Penn State’s big Saturday wasn’t contained to just the 22-10 Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson.
Matt Campbell and his new staff also made waves on the recruiting trail.
2026 wide receiver Ben Whitver committed to Penn State, flipping from his signing with James Madison on Dec. 3. Whitver received his release from the Dukes after coach Bob Chesney moved on to UCLA.
Whitver ranks as a three-star and the No. 1,008 player in his class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He stands 6-2 and 190 pounds.
Whitver’s ranking doesn’t quite do his high school career justice, however.
He graduated as Virginia’s all-time leader in receiving yards in state history at 3,501. The Powhatan product is also third in all-time receptions with 209.
At Powhatan, he played alongside Penn State freshman tight end Matt Henderson.
Penn State has been on Whitver’s radar for quite some time. He visited the school four times with James Franklin as head coach, but he’s now received a new chance to join the Nittany Lions with Campbell at the helm.
This could be a strong, under-the-radar pickup, something Campbell and his staff excelled at while with Iowa State.
Penn State and Campbell are now up to 10 total commitments in the 2026 class, and Whitver was the fourth pickup this week. He joined linebacker Keian Kaiser and offensive lineman Pete Eglitis and Mason Bandhauer with the Nittany Lions.
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