With the Class of 2027 recruiting efforts starting to wind down, Matt Campbell is turning his focus to the following year’s crop of high school prospects.
The 2028 class will be his first year with a fully fledged recruiting period, having settled into his role as Penn State’s head coach. Given the time to build relationships in Pennsylvania and the surrounding regions, it’ll be interesting to see his recruiting growth going forward.
That said, here are five key targets for Penn State’s 2028 class recruiting efforts.
EDGE – George Parkinson IV
Matt Campbell’s lack of success with recruiting in Pennsylvania wasn’t a big shock, considering he’s a new face in the Keystone State for the 2027 class. However, the Class of 2028 presents new opportunities to lock down the homefront.
4-star edge George Parkinson IV is a crucial in-state target, ranking as the No. 2 player out of Pennsylvania and No. 14 edge in the 2028 class.
Parkinson recently announced on social media that he’d shaved down his list of schools to six, with Penn State making the cut alongside Ohio State, Oregon, Texas A&M, Tennessee and LSU. He noted that these six programs have made him “feel like a priority.”
He’s shown particular interest in the Nittany Lions and Volunteers. Penn State offered the 6-foot-5, 235-pound defender on Jan. 24, the same day he attended Junior Day. Parkinson later took an unofficial visit to Knoxville in March after being offered the month prior.
Securing Parkinson would be the best way for Campbell to better establish a foothold in Pennsylvania while also adding an elite talent to Christian Smith’s defensive end room.
Edge coach Christian Smith watches his position group during Penn State football practice on Thursday, April 9, 2026 on the outdoor practice field of the Lasch Building in University Park, Pa.
Avery Hill
EDGE – Jermaine Smith Jr.
Another blue chip edge prospect to look out for is Jermaine Smith Jr. In his sophomore season, he helped St. Frances Academy achieve a 9-1 overall record and defeat Utah’s Corner Canyon High School, 37-20, in the inaugural Overtime national championship game.
Hailing from Baltimore, he’s the No. 2 player out of Maryland and the No. 50 player in the 2028 class, per 247Sports composite. If he chooses the Nittany Lions, Smith would be Campbell’s first top 50 recruit at Penn State, barring any prior commitments.
Smith has also continuously shown interest in Penn State. While he’s not an in-state recruit, he’s been on two total unofficial visits, and both were to Happy Valley. His first visit was on March 28, during which he was offered, and he later returned on June 20.
So far, Campbell has struggled to recruit in Washington D.C, Maryland and Virginia, locations where James Franklin made his bread and butter. A landmark recruit like Smith may be the spark that attracts more attention to Penn State from the D.C. area.
In addition, pairing Smith with Parkinson — if they both choose the Nittany Lions — would formulate one of the strongest young edge rooms in the nation.
However, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound edge rusher has also received an offer from Ohio State, which he pinned to the top of his X page.
WR – David Forster
Penn State already lost one wide receiver battle to Nebraska in Khalil Taylor, but there’s a redemption opportunity in the Class of 2028 with David Forster, who is also being actively recruited by the Cornhuskers.
The 3-star out of Montvale, New Jersey, was originally offered by James Franklin’s staff in May 2025. He was re-offered by the new staff after a spring practice visit on April 18, the same day that St. Joseph Regional High School teammate Jonathon Galette committed to the Nittany Lions.
Additionally, current running backs coach Savon Huggins and director of recruiting Naz Oliver originate from New Jersey. Forster labeled the pair his “hometown heroes” on social media prior to his April visit.
Running backs coach Savon Huggins speaks during a media availability at the Lasch Building on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in University Park, Pa.
Lucas Yendrzeiwski
Campbell has found success recruiting from New Jersey, with five prospects already committed to the Nittany Lions in the 2027 class, the most out of any state.
At The Opening’s New Jersey Regional combine in April, Forster ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and a 4.28-second shuttle, while his vertical jump came in at 45.4 inches. The 6-foot-4.5, 212-pounder was then placed on the Northeast roster for The Opening Finals, an all-star camp in Eugene, Oregon, that was held on June 24.
RB – Tahmere Brown
Also from New Jersey, 4-star Tahmere Brown could fill the hole left behind by Aiden Gibson, who recently flipped from Penn State to Rutgers.
Chukwuma Odoh is the only running back still committed to Penn State, and he is also from New Jersey. The timing of Brown’s arrival may prove pivotal to an early playing role if he chooses Penn State and challenges Odoh in the depth chart.
Brown ranks as the No. 8 player out of New Jersey and the No. 12 running back in the Class of 2028. The 5-foot-11, 188-pound running back currently plays for The Pennington School and also plays 7-on-7 with Pittsburgh-based AD 2Tenths alongside current Penn State commit Dhillon McGee in the OT7 spring league.
Following the end of his sophomore season, Brown played in the 2026 Navy All-American Bowl on Jan. 9 in San Antonio, Texas.
LB – Brandon Murphy Jr.
Campbell can keep up the 2028 in-state recruiting momentum by securing the next addition to “Linebacker U” with Clairton native Brandon Murphy Jr.
A 4-star prospect, Murphy was offered in May 2025 and has kept Penn State top of mind, routinely returning to Happy Valley under Terry Smith’s guidance. He attended Junior Day in January before returning to visit the Nittany Lions on March 24.
Murphy ranks as the No. 6 player out of Pennsylvania and the No. 14 linebacker in the Class of 2028. He’s an all-around athlete, also playing wide receiver, safety and cornerback for Clairton High School as a sophomore.
In 2025, he recorded 121 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and four sacks while forcing five fumbles. In the defensive backfield, Murphy broke up five passes and caught three interceptions on the year through the air.
The year prior, he was named a first-team Freshman All-American by MaxPreps after making 102 tackles and 23 tackles for loss.
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