With Penn State’s 2025 high school recruiting class officially signed and mostly on campus in State College, James Franklin and his team have turned their entire attention to next year’s crop of high school prospects. The Nittany Lions enjoyed a large transfer portal haul in the winter portal window, but early in the process, they appear to be doing better in the high school rankings for 2026.
Penn State’s 2026 class is presently ranked third in the country with nine commitments, and another could be on the way after four-star edge rusher Jake Kreul visited Happy Valley on Friday.
Kreul publicized his visit on social media as the 6-foot-3, 230-pound edge rusher from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, continues his tour of the nation’s top programs. Kreul, the 54th-best player in the class according to the 247Sports composite rankings and the sixth-best edge rusher, has recently posted photos with coaches from Oklahoma, Auburn, UCF, Texas, and Oregon, as well as a photo with legendary NFL head coach and first-year North Carolina Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick.
While a commitment looks unlikely for Kreul, if he changed his mind and fell in love with Happy Valley, he would be the second-highest-rated player in Penn State’s 2026 class, trailing only four-star offensive tackle Kevin Brown. Kreul would be the second edge rusher to commit in the 2026 class, after four-star Daniel Jennings. Jennings, a West Virginia native, revealed his commitment in July.
This offseason, Franklin and defensive line coach Deion Barnes were challenged with replacing Abdul Carter, who is expected to be a top-10 choice in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the following year will lose former five-star Dani Dennis-Sutton, who is preparing for his senior year in blue and white. To refill the defensive end, they signed Texas A&M transfer Enai White via the portal this winter and LaVar Arrington Jr. in the 2025 recruiting class. Max Granville, a four-star prospect for 2024, will also play an important role in Penn State’s defensive line.
Following his visit to Happy Valley, Kreul is a major recruit to keep an eye on at Penn State.
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