When the off-season is so interesting, can they still be called the off-season? This must be the question looming in the hearts of the college football fans now. It was a busy weekend of official visits across the nation as the recruiting trail began to heat up. The programs that did not have time to catch their breath are Florida, Georgia, Penn State, and Alabama. While from a distance everything looked good, watching under the layers, the threat prevailed. And guess who was at the edge in this recruitment race? James Franklin and Penn State Nittany Lions. Why so? Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are stirring the pot as Franklin hails a No.4 hot recruit.
Franklin’s squad is fresh off an impressive college football campaign in 2024. Notching a 13-3 record, they made a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Unfortunately, Franklin and co. could not keep the party mood alive for long. Courtesy? As usual, the transfer portal. A total of 15 Penn State players from the 2024 roster moved on following the season via one of the two portal windows. Out of which the two costly losses were rising-sophomore cornerback Jon Mitchell and linebacker Ta’Mere Robinson. But with the portal additions, Franklin was finally getting back on track. And they were finally getting over their 27-24 Orange Bowl loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Jan. 9.
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Hardly did they know that Freeman and co. will come haunting them much before the season rose its curtains. Franklin and the Nittany Lions were running strong with 16 commits and the On3 Industry’s No. 11-ranked recruiting class. They are all in to land the No.4 cornerback Khary Adams. As On3’s Steve Wiltfong shared, “I believe the Nittany Lions have to hold off Notre Dame for On3’s No. 4 cornerback Khary Adams. Oregon is also in play, but I have the Irish in the two spot.” Adams was back at Penn State on the May 18 weekend for his official visit. This was not the first time that he had been to Franklin’s squad. However, the last visit was a bit special.
The young chap received a direct message from Franklin while on campus. But Adams was made to feel special in Notre Dame, too. The Loyola Blakefield star was at South Bend in April. Coming out, he said, “It was good. I had a lot of fun. We got to see everything. I got a good look around the campus, the practice. I saw everything. They were telling me that I’m a priority and they need me on the team and how coming to Notre Dame is bigger than football.” Well, is Notre Dame the only team that Franklin must keep a safe distance from in Adams’ case?
Should James Franklin be worried about Sherrone Moore’s momentum?
No. The other competitor is the Michigan Wolverines. Remember what Sherrone Moore said about the transfer portal? “You always have to have your ears to the ground in the transfer portal, because it’s just part of it.” And Moore is living up to every bit of his words. But what makes Moore so desperate to bring Adams home? They lost cornerback Ja’Den McBurrows to the portal. And Adams is one of the Top 100 cornerbacks and is one of the highest-ranked prospects. Now, should Franklin be worried about Moore’s squad?
Ofcourse. As much as Moore and co. are obsessed with Adams, the young chap, too, holds a special place for the Wolverines in his heart. That too, after just one visit. On May 8, analyst EJ Holland shared about how Adams’ visit went. “I liked the visit a lot. They had good vibes. It felt like family. They have good coaches. They took care of me and my family. They have a really welcoming environment. It’s a place you want to be. We got to see the spring game and toured the facilities. It was great.” Now, if Franklin loses Adams, will that be the end of his chase?
Definitely not. James Franklin still would have some hope left. That’s because of the top-ranked cornerback in the 2026 cycle, Brandon Arrington, a 5-star cornerback from California. He made an official visit to Penn State on the weekend of May 2-4. Turns out that Frankin and Co. have already wooed him. “The people and the place really caught my attention. Everyone loves football there. It is all about Penn State, and I loved that. Then sitting down with Coach Franklin and learning more about who he is, that was great…That is what I am looking for.” Can the Nittany Lions land a double win—or are they headed for a double whiff?
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