It’s been a rollercoaster for Jaime Franklin and the Penn State football program in the recruiting process this week.
There was a lot of momentum heading their way as they landed some standout defenders who were at the top of their list. But after thinking they had a tough commitment with running back Alvin Henderson, he switched to Auburn.
This was later followed by linebacker DJ McClary resigning and joining Rutgers’ recruiting class.
Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, they had a backup plan for Henderson, as they earned the commitment of four-star running back Jabree Wallace-Coleman while also landing safety Braswell Thomas.
Franklin and his team remain hot.
Penn State lands another four-star recruit at edge rusher Cortez Harris outside of Maryland. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect was on campus for an official visit this past weekend.
Ranked as the 26th best player at his position and 288th in the 2025 cycle by On3 Industry Ratinghe becomes the first defensive lineman committed by the Nittany Lions in this class.
Following Harris’ commitment, Penn State is now 17 and knocking on the door of being a Top 10 class.
Apparently, the relationship he established with Dean Barnes was a big deciding factor in him choosing the Nittany Lions over his other two finalists Maryland and Tennessee.
There was some pressure on Barnes to start landing some recruits on the defensive line, as he hadn’t done so yet this cycle, but all the information that has come out is that Penn State was close to landing commitments, and Harris is the first domino .
