BREAKING: Matt Campbell Rebuilds Penn State’s 2026 Class After Mass Exodus
**UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.** – The Penn State Nittany Lions’ 2026 recruiting cycle has been defined not by a single headline-grabbing flip, but by a complete reconstruction following unprecedented turmoil. When James Franklin was fired in October 2025 and subsequently took the Virginia Tech job, the program lost nearly its entire recruiting class .
The exodus was staggering. Eleven pledges flipped to Virginia Tech to join Franklin, including four-star running back Messiah Mickens (No. 8 in Pennsylvania) and three-star offensive tackle Roseby Lubintus . Four-star interior offensive lineman Kevin Brown, a consensus top-5 player in Pennsylvania, decommitted entirely . Four-star cornerback David Davis flipped to North Carolina to join Bill Belichick . Four-star wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers, the No. 1 player in Delaware, flipped to Oklahoma . Four-star safety Matt Sieg, the highest-ranked remaining recruit at the time, flipped to West Virginia on National Signing Day .
When Matt Campbell was hired away from Iowa State in December, he inherited a class in shambles. On the first day of the early signing period, Penn State had just **two signees**—quarterback Peyton Falzone and edge rusher Jackson Ford—and was ranked as low as **125th nationally** .
Campbell’s rebuild strategy was unconventional but effective. Rather than chasing top-ranked prospects, he relied on relationships from his previous stop. Ten of Penn State’s 15 high school signees originally committed to Campbell at Iowa State before following him to Happy Valley . The class now ranks **No. 41 nationally** according to 247Sports .
The centerpiece is four-star edge rusher **Elijah Reeder**, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound New Jersey native whom Campbell calls the “hidden gem” of the class . Reeder recorded 50 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and eight sacks during his senior season at Central Regional High School . He joins four-star edge rusher **Jackson Ford** from Malvern Prep near Philadelphia, who remained committed throughout the coaching transition and recorded 30 tackles and four sacks as a senior .
At quarterback, the Nittany Lions landed four-star **Peyton Falzone** from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in a winding recruitment. Falzone initially committed to Virginia Tech in 2024, flipped to Penn State in April 2025, then committed to Auburn two months later . When Auburn coach Hugh Freeze was fired, Falzone returned to Penn State and signed in December . He enrolled in January after recovering from a broken clavicle suffered during his senior season .
The class also includes three-star quarterback **Kase Evans** from Texas, who threw for 11,640 career yards and 120 touchdowns in high school , and four-star defensive back **Josiah Zayas** from New Jersey, a top-50 cornerback nationally who caught 93 passes for 1,784 yards and 26 touchdowns on offense while making nine interceptions on defense .
While the high school class remains modest by Penn State standards, Campbell’s most immediate impact came through the transfer portal. The Nittany Lions added **40 transfers**, including 24 from Iowa State, to replace 47 outgoing players who entered the portal after Franklin’s departure . Headlining the transfer group is quarterback **Rocco Becht**, a three-year starter under Campbell at Iowa State who logged two 3,000-yard passing seasons .
For Penn State fans hoping for a single “top player” flip to celebrate, the reality is more complex but ultimately more significant. Campbell didn’t need to flip one star—he rebuilt an entire program foundation in just two months, turning a recruiting disaster into a sustainable path forward.
