Penn State is sitting at No. 16 for the class of 2026, and James Franklin has picked up 23 commits so far. However, it seems like the Nittany Lions just can’t break into the Top 10 when it comes to recruiting classes. Franklin has faced a few setbacks this offseason, losing out on some key recruits, which has made things a bit tougher for him. It looks like he’s still trying to figure out the secret to successful recruiting. Unfortunately, these issues are also spilling over into the 2027 class.
James Franklin has run into some serious issues during his time at Penn State. His record against ranked teams isn’t the greatest, and even though he almost broke into the Top 10 for recruiting, he fell just short. Now, it looks like he’s losing his grip on a top prospect from the 2027 class. This player has made it clear who his favorite is, and unfortunately, Penn State is being left out. As a result, Franklin is going to miss out on 4-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, who has his eyes set on one of the big programs out there.
Recruiting insider Brian Smith said in a July 3 episode of Locked On Nittany Lions that Penn State is on the losing side of the recruiting battle for Hiller. “He grew up a Clemson fan, and they are recruiting him. He’s a diehard Clemson guy. So, I mean, he could go to Penn State, but, I mean, to my face, he said Clemson was the school he rooted for,” Smith said.
Losing him is a big blow for Franklin because Hiller is a Pennsylvania native. Other schools like Ohio State and Texas are already closing in on him. “Penn State should try to get him committed sooner rather than later because, like you said, his recruitment is going to blow up sooner rather than later here,” Smith remarked.
Top performers from the Future 50 headlined by Rivals MVP Maxwell Hiller
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Once these two biggies start closing in on Hiller, Penn State stands to be out of contention. They still have a long way to go to land the OL at Happy Valley, but Franklin has his work cut out for him. “It’s not as easy of a slam dunk as you might think it is, just because he’s an in-state Pennsylvania prospect,” Smith remarked.
PSU offered Hiller when he was in the 8th grade, in 2023. Smith had high praise for Hiller, who is yet to build a formidable prep career. “He can play guard. He can play tackle… It doesn’t matter… He moves his feet better for a big kid than just about anybody I’ve seen in a while. That’s an NFL player and great kid,” the insider said. Losing him would be another blow for Franklin, who’s already lost out on a couple of targets from the 2026 class.
James Franklin sees a rollercoaster recruiting ride in late June
James Franklin is developing a worrying trend in the recruiting period for 2026 alone. He lost Joey O’Brien and Grayson McKeough, two in-state prospects, to Notre Dame. Also going to the Fighting Irish from the Lions’ clutches is Khary Adams. O’Brien and McKeough are teammates and come from La Salle, which is also where Franklin picked up Abdul Carter. Penn State also lost New Jersey’s Luke Wafle to USC. His older brother, Owen Wafle, was also a former PSU player who later transferred out. Another name on this list will be Peyton Falzone, who picked Auburn over Penn State.
However, Franklin also saw some recruits still finding faith in Penn State. TE Pierce Petersohn, DE Jackson Ford, and OT Jack Fuchs pledged their commitments to Franklin. Petersohn and Ford are 4-star prospects, with Ford being one of PSU’s highest-rated prospects. Hopefully, they end up with Franklin for the long run, because James Franklin ironically sees players developed at PSU go big in the draft recently. O’Brien and McKeough could not be convinced even after witnessing Abdul Carter’s success at Happy Valley.
Like his competition with ranked teams in the season, James Franklin also has a lot of near misses in recruiting, despite having some clear advantages. Losing out on local prospects indicates flaws on PSU’s end. Will Franklin be able to give Clemson a tough fight to win Hiller’s pledge in the future?
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