Penn State football just landed in the top-8 for an elite recruit in the 2028 class who could develop at multiple positions
The Penn State Nittany Lions seem to really like Brayden Arnold in the 2028 recruiting class, and he’s put them in the top-8.
The Penn State Nittany Lions just landed in the top eight for four-star athlete Brayden Arnold, the Duncanville, Texas, prospect who could become a key piece of the program’s 2028 recruiting class.
Arnold is the No. 20 player at his position and the No. 47 player from Texas, per 247Sports. Rivals has him as a top-300 player in the country, and Penn State currently sits fourth in Rivals’ predictions to land him.
Arnold, 5-11 and 190 pounds, has narrowed his list to TCU, USC, Colorado, Penn State, Oregon, SMU, Baylor, and Nebraska. He’s only taken two visits so far, both to SMU. If Penn State wants him, the Nittany Lions will have to get him on campus.
Penn State’s 2028 class needs depth
Penn State could use this player. The Nittany Lions’ 2028 class has only three commits so far: Carter Petri, a three-star kicker, James Armstrong, a four-star quarterback, and Deonte Flemings, a four-star cornerback. It is early, and the class doesn’t have to be finalized until Feb. 2028, but programs want to lock in as many commitments as possible ahead of time.
Penn State needs a guy like Arnold in that 2028 class. He can play on both sides of the ball, and the coaching staff can develop him on one side or the other to become an elite player. Arnold may be a little under the radar playing on an elite Duncanville team where he might not be the best player on his own roster, but that’s exactly the type of prospect who could be a steal in recruiting. He’s fast, agile, and has some really good lateral movement.
Matt Campbell’s first full recruiting cycle
Penn State needs to get back to recruiting at a high level like the program did for so long, and landing prospects like Arnold would be a step in that direction. This is the first time we’ll see coach Matt Campbell in control of a full recruiting cycle as Penn State’s head coach.
It could look very different from what he did at Iowa State because he’s in a different pipeline for the most part, and he has a bigger brand to work with. Arnold seems to be a guy the Nittany Lions like, and he seems to like Penn State as well. Now, it’s about getting him to Happy Valley and closing the deal.
