It is becoming more and more clear that Penn State had no plan when they chose to fire James Franklin earlier in the regular season, as the coaching carousel has been turning very fast, and the Nittany Lions still have yet to get off with a new coach.
Interim head coach Terry Smith is looking better and better for the position as Penn State has lost out on many great candidates, from BYU's Kalani Sitake to Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, as well as Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.
The fact that Penn State still has not settled on a head coach yet has caused problems when it comes to recruiting for the Nittany Lions. Penn State has lost nearly every recruit for the Class of 2026 and is now ranked as the worst team when it comes to recruiting in the Big Ten.
Signing day is tomorrow and the lowest ranked class in the Big Ten is Penn State.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 2, 2025
No need to rush at this point! pic.twitter.com/4QftznLOjV
This, of course, makes Ohio State fans happy because the recruits that new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin hasn't already flipped, the Buckeyes have. So the fact that Penn State has completely fallen from grace will make the Buckeyes smile.
Penn State continues to lose recruits even on Signing Day
With more head coaches finding their way to new programs, Penn State continues to lose recruits. Today is the first day of the Early Signing Period, and the Nittany Lions have lost yet another recruit to Franklin at Virginia Tech, and others.
With yet another commit flipping to Virginia Tech, Penn State’s recruiting class now sits at 150th overall.
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) December 3, 2025
They are one spot behind South Dakota State and one spot ahead of Prairie View A&M. pic.twitter.com/nHAniUZX9e
Now, Penn State has just three recruits in the Class of 2026, and only one of them so far has said he is truly sticking with the Nittany Lions. Penn State is now behind many smaller schools in terms of recruiting, including FCS school South Dakota State.