Penn State football coach James Franklin celebrates with the students following a Nittany Lions victory at Beaver Stadium. Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State's Top-Ranked 2027 Recruiting Class Adds 4-Star Prospect

Originally posted on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI
By Mark Wogenrich | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Penn State added to its top-ranked 2027 recruiting class Monday, when 4-star athlete Gabe Jenkins of Pittsburgh announced his commitment. Jenkins became the fourth player in the class, which the 247Sports Composite ranks as the very early No. 1 group nationally of the 2027 recruiting cycle. Jenkins announced his decision via social media with a graphic that included Penn State's home-state recruiting tag line, "The best in PA ... stay in PA."

Home !! #weare @Chise89 @coachjfranklin @CoachTerryPSU @On3sports @Rivals @NittanyNatRec @PennStateFball @PennStateOn3 @PSURecruitTalk @PGSportsNow @PghSteelersNow @TribSports @PaFootballNews @WPIAL_Insider @wpialsportsnews @RivalsFriedman @Rivals @WPXI @WTAE pic.twitter.com/D0Q9MPfA8y
— Gabriel Jenkins (@gabealldy) August 18, 2025

Jenkins, a multi-position player at Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh, is the eighth-ranked player in Pennsylvania, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the 19th-ranked cornerback nationally. The 247Sports scouts rank Jenkins as the No. 60 player overall in the 2027 recruiting class and the No. 3 player in Pennsylvania.

Rivals, meanwhile, projects the 6-1, 190-pound Jenkins at linebacker, ranking him 11th nationally at the position. Jenkins told On3's Ryan Snyder that Penn State is recruiting him as a safety.

Jenkins committed to Penn State from an offer list that includes Pitt, Maryland, Michigan State, West Virginia and Nebraska, among others. He has made several unofficial visits to Penn State over the past year.

As a sophomore last year at Imani Christian, Jenkins was an all-conference player at both running back and defensive back, according to TribLive. He rushed for 1,283 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense and made five interceptions on defense.

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

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