Penn State Receives Commitment From 4-Star North Carolina Linebacker

Littlejohn (6-2, 215 pounds) is ranked as the nation's No. 36 edge rusher, according to the 247Sports Composite, though Penn State prioritized him at linebacker. On3 grades Littlejohn as a 3-star prospect and as the No. 29 player nationally at linebacker.

Littlejohn, the Charlotte Observer's No. 11 player in North Carolina, took an official visit to Penn State in early June. Penn State coach James Franklin offered Littlejohn a scholarship in April and was able to get a quick commitment thereafter, even though Littlejohn visited Georgia Tech this past weekend.

Littlejohn chose Penn State from an offer list that included Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee and Michigan, among others. According to MaxPreps, Littlejohn made 84 tackles (26 for losses), 14 sacks and 24 quarterback hurries at West Mecklenburg High in Charlotte. The Observer reported in May that Littlejohn will play his senior season at West Charlotte.

Penn State in the recruiting rankings

Littlejohn became the 20th player in Penn State's 2026 recruiting class, which ranks sixth nationally acording to the 247Sports Composite. The Nittany Lions slipped behind Georgia (No. 4) and Clemson (No. 5) in the latest roundup. USC still leads the 247Sports Composite national rankings, followed by Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Penn State has 10 4-star players committed to the 2026 recruiting class. The highest-ranked players are Pennsylvania offensive tackle Kevin Brown and running back Messiah Mickens, who are first and fourth respectively in the state, according to the 247Sports Composite.

What's next for Penn State recruiting?

The Nittany Lions will host their final official-visit weekend of this cycle June 20-22 in State College. Penn State hosted one of the nation's top uncommitted players this past weekend in 5-star offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho from Maryland.

Iheanacho, the nation's eighth-ranked overall player according to the 247Sports Composite, listed Penn State among his top 4 schools with LSU, Oregon and Auburn. He has a visit scheduled to Oregon this week. While at Penn State, Iheanacho took an interesting photo, just in case.

Penn State also awaits a July 5 announcement from Rodney Colton Jr., a 4-star linebacker from Georgia. Colton recently visited Penn State and listed the Nittany Lions in his top 5 with Florida State, Colorado, Ole Miss and UCLA.