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Penn State’s Team Ranking steady after 2027 recruiting additions

nate-mug-10.12.14by: Nate Bauer05/22/26NateBauerBWI

Head coach Matt Campbell and the Penn State football program continued to build their Class of 2027 on Friday afternoon. The Nittany Lions started with the addition of defensive tackle Aniti Paiva and, shortly thereafter, continued their momentum when tight end Sean Currie joined the fold.
And with their commitments, Penn State’s place within the national recruiting landscape again shifted.

With 20 total verbal commitments, the Nittany Lions jumped into the No. 2 spot for overall class size, trailing only Oklahoma. The Sooners currently stand one ahead of Penn State with a Class of 2027 numbering 21 pledges.

Within the updated 2027 Rivals Football Team Recruiting Rankings, though, the two latest pick-ups left the Nittany Lions’ status unchanged. Entering the day at No. 16 nationally in the proprietary formula to determine accurate, of-the-moment team recruiting rankings, the addition of two prospects carrying three-star ratings left the overall team score stagnant.

At a moment in which the average used in the rankings score is centered on the top eight commitments for each class, neither Paiva nor Currie change the equation. Currie is the higher-ranked of the two, checking in at No. 514 overall nationally with a player score of 87.73. Paiva, meanwhile, is Penn State’s lowest-ranked commitment of the class at present, carrying a score of 84.33 and the No. 1,024 overall ranking in the nation.

Scouting the Big Ten

Surveying the rest of the conference, Penn State now has the biggest class of its Big Ten peers. UCLA is next with 19 total commitments, with Minnesota (16), Washington (15), Southern Cal (13), Michigan (13), Wisconsin (13), Ohio State (12), Oregon (12), Nebraska (10), and Iowa (10) all securing double digits in their class sizes.

Turning to the updated rankings, meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are holding steady at 7th in the Big Ten. Southern Cal continues to lead the way with its overall team score of 93.423 in a class boasting one five-star pledge and eight four-stars. The Trojans are followed by Ohio State (7th), Oregon (10th), Michigan (11th), UCLA (12th), and Nebraska (15th). Penn State is still ahead of Washington (20th) and Wisconsin (24th) among programs with classes currently ranked in the Top 25.

Penn State pushes recruiting fit

Outlining his philosophy on the recruiting trail this spring, Campbell explained to reporters what takes priority when bringing prospects into the program.

Selling what he describes as “an Ivy League education” at Penn State with “an opportunity to compete at the highest level” of the sport, the combination of academics and athletics creates an appeal only furthered by an examination of the caliber of individuals who have made up the program throughout its history.

“I think those are powerful building blocks,” said Campbell. “I think the reality is sometimes I’m probably like the anti-recruiter, to be honest with you. Because I’ve always told a young person their family, I don’t want you to come here unless you really believe in me.

“It’s cool to have these great stadiums. It’s cool to have all this stuff. But at the end of the day, what we ask 18- to 22-year-olds in the sport of football today, it’s one of the hardest, great challenges out there, mentally and physically. And there are going to be some really hard days. And when the hard days come, it’s not going to be about the cool stadium and it’s not going to be about all this stuff. It’s going to be about relationships and people.”

Believing the Penn State football program to consist of those relationships and people, he intends to propel the program forward through the recruiting process.

“I think that’s the biggest sell from our end is, we have great people. We’re really fortunate,” he said. “There are going to be really tough days. And I always ask every young man and their families, you better pick us not because of the good days, but the really hard days, and that you trust that we’re going to be there to help you grow to become the best you can be through the tough days.

“That’s been the sell. It’ll always be the sell, because that’s what I really believe in, my responsibility of building a football program is about.”

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