Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State Gets Bad News on Thanksgiving

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Nov 27, 2025 2:24 PM ET

The Penn State Nittany Lions fired head coach James Franklin on Oct. 12, after starting the season 3-3, which included a three-game losing streak. Under interim head coach Terry Smith, they've gone 2-3 and now sit at 5-6 on the season.

It's been a disappointing year after entering Week 1 ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll with national championship aspirations.

Penn State continues to take losses off the field since firing Franklin, who has since taken the head coaching job with the Virginia Tech Hokies. Since Oct. 12, the Nittany Lions have had 16 players in the 2026 cycle decommit.

That includes big-time players such as four-star offensive tackle Kevin Brown, four-star wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers and four-star linebacker Elijah Littlejohn.

Former Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin.Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the latest name was added to that list, with Rivals' Kolby Crawford reporting that offensive tackle Marlen Bright flipped to Virginia Tech.

"BREAKING: 3 [star] OT Marlen Bright has flipped his commitment from Penn State to Virginia Tech The 6-7 290 OL from Wayne, N.J. originally pledged to the Nittany Lions on July 5," Crawford wrote.

BREAKING: 3⭐️ OT Marlen Bright has flipped his commitment from Penn State to Virginia Tech

The 6-7 290 OL from Wayne, N.J. originally pledged to the Nittany Lions on July 5

“He's going to rebuild it”

Story: https://t.co/GtgmO4eAKB pic.twitter.com/s7gqe2x4r7
— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) November 27, 2025

It's a big loss for Penn State. 247Sports lists Bright as a three-star recruit, the No. 52 offensive tackle and the No. 14 player in New Jersey. Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 290 pounds, he already has impressive size.

Following his flip, the Nittany Lions' 2026 recruiting class has just nine commitments, ranking No. 93 in the nation and No. 17 in the Big Ten. It's a huge dip compared to their 2025 cycle, which had 28 commitments and was No. 19 in the nation.

What makes his decision sting even more for Penn State is that it now has no offensive tackles committed in the 2026 class. Bright also becomes the second player to flip from Penn State and join Franklin in Virginia Tech, joining four-star running back Messiah Mickens.

It's a clear indicator of how important Franklin was to the Nittany Lions' recruiting success.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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