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Is Penn State losing recruiting ground to Notre Dame?

Is Penn State losing recruiting ground to Notre Dame?

USA Today6 hours ago

First Grayson McKeogh, now Tyler Merrill. Those are two offensive linemen that the Nittany Lions have let slip through their grasp and have ended up with the Fighting Irish. Thus, this continues a slippery slope for the Nittany Lions as they continue to lose traction not just within their state, but in the Big Ten and on a national stage as well.
For the past couple of weeks, it has just been continuous bad news on the recruiting trail as more and more top recruits eschew the Nittany Lions in favor of the men from South Bend. McKeogh and Merrill specifically were Pennsylvania guys and two of the better O-linemen in the cycle.
To make matters worse, another Pennsylvania product in safety Joey O'Brien is said to be leaning in favor of the Irish. His five-star status as well makes it ever more painful, as Penn State fans are sure to notice the lack of one in this cycle thus far.
As the recruiting process grows ever more tense, look for this burgeoning recruiting rivalry to continue as Notre Dame gets ever more aggressive. They are already making moves in the 2027 cycle, extending an offer to a Penn State commit in the past couple of days. Thus the question arises: is Penn State rapidly losing ground in its own state, and will they be able to recover before it's too late?

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Ranking Penn State's Offensive Units
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The Nittany Lions are dreaming of a CFP championship, and because of the massive amount of players returning to Happy Valley, that dream could be realized. No where is the presence of their returners felt than their offense. Thus, Penn State has elite depth at every position group that they can point to. As I rank the five offensive units for the Nittany Lions, you will see just how much talent is on this how difficult it is to differentiate. 5. Wide Receivers It is not that the receivers are any bad at all. It's just that as transfers at a trouble spot for Penn State, should they underwhelm, the finger will be firmly pointed towards them when trying to find scapegoats. Nevertheless, Kyron Hudson, Devonte Ross, and Trebor Pena enter the program with lofty resumes and understanding the standard set forth by their new school. Ross and Pena especially, with breakout campaigns last year, will look to immediately elevate a tepid receiving corps. However, due to the weight this position group must bear, they must sit at the bottom of these rankings. 4. Tight Ends When you lose a player such as Tyler Warren to the NFL, you're sure to face a precipitous drop amongst offensive units. However, there is still elite talent at the position plus added depth with Warren's departure. Khalil Dinkins entering his junior season looks to be the firm leader of the pack, but the young depth behind him could be primed for breakout seasons themselves. Luke Reynolds' special teams prowess stood out and he could be looking for an expanded role offensively in his sophomore season. Andrew Rappleyea is an exciting depth option coming back from injury. And freshman Andrew Olesh immediately gives the room a bright future. Look for this room to potentially out-perform this ranking. 3. Quarterbacks Some might be surprised to see the QBs rated this low, but lack of experienced depth after Beau Pribula transferred to Missouri leaves much to be desired outside of Drew Allar. Allar's presence alone as he returns to Happy Valley after leading the Big Ten in passing yards last year is enough to elevate this group, but the pressure to deliver in big games in the clutch will be questioned should he falter yet again. Behind him, the room's future looks promising but will just be untapped potential this year. However, look for Ethan Grunkemeyer, the redshirt freshman and Jaxon Smolik to have a fierce QB battle in 2026. 2. Running Backs This room could certainly be the best Penn State has on both sides of the ball with the return of their elite tandem in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. With almost 2,000 rushing yards between them from last season, look for Singleton and Allen continue to be the best RB tandem in college football. However, even wtihout them at the helm, this room would have still looked mighty impressive. Quinton Martin, Cam Wallace, and Corey Smith are all waiting patiently for their turns to shine as the next great Penn State running back, and could feature this year to alleviate the burden both Singleton and Allen. 1. Offensive Line An elite offense such as this with a lot of returning talent needs an elite O-line. Most importantly, it needs the continuity that the offense sustains itself. Penn State has that in spades. Penn State returns an incredible four starters to the line, after breaking in three new ones last year. Look for former top-50 recruit Cooper Cousins to seamlessly fill the shoes of the departed Sal Wormley to make up the void. Add in the fact that J'Ven Williams, Nolan Rucci, and Alex Birchmeier could start at any other elite college program, and Penn State may just have the deepest, most talented line not just in the Big Ten, but in college football outright.

Is Penn State losing recruiting ground to Notre Dame?
Is Penn State losing recruiting ground to Notre Dame?

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Is Penn State losing recruiting ground to Notre Dame?

First Grayson McKeogh, now Tyler Merrill. Those are two offensive linemen that the Nittany Lions have let slip through their grasp and have ended up with the Fighting Irish. Thus, this continues a slippery slope for the Nittany Lions as they continue to lose traction not just within their state, but in the Big Ten and on a national stage as well. For the past couple of weeks, it has just been continuous bad news on the recruiting trail as more and more top recruits eschew the Nittany Lions in favor of the men from South Bend. McKeogh and Merrill specifically were Pennsylvania guys and two of the better O-linemen in the cycle. To make matters worse, another Pennsylvania product in safety Joey O'Brien is said to be leaning in favor of the Irish. His five-star status as well makes it ever more painful, as Penn State fans are sure to notice the lack of one in this cycle thus far. Advertisement As the recruiting process grows ever more tense, look for this burgeoning recruiting rivalry to continue as Notre Dame gets ever more aggressive. They are already making moves in the 2027 cycle, extending an offer to a Penn State commit in the past couple of days. Thus the question arises: is Penn State rapidly losing ground in its own state, and will they be able to recover before it's too late? This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Is Penn State losing ground in recruiting to Notre Dame?

Is Penn State losing recruiting ground to Notre Dame?
Is Penn State losing recruiting ground to Notre Dame?

USA Today

time6 hours ago

  • USA Today

Is Penn State losing recruiting ground to Notre Dame?

First Grayson McKeogh, now Tyler Merrill. Those are two offensive linemen that the Nittany Lions have let slip through their grasp and have ended up with the Fighting Irish. Thus, this continues a slippery slope for the Nittany Lions as they continue to lose traction not just within their state, but in the Big Ten and on a national stage as well. For the past couple of weeks, it has just been continuous bad news on the recruiting trail as more and more top recruits eschew the Nittany Lions in favor of the men from South Bend. McKeogh and Merrill specifically were Pennsylvania guys and two of the better O-linemen in the cycle. To make matters worse, another Pennsylvania product in safety Joey O'Brien is said to be leaning in favor of the Irish. His five-star status as well makes it ever more painful, as Penn State fans are sure to notice the lack of one in this cycle thus far. As the recruiting process grows ever more tense, look for this burgeoning recruiting rivalry to continue as Notre Dame gets ever more aggressive. They are already making moves in the 2027 cycle, extending an offer to a Penn State commit in the past couple of days. Thus the question arises: is Penn State rapidly losing ground in its own state, and will they be able to recover before it's too late?

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