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No coach, no commits. Penn State struggles on signing day with just 2 recruits
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- No coach, no commits. Penn State struggles on signing day with just 2 recruits
The Penn State football program is in disarray as the early signing period opened on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
The Nittany Lions remain without a head coach. They are sinking quickly in rankings for the 2026 recruiting class as the program struggles to keep afloat following the firing of James Franklin on Oct. 30.
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Since then, Franklin has been hired at Virginia Tech and has brought the Hokies into the top 25 in recruiting rankings for the 2026 cycle. Franklin has flipped two Penn State commits to Virginia Tech on signing day alone.
Terry Smith is serving as Penn State interim coach and some players have lobbied for him to get the job full-time while nearly every coach Penn State has been linked to has received contract extensions and a raise.
Here's what you need to know about Penn State's recruiting in the 2026 cycle:
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Penn State football recruiting ranking
Per 247Sports Composite Rankings, Penn State is ranked 150th in the 2026 recruiting class, with two players signed to the class. That's behind programs like South Dakota State , McNeese, UAB and Columbia, among others.
The Nittany Lions class is ranked last in the Big Ten , with Nebraska the next closest in-conference team ranked at No. 111. They began the day with four commitments, with just two of the players signing.
On the first day of the early signing period, Penn State has seen four-star linebacker Terry Wiggins and four-star safety Matt Sieg both flip to Franklin and the Hokies , who sit at No. 22 in the 247Sports Composite Rankings with 23 players in the class.
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What players signed with Penn State football on signing day
Three-star QB Peyton Falzone and edge prospect Jackson Ford are the lone players who have signed their letter of intent with the Nittany Lions.
∎ Click here for the latest news on the Penn State coaching search .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Penn State football struggling to attract recruits with no coach
