STATE COLLEGE — Penn State’s interim head coach Terry Smith put it pretty plainly and said what everyone’s thinking when it comes to Nittany Lion recruiting.

“I’ve got my work cut out for me,” he admitted Monday.

Penn State recruited consistently well, sometimes very well, in 12 years under James Franklin . But things have taken a sharp turn since his firing Sunday afternoon .

Penn State had the nation’s No. 1 class early in the 2027 cycle with four commitments last week, including five-star running back and top Pa. player Kemon Spell. All four of those prospects decommitted over the weekend.

Penn State’s 2026 class, ranked 16th with 23 verbal pledges, has already lost commitments from wide receivers Lavar Keys and Davion Brown since Franklin’s firing. At least seven others have

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