June was always expected to be a busy month for commitments, but Penn State is currently in the midst of one of its best streaks ever under head coach James Franklin. In just over two weeks, the Nittany Lions have earned eight new commitments in the Class of 2025, six of whom hold a four-star rating in On3’s Industry Rankings.
The latest to make that move also happens to be the third straight edge rusher to join the class, as Penn State added Kansas native Jayden Woods to its class Wednesday afternoon. Ranked No. 201 nationally in the Industry Rankings, Woods is the fifth-ranked player in the class behind CB Daryus Dixson (No. 140), DE Max Granville (No. 169), CB Jahmir Joseph (No. 188) and LB Alex Tatsch (No. 195).
His commitment also helped move Penn State up to No. 11 in On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings. The Nittany Lions came into the day ranked No. 13 nationally with a class of 90.056. That’s now up to a 90.225, propelling Penn State past USC for the third-ranked class in the Big Ten.
Understanding On3’s Team Rankings
For those unfamiliar with On3’s Team Rankings, there are two major differences compared to other sites that you need to know.
1) We use the Industry Rankings, which puts together all four major recruiting sites – On3, 247, Rivals and ESPN – to find a cumulative score for each prospect. It’s not just based on On3’s rankings.
2) On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings solve the problem of varying class sizes during the recruiting cycle by totaling the highest-rated commitments for each team based on a rolling average of current total commitments among Power Four schools. That average is now up to 13 prospects currently.
So, if you’re wondering why Penn State ranks lower at On3 when compared to sits like 247 and Rivals, it’s because we’re aiming to project which position the Nittany Lions are on pace to finish come National Signing Day.
Fans can read much more on On3’s Industry Team Recruiting Ranks by clicking here.
Around the Big Ten
Ohio State remains the No. 1 ranked class in the country with an average score of 94.758. The Buckeyes recently added another Top 100 prospect on Monday, picking up a commitment from edge rusher Zion Grady. They’ve earned 19 commitments total and have 10 players who rank among the Top 100 nationally.
Oregon remains the second-ranked team in the conference and No. 7 overall nationally. The Ducks have 10 commitments now following last night’s announcement that McDonogh cornerback and top Penn State target Brandon Finney was joining the Ducks. Nine of Oregon’s 10 commits hold either a four- or five-star rating. Quarterback Akili Smith Jr., wide receiver Dallas Wilson and offensive tackle Ziyare Addison are a few other notable players for the Ducks.
USC also picked up a commitment Wednesday, adding three-star cornerback Shamar Arnoux. Six of their 12 commitments hold a four- or five-star rating. That list includes the nation’s second-ranked quarterback, Julian Lewis, as well as Top 100 prospects Hylton Stubbs and Matai Tagoa’i.
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Michigan (No. 14), Rutgers (No. 18) and Wisconsin (No. 20) have all held firm with their classes the past two days. The Wolverines are fifth in the Big Ten with 12 commitments total, including eight four-star prospects. They’ve picked up seven new commitments in June, including four-star prospects Donovan Johnson and Jacob Washington.
The Scarlett Knights are likely close to being done with 28 commitments now following DJ McClary’s decision to flip a few days ago. They have six four-star players committed. The Badgers have earned commitments from five four-star prospects and sit 20 commitments total.
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