Where does Penn State rank in final Class of 2025 Team Recruiting Rankings?

Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff pulled off a massive commitment at the end of the 2025 cycle, flipping tight end Andrew Olesh from Michigan just hours before the signing period ended on Dec. 6. On Thursday, that flip became just a bit more impactful, as Olesh was named a five-star prospect by On3 and the No. 1 tight end in the country for his class. It continues a streak for Penn State of landing at least one five-star player, according to On3’s rankings, in four consecutive classes.

But of course, On3 doesn’t use just its rankings to determine its overall team rankings for the class. Instead, we use what we call the Industry Ranking, which combines On3, 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN for a cumulative grade. Fans can learn more about that below.

While Olesh may be considerd a five-star player by On3, both Olesh and OL Malachi Goodman feell just short of five-star status in the Industry Rankings, which is why Penn State is credited with 15 four-star players and 12 three-star prospects in the class. That’s their highest total number of four-star players or better since the 2022 class, which featured 13 four-stars and three five-star prospects.

As for where they finished overall, the Nittany Lions will go down as having the 14th-ranked class in 2025 with a score of 90.983. They just barely missed on surpassing No. 13 Miami, which earned a 91.083 grade.

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) As mentioned above, 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 also solves 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 finished at 19 prospects this year.

So, if you’re wondering why Penn State may rank lower at On3 compared to sites like 247 and Rivals – especially at times early in the cycle – 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

The Big Ten finished with five schools in the Top 15 of On3’s Team Rankings.

Oregon finished top of the conference and No. 4 overall nationally, signing 19 prospects overall. The class is very impressive, as 18 of their 19 signees finished with either a four or five-star rating.

In addition to signing the No. 1 ranked receiver in the country, Dakorien Moore, the Ducks also locked up defensive backs Na’eem Offord, Trey McNutt and Brandon Finney. Both Offord and McNutt finished with five-star ratings in the Industry Rankings, while Finney finished at No. 58 natonally. All three rank among the Top 10 cornerbacks in the country.

Ohio State finished second in the conference and just behind the Ducks at No. 5 overall with 26 players in the class. They finisehd with three five-star prospects and 15 four-star players. Notable prospects include quarterback Tavien St. Clair (No. 4 overall), cornerback Devin Sanchez (No. 6) and wide receiver Quincy Porter (No. 22).

Michigan climbed as high as No. 6 in the rankings before signign day dropped to No. 9 following the loss of Olesh. The Wolverines added two five-star players and 13 four-star prospects. Of course, the prize of the class is the No. 1 ranked player in the country after Michigan flipped quarterback Bryce Underwood a few weeks ago from LSU. They also added five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola down the stretch.

USC finished just behind Penn State at No. 15 overall, signing 22 players, including eight four-star prospects and one five-star. Quarterback Husan Longstreet finished with a five-star rating at No. 4 overall at the position. Defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart was considered a five-star throughout most of the cycle by finished at No. 33 in the Industry Rankings, one spot out of five-star status.