Penn State and James Franklin in danger of losing elite five star offensive recruit, but fans have a few reasons not to worry
The RB factory at Penn State may not hold onto their next feature back recruit
Penn State has become quite the running back factory since James Franklin came to town. First it was Saquon Barkley. Then it was Miles Sanders. Now Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Four special NFL-caliber running backs. Proven production. Proven development.
It was that very proof of concept that landed Penn State an extremely early commitment from the number one overall running back in the class of 2027, Kemon Spell. Unfortunately, that might just not be good enough when it comes to keeping him committed.
The good news? Penn State is probably going to be completely fine even if he does decide to abandon State College.
Kemon Spell announces six schools who have the best shot at flipping him away from Penn State
Kemon Spell, a elite five star talent from McKeesport, Pennsylvania committed to Penn State over a year ago now and has largely stayed “all-in” for much of the time since then. However, this week, it seems like Penn State might have something to worry about based on his answer to a question on the schools who have the best chance to flip him.
Spell is planning on taking several on-campus visits this fall. First to Ohio State against Texas to open the year. Penn State on September 27th. Then he’ll be seeing Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and USC. And of those schools, Spell mentioned six that are in the best shape to actually flip his commitment from Penn State:
– Alabama
– Michigan
– Notre Dame
– Ohio State
– Tennessee
– USC
It’s not completely atypical (especially in this era) for players to talk through other schools who are interested and still in contact with them frequently, but to list the exact six schools in best position to flip him is a bit worrisome. However, he is an in-state talent for Penn State, James Franklin was in on him extremely early, and he is still committed (at least for now). All hope is not lost here.
It would hurt to lose Spell considering his complete skill set, likely NFL-ready athleticism, and proven production already, but Penn State should surprisingly be completely fine without him should he indeed choose to go elsewhere.
Penn State RB alternatives if Kemon Spell decommits
Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen will both be gone following the 2025 season. That much is a lock, sadly. The good news is that Penn State still has a trio of incredible talents ready to replace them in Quinton Martin (former elite recruit), Corey Smith, and Cam Wallace. Martin and Smith could and likely should still be around in 2027 when Spell is set to arrive on campus.
Penn State also brought in two four star running back prospects in Jabree Coleman and Tikey Hayes this year. Hayes barely earned four star status, but Coleman is already built like a three-down workhorse and was considered a solid four star as early as his sophomore year of high school. Both of those options could be a potential heir to the lead back role for Penn State.
Beyond the players already on the roster, Messiah Mickens–an even higher rated four star running back than Coleman or Hayes–is slated to join the team in 2026. Mickens is another in-state athletic phenom with back to back elite productive seasons in high school. That gives Penn State this incredible list of possible star RBs who could still be on the team in 2027 when Spell is slated to arrive:
– Quinton Martin
– Corey Smith
– Jabree Coleman
– Tikey Hayes
– Messiah Mickens
So yes, it is less than ideal to imagine Penn State losing a five star running back prospect, but it’s clear that James Franklin and his staff already have the position room completely stacked to the brim with talent for the foreseeable future. Hopefully Spell remains committed, but given Penn State’s proven development and recruiting pipeline at running back, coach Franklin should have them in great position regardless of that outcome.
We’ll be back with more Penn State coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
