oregon has five players who rank among the Top 100 nationally. However, 14 of Oregon’s 15 commits hold a four-star rating currently.
You’ll find Michigan, Penn State and USC all in a similar position currently, with the Wolverines at No. 14 nationally and the Trojans just behind PSU at No. 17. Michigan is up to 15 commitments total, 12 of whom hold a four-star rating. Lincoln Riley’s squad has one five-star and nine four-star players out of the 16 prospects who have committed so far.
Both Rutgers and Wisconsin round out the Big Ten schools that rank among the Top 25 nationally. Rutgers is up to 30 commitments, but just five of them are four-star players. The Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 20 overall, while the Badgers are just behind them at No. 21. Wisconsin holds commitments from 23 players, six of whom are four-star prospects.
