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A general view of Penn State's Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State's 2026 Recruiting Class Takes Another Hit

Originally posted on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI
By Mark Wogenrich | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 7:26 PM ET

Penn State's 2026 recruiting class took another hit Monday, when 4-star receiver Jahsiear Rogers announced his commitment to Oklahoma. Rogers, who had been committed to Penn State for more than a year, became the second player from the Nittany Lions' 2026 class to commit to another program. He joined defensive lineman Alex Haskell, who recently committed to Syracuse.

Rogers, a 4-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite, is the third receiver to decommit from Penn State's 2026 class since James Franklin's Oct. 12 firing. Rogers (5-11, 180 pounds) initially committed to Penn State in July 2024. He is the top-ranked player in Delaware for the 2026 recruiting cycle and the 52nd-ranked receiver nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Since re-opening the recruiting process Oct. 13, Rogers received offers from Oklahoma, Alabama, Indiana and Nebraska, among others. Rogers visited Oklahoma this past weekend and also had visits scheduled for Nebraska and Alabama.

BREAKING: Four-Star WR Jahsiear Rogers has Flipped his Commitment from Penn State to Oklahoma, he tells me for @rivals

The 6’0 175 WR from Bear, DE had been Committed to the Nittany Lions since July

“Let’s do it s⭕️⭕️ner nation”https://t.co/6m1MrhFL7u pic.twitter.com/vAQ4w3lywF
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 27, 2025

Penn State continues to recruit through coaching search

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Terry Smith, Penn State's interim head coach and defensive recruiting coordinator, said he conducted some recruiting duties during the team's bye week. Penn State visits No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday hoping to pull off some magic in Columbus as a 20.5-point underdog.

"All the committed guys and the guys we were on [during the recruiting process], they've been great," Smith said. "You know, obviously it's very similar to our staff, right? No one knows what's next. Everyone is trying to figure it out.

"They're all like on stand-by. They've all been communicating with us. We've done some FaceTimes, some calls. We're just doing the best we can just keeping an open line of communication and staying in touch until we figure out what's next. The most important thing is go get victory on Saturday. It'll make everyone feel better."

Penn State currently has 16 players still committed to its 2026 recruiting class, most of whom have said they are taking calls from other teams. That includes the team's highest-ranked prospects in 4-star safety Matt Sieg and 4-star offensive lineman Kevin Brown, a pair of Pennsylvania players ranked among the top-10 nationally at their positions.

Nine players have announced their decommitments since Franklin was fired. That list includes 4-star receiver Davion Brown of Virginia and 4-star quarterback Troy Huhn of California. In addition, Penn State has lost commitments from all four recruits in its 2027 class, though 4-star receiver Khalil Taylor from suburban Pittsburgh announced his decision before Franklin was fired.

Penn State visits No. 1 Ohio State for a noon ET kickoff Saturday at Ohio Stadium. The game will air as the FOX Big Noon broadcast.

"We're going to work our tails off," Smith said. "It's my job to make sure that staff doesn't come up short. We're going to demand excellence, as we always have here. You know, I promised that when we went to Iowa we were going to play hard. I'm going to double-down on that when we go up here to Ohio State.

"Effort will never be an issue for any team that I coach. This week we're going to try to figure out how to give that maximum effort with victory."

This article first appeared on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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