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Some Penn State football recruiting notes as the NIttany Lions get into the heart of the spring contact period. There's a key visit official this weekend, a potential commitment on the horizon and a look at the constantly changing recruiting rankings following Penn State's latest addition.
Key prospect schedules commitment date
Alexander Haskell, a 3-star defensive lineman from St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, will announce his decision May 9. In a social media post, Haskell listed Penn State among his final four schools with Michigan, Duke and Syracuse.
Final 4 where’s home? @T_Roken @mikepieco @Coach_Sug @EdOBrienCFB @SeanFitzOn3 pic.twitter.com/eW4W4KjUnq
— Alexander Haskell (@Alexhaskell99) February 6, 2025
Haskell (6-4, 265 pounds) is a 3-star recruit, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the 26th-ranked player in Pennsylvania. He also has offers from Ohio State, Michigan State and a recent one from Pitt.
Penn State has been recruiting Haskell for nearly two years, offering him a scholarship in June 2023. He plays for a priority program of Penn State's Pennsylvania recruiting strategy, which has won three consecutive Class 6A state titles. It certainly doesn't hurt that St. Joseph's Prep also happens to be new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' alma mater.
Official-visit season begins
Penn State is hosting a prime prospect during the first weekend of May. Brandon Arrington, a 5-star cornerback from California, will be in State College for his official visit from May 2-4.
Boom pic.twitter.com/4DuFMSY51n
— Brandon “Dash”Arrington jr 5 (@brandonjubie2) May 2, 2025
Arrington has listed Penn State among his five finalists with Oregon, USC, Alabama and Texas A&M and has further visits scheduled in June. Arrington is one of the top players of the 2026 recruiting cycle.
The 6-2, 180-pound Arrington, who plays at Mount Miguel High near San Diego, is the nation's top-ranked cornerback, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the No. 1 overall player in talent-rich California. ESPN ranks Arrington as the nation's No. 14 overall player, and the No. 1 cornerback, in the 2026 recruiting class.
Stan Drayton visits a top California running back
Drayton, Penn State's new running backs coach, has hit the recruiting trail. He recently visited 4-star running back Brian Bonner Jr. of Valencia High near Los Angeles. Bonner is a top-100 player nationally, according to ESPN, and a top-10 back for the 2026 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Bonner has scheduled an official visit to Penn State in June, along with trips to Notre Dame, Nebraska and UCLA. He also has visited Washington.
Thanks for the visit!@StanDrayton_ @PennStateFball https://t.co/nQ1RXgaqtK
— Brian Bonner Jr (@Brianbonner34) May 1, 2025
Penn State's latest recruiting rankings
The Nittany Lions' 2026 recruiting class improved to fifth nationally in the 247Sports Composite after a string of recent commitments. Penn State has received five commitments since April, most recently from 4-star linebacker Terry Wiggins of Coatesville High.
With Wiggins' decision, Penn State has received commitments from five of Pennsylvania's top-10 prospects, according to te 247Sports Compositve. That includes an April commitment fromPennsylvania quarterback Peyton Falzone. The Nittany Lions have 14 players committed to their 2026 class.
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Troubling report surfaces on Patriots' first-round rookie
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye might not feel comfortable with his blindside protection early in the upcoming season. Following troubles at left tackle in 2024, the Patriots invested in the position by drafting LSU standout Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick in April's draft. Per Chad Graff of The Athletic, Campbell has been trending down at training camp this summer. "All eyes are on him every practice, which is a tough spot for a rookie," Graff wrote of Campbell. "So far, he’s been about what you’d expect from a rookie. He has some strong moments, particularly in the running game. But there have been struggles in the passing game. He’s been beaten for a sack in just about every practice, which isn’t great considering he’s usually on the field each practice for only 15 or so passing plays in full-team drills. "He tends to get beaten to the inside after oversetting, and it probably doesn’t help that the Pats don’t yet know who their left guard is next to him. Still, extrapolate those numbers, and that’s allowing two sacks each NFL game if you throw the ball 30 times. Not great." Graff believes the future is "bright" for Campbell, but doesn't think he will be a top-20 left tackle in 2025. NFL scouts had questions before the draft about Campbell's 32⅝ inch (or 33 inches, depending on whether one believes the league or LSU) arm length. Some suggested he'd be better suited to play guard in the league than left tackle. If Campbell continues to give up sacks, the Patriots might consider moving the 21-year-old to the interior part of the offensive line. Per OurLads, Campbell is projected to win the left tackle starting job for Week 1. If Campbell doesn't develop quickly in the preseason, Maye's progress as a thrower in the pocket could take a hit in the upcoming season.
Five biggest losers from the 2025 MLB trade deadline
The 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline was 6 p.m. ET on Thursday. Some teams managed to get better in either a short-term or long-term outlook. Other teams did not. We've already gone over the five biggest winners, which featured some surprising teams. Here we are focusing on the five teams that were the biggest losers. Minnesota Twins The good news for Twins fans is the team did not trade outfielder Byron Buxton or starting pitcher Joe Ryan. The bad news for Twins fans is the team traded pretty much everybody else. The worst news is the Twins have pretty much sabotaged any goodwill the team had built up in recent years, including their 2023 trip to the American League Division Series. Since then the Twins collapsed late last season, did very little in the offseason and then completely gutted the roster over the past two weeks, including a straight salary-dump trade of Carlos Correa to the Houston Astros, his former team. This is going to be a long, slow climb back to the top. Pittsburgh Pirates The Pirates had a chance to have a potentially impactful trade deadline with some intriguing trade chips in what had become a seller's market. They ended up trading closer David Bednar, third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, starting pitcher Bailey Falter and relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson. They held on to pending free agents Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham and Andrew Heaney. What's so baffling about the trades they did make is that they gave up useful, productive players with years of team control still remaining, did not get a single highly-ranked prospect back in return and kept the players that are going to leave for nothing. The only winner here is owner Bob Nutting's bank account for all of the money he saved in the future by dumping Hayes' contract and potential arbitration years from Bednar and Falter. Chicago Cubs After paying a steep price to get outfielder Kyle Tucker in the offseason everybody in Chicago knew the clock was ticking on the Cubs to build a winner around him. He is a free agent after this season and seems determined to hit the open market for the highest bidder. Even though the Cubs have emerged as a contender, it was pretty clear as the season has gone on that they needed at least one more starting pitcher. They did not get one, and instead only added a utility infielder (Willi Castro) and reliever Taylor Rogers. While so many teams around them in the NL managed to get better, it's an underwhelming deadline performance for a team that should be going all in. Atlanta Braves It's not that the Braves did anything poor at the trade deadline that makes them losers. It's that they didn't do ... anything. At least not anything that they needed to do. None of their pending free agents were moved, no significant changes were made to a team going nowhere this season and the only move they did make was a marginal trade involving Rafael Montero. That is extremely underwhelming. Boston Red Sox The Red Sox were rumored to be in the market for a significant starting pitcher, including Minnesota's Joe Ryan. They did not make that sort of splash move, and instead added Steven Matz and Dustin May. For a team trying to hang in the American League playoff race, that is not really exciting. They also paid a steep price to get May, giving up one of the top prospects — outfielder James Tibbs III — they acquired in the Rafael Devers trade to the San Francisco Giants.
‘Concerns’ Emerging for Matt LaFleur, Packers Coaching Staff
Matt LaFleur and the Packers coaching staff remain one of the most respected across the NFL, but some are beginning to wonder if this group is capable of bringing a Lombardi back to Green Bay. While the Packers made the postseason in each of quarterback Jordan Love’s first two seasons as the starter, Green Bay regressed last fall and there are some significant questions at cornerback, pass rush, and along the offensive line as the 2025 season nears. If Green Bay makes big strides this season, and Love makes a leap, it could turn out to be one of LaFleur’s most impressive coaching jobs to date in his career. Is it Time to Worry About Matt LaFleur, Packers Coaching Staff? There’s real optimism about Jordan Love taking the next step and the Packers making noise in the NFC North, but not everything in Green Bay is trending in the right direction — especially on the coaching side. ESPN’s Ben Solak sees some red flags developing if 2025 plays out similarly to 2024. “Two key coaching points give me pause in Green Bay,” Solak writes of LaFleur and staff, for ESPN. “It ended the season dead last in defensive success rate against dropbacks but second in EPA per dropback faced. How? Tons of interceptions. The Packers ripped off 17 picks, tied for third most in football, and recovered 14 fumbles. They finished third in defensive EPA on takeaways (behind Denver and Buffalo), and though I don’t think their defense was poorly coached by any stretch, it probably punched above its weight last season. “The second is Green Bay’s performance against elite teams. It ended the season 1-5 in its division (beating only Chicago on a game-ending field goal block) and lost to the Eagles twice, including in the playoffs. The best defensive coordinators — Vic Fangio, Brian Flores and Aaron Glenn — were able to flummox Love and expose that opportunistic defense. Green Bay’s staff never found a solution as the season went on.” If the Packers are going to take that next step, LaFleur and his coordinators will need to prove they can scheme consistently — not just rely on turnovers or hot streaks. Defensive volatility and an offense that falters against elite play-callers isn’t a recipe for sustainable success. Follow Matt Lombardo on Threads at @MattLombardoNFL. To read more of our articles and in-depth NFL coverage, click here.
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