James Franklin gets second chance to land blue chip talent after rare in-season firing opens door for flipped commitment
Recruiting races can take the craziest of turns, and the Penn State Nittany Lions might be in the right place at the right time to benefit. While James Franklin and company thought that four-star offensive tackle Johnnie Jones was destined for UCLA, the Bruins fired their head coach after starting 0-3. Shortly after DeShaun Foster […]
Recruiting races can take the craziest of turns, and the Penn State Nittany Lions might be in the right place at the right time to benefit. While James Franklin and company thought that four-star offensive tackle Johnnie Jones was destined for UCLA, the Bruins fired their head coach after starting 0-3. Shortly after DeShaun Foster was let go, Jones decommitted.
Previously, Penn State was one of Jones’ preferred landing spots and was named a finalist before he decided on UCLA in June. Could he go back to Franklin and find a home? Let’s revisit what we knew several months ago and whether Penn State needs him.
Fellow four-star blocker Thomas Wilder also came back on the market as Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry, so Penn State could have two options.
Penn State watches Johnnie Jones decommit from UCLA
Jones listed Penn State alongside Ole Miss, Colorado, and Vandy before UCLA took the lead, and that was always a questionable decision. Coming from Florida, Jones didn’t have strong ties to the Bruins, and Penn State has a stronger track record of developing talent there. That said, Jones likely saw immediate playing time out West compared to the Nittany Lions.
Unlike Wilder, who visited Happy Valley for an unofficial visit, Jones hasn’t logged any on-record trips to Penn State because he canceled before coming in June. But Wilder had Maryland over Penn State after Virginia Tech, so Franklin should see the opportunity to get into this race and nab a blue-chip option later than usual.
The Berkeley Prep standout ranks as the No. 11 offensive tackle in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite Rankings and sits among the top 150 players nationwide. In Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class, he would have been the second-highest-rated prospect, trailing only fellow offensive tackle Kevin Brown, who pledged to the Nittany Lions in July 2024.
