Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State Receives Bad Recruiting News on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Nov 13, 2025 12:22 PM ET

The Penn State Nittany Lions are 3-6 with an upcoming matchup against the Michigan State Spartans. They're on a six-game losing streak, with their three wins coming against Nevada, FIU and Villanova.

Going into the season, Penn State was viewed as a national championship contender, earning the No. 2 spot in the Week 1 AP Top 25 Poll . That's no longer the case, and the struggles even led to head coach James Franklin being fired on October 12.

The Nittany Lions are now in damage control mode, trying to salvage key pieces of the program, including its 2026 recruiting class. However, on Thursday, Rivals' Hayes Fawcett reported that cornerback David Davis has flipped his commitment from Penn State to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

BREAKING: Four-Star CB David Davis has Flipped his Commitment from Penn State to North Carolina, he tells me for @rivals⁰⁰The 6’0 190 CB from Pittsburgh, PA had been Committed to the Nittany Lions since March⁰⁰“Feels great being a part of history”⁰⁰https://t.co/gCuslZ5IY2 pic.twitter.com/fqNMTlBYLG
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 13, 2025

It's big news for each team, as Davis is a four-star recruit, the No. 39 cornerback and the No. 381 player in the nation according to Rivals Industry Rankings. This season for Imani Christian Academy, he had 23 tackles, one tackle for loss, four interceptions and six pass deflections.

He becomes the 14th decommitment in Penn State's 2026 cycle, which now has just 14 commitments, ranking No. 6 in the Big Ten and No. 22 in the nation.

On the other hand, it becomes a big gain for North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick. He's coaching his first season with the Tar Heels, sitting at 4-5. A bowl appearance is still possible, needing to win two of their last three games.

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Belichick continues to build his own 2026 recruiting class, with 36 commitments, ranking No. 4 in the ACC and No. 16 in the nation.

While Davis is an unfortunate loss for Penn State, it will continue its search for the program's next head coach, with hopes it will bring some much-needed stability.

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

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