Notre Dame football and HC Marcus Freeman predicted to fall short on their second chance at an elite five-star playmaker

Top Notre Dame running back target Kemon Spell is predicted to land elsewhere.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Kemon Spell, McKeesport running back, soaks up the atmosphere of the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.

After elite 2027 McKeesport (Pa.) High School running back Kemon Spell chose to decommit from his Penn State pledge following the firing of head coach James Franklin during the 2025 season, there were many people who expected that Notre Dame could be tough to beat for the talented runner. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff had been on the Pennsylvania native even while he was solidly committed, but that didn’t stop them from pursuing. Add in his previous relationship with running back coach Ja’Juan Seider, and there was reason for optimism on the Spell front.

At the end of the season, Notre Dame held the majority of the optimism to land Spell. Then there was some confidence for the Georgia Bulldogs, but it appeared that this recruitment was going to go the distance. There was an intent, at least at the time, for Spell to take his time with the decision and get as much information and context as possible. It appears, however, that the process may have changed again.

On Tuesday, Rivals’ vice president of recruiting Steve Wiltfong logged an expert prediction for Spell to once again land with Penn State, the school he was previously committed to. It would be a massive recruiting win for new Nittany Lion head coach Matt Campbell. Keeping this caliber of a recruit to stay at home is no easy feat.

With how well Notre Dame has recruited the running back position over the years, there is no reason to believe that this staff can’t recover. It is a tough blow without question if Spell does land with Penn State, but one that isn’t crippling. The Fighting Irish will be just fine.

Kemon Spell’s recruiting background

Spell is currently ranked as at least a four-star recruit by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Spell is pegged as a five-star player and a Top-10 overall player nationally. He sits as the No. 7 overall player, the No. 1 running back, and the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania for the 2027 recruiting class on that class ranking. 

Even with that previous early commitment to the Nittany Lions, a long list of impressive programs had continued to pursue Spell heavily. Some of his top offers so far include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan, Oregon, Florida State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and UCLA, among several others. 

Over his three years with McKeesport, Spell has been an outstanding all-around player. The 5-10, 210-pound runner has managed to rush for 3,953 yards and 68 total touchdowns. His combination of size, explosiveness, and big-play ability is why so many teams have valued Spell so heavily. This is a special, special athlete at the running back position.

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