Penn State’s football program entered the early signing period dealing with uncertainty, and Wednesday’s returns offered a humbling snapshot of the crisis hitting Happy Valley.
The Nittany Lions opened signing day without a permanent head coach, nearly eight weeks after firing James Franklin following a loss to Northwestern.
The prolonged vacancy has pushed the program into one of the worst recruiting situations in its modern history, leaving Penn State with a class that ranks near the bottom of the FBS and, by some services, behind multiple FCS programs.
Penn State’s 2026 class sits at No. 150 nationally, dead last in the Big Ten and behind programs such as Colgate, Air Force, Navy and Army. According to On3’s composite rankings, the Nittany Lions entered the day with just two signed players.
Penn State recruits in 2026
Three-star quarterback Peyton Falzone and edge rusher Jackson Ford. And a national ranking that hovered near the 120s before plummeting further as the morning unfolded.
The collapse has been severe. Since Franklin’s dismissal, 24 commits have decommitted, including several blue-chip prospects who once formed the core of a class ranked No. 17 as recently as mid-October.
The fallout became even more painful Wednesday as Franklin, now the head coach at Virginia Tech, flipped four-star linebacker Terry Wiggins and four-star safety Matt Sieg to the Hokies. They were the latest additions to a group of 11 former Penn State commits Franklin has pulled to Blacksburg in the last two weeks.
“No program in the country surged into signing day like Virginia Tech,” ESPN's Eli Lederman reported, noting that the Hokies closed the day with a top-25 class powered largely by former Penn State pledges.
The comparison to Franklin’s tenure only shows more of a deep contrast. During his final six cycles in State College, Penn State never posted a national recruiting ranking under No. 18.
Penn State recruiting ranking in 2026
The Nittany Lions now find themselves grouped with UConn, Akron, Sam Houston State and Middle Tennessee, well outside the Power Five. Even FCS Idaho entered the day ranked ahead of Penn State.
The lack of direction is front and center to the program’s collapse. Athletic director Pat Kraft has yet to announce a successor after unsuccessful pursuits, including BYU’s Kalani Sitake. Kraft has watched several candidates leverage Penn State’s vacancy for raises elsewhere, while others--such as Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who landed the USF job--have moved on entirely.
Penn State’s worst recruiting ranking
The uncertainty has caused frustration within the fan base and booster circles, with some openly questioning the process that led Kraft to fire Franklin without a transition plan in place. The interim staff, led by longtime assistant Terry Smith, has struggled to keep the class without clarity about the program’s long-term direction.
There is a second signing window in February, giving Penn State an opportunity to rebuild once a head coach is in place. But the scale of the damage will require an aggressive effort in both high school recruiting and the transfer portal. For now, the Nittany Lions are left to confront an unprecedented recruiting freefall that has turned a once-stable program into one of the sport’s most surprising storylines.
In Happy Valley, signing day arrived without celebration. It was also a reminder of how quickly a national contender can unravel when left without a leader.
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