Will Penn State land 2026 defender Alexander Haskell today?: Decision preview
It’s decision day for Class of 2026 recruit Alexander Haskell. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive tackle will pick between Penn State and two other finalists tonight. Stay tuned to The Lions Den for the latest on his plan.
Head coach James Franklin’s team starts the day with 15 verbal commitments in the Class of 2026, including four-star defensive end Daniel Jennings and three-star defensive lineman Isaac Chukwurah, which is good for a top 10 spot in the On3 Industry Team Rankings. Will the Lions land their third defensive linemen in this cycle on Friday? Let’s take a look at Haskell’s upcoming announcement.
When is Alexander Haskell picking his college home?
According to a graphic posted to Facebook by The Alex Haskell #99 Foundation, a decision day event is being held between 7-10 p.m. ET tonight. The announcement will come sometime during that window. It’s not yet clear exactly when it will take place. This space will be updated if and when more information becomes available.
Who are the contenders besides Penn State?
Haskell announced a top four of Duke, Michigan, Syracuse, and Penn State back on Feb. 6. However, as BWI recruiting insider Ryan Snyder has previously reported, the Blue Devils are full at defensive tackle. So, this is a race between the Wolverines, Orange, and Nittany Lions.
No school has hosted Haskell more than Penn State, which has had him on campus seven times. Michigan just hosted him for the first time earlier this month. And, Syracuse has only hosted him once, as well. That trip came back in March.
What does the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine say?
If you’ve made it this far, it should not surprise you to know that Penn State is far and away the leader in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. Powered by picks from both Snyder and On3 Vice President of Recruiting and Transfer Portal Steve Wiltfong, the Lions have a 96.7 percent chance of landing the three-star.
The On3 Industry Rankings call Haskell the nation’s No. 667 player in the Class of 2026, the No. 63 defensive lineman, and the No. 18 prospect in Pennsylvania for this cycle.
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What has Haskell said about his finalists?
Here is what the defensive tackle has told On3 and BWI about his list of choices:
Michigan: “Michigan has a very nice campus, and they treated our family really great up there. I think the best thing about it is how close the football team is to the community. It shows how much Michigan football means up there.”
Penn State: “With Penn State, playing for my home state has always been a dream of mine,” said Haskell. “Coach [Deion] Barnes has built a great relationship with me since my freshman year to really make it feel like home.
Syracuse: “Coach [Elijah] Robinson has been as genuine as possible to me since my freshman year, when he was at Texas A&M. I feel like he has a genuine plan and he really feels like he can develop me into an NFL type of guy. Also, coach Fran Brown has real South Jersey ties. I played youth ball there and there are players on the team [that] I know from playing there when I was younger.”
Where can I learn the latest on Haskell’s announcement throughout the day?
Blue-White Illustrated subscribers can learn more all day long inside The Lions Den forum. Not a subscriber but want to become one? Follow THIS LINK to sign up for Blue-White Illustrated for just $1 for one week of access to premium team news, insider recruiting intel, the latest Penn State transfer portal news, the Lions Den message board, and so much more.
