High school football is back, and so are several of Penn State’s in-state commits.
One note before the weekend kicks off: Pittsburgh Central Catholic offensive lineman Jon Sassic, who pledged to Penn State in April, is sidelined with a lower body injury, according to Ryan Snyder of On3.
The Class of 2027 gets things started on Aug. 28 when Upper St. Clair meets Mt Lebanon at 7:00.
That one should draw plenty of attention around the WPIAL, but Penn State recruiting followers will have their eyes on Ryan Robbins too. The three-star offensive tackle committed to the Nittany Lions in April, on the day of the Blue-White Practice, giving Penn State a 6-foot-7, 280-pound lineman who fits OL coach Ryan Clanton’s “dog mentality.”
Another 2027 name to watch comes on Aug. 29, when Archbishop Ryan plays at Father Judge at Noon in a 6A matchup. That game will feature Stanley Montgomery, the four-star defensive tackle who committed to Penn State in April. Montgomery is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 6 player in the state in his class, the No. 8 defensive lineman and the No. 70 overall player.
Nittany Sports Now spoke with Montgomery’s defensive coordinator, Lee Marvel IV, after the commitment, and Marvel had plenty of praise for the big man.
“He’s probably going to leave Ryan as maybe the best player ever at Ryan,” Marvel said. “And yeah, he’s also probably the most popular kid in school.
And he’s just a great person who works hard and just happens to be six three, three hundred pounds and incredible at football. So it’s a great combination.”
The Class of 2028 also has a key name in action on Aug. 28, when McDowell visits Mentor at 7:00. That matchup will include Deonte Flemings Jr., McDowell’s 6-foot-3, 190-pound defensive back and the first player to commit to Penn State’s 2028 class. Flemings made his pledge on the last day of January, though his commitment remains something to watch because he’s drawing interest from several other major programs.
Earlier this month, Flemings told Steve Wiltfong of Rivals.com, “At the end of the day,” he told Steve Wiltfong of Rivals.com earlier this month, “I still want to be a kid and enjoy my recruitment and make the best decision for me and my family.”
And in Hopewell’s Aug. 28 matchup against Avonworth at 7:00, the spotlight lands on James “Bobo” Armstrong. The junior quarterback committed to Penn State in early July, and he may be the recruit who kicks off the Matt Campbell era.
In Other News...
Penn State Wrestling Looks Even More Loaded Than Fans Expected
FloWrestlings 2026-27 preseason rankings only added to the feeling that Penn State wrestling is heading into another heavyweight year. The outlets top 20 pound-for-pound list includes seven Nittany Lions, and three of them are returning NCAA champions, a reminder of just how much proven talent this lineup already has before the season even gets rolling.
The individual weight-class rankings tell a similar story, with Penn State sitting in position to stack wins all over the bracket. Even in a hypothetical team tournament, the Nittany Lions are projected to finish first, which is not exactly a surprise for a program that has made overpowering depth feel routine. The bigger question now is how all that talent sorts itself out once the matches actually begin. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Are Split Over A New Pricey Game Day Push
Penn States latest game-day addition is built around exclusivity, with the school rolling out a new loyalty program called Penn State Experiences. The setup lets fans earn and spend points on premium offerings tied to football weekends, with partnerships helping supply a menu that ranges from locker room walkthroughs to visits from the Nittany Lion mascot.
The reaction has already been split online, which is hardly a surprise given that some of the packages carry price tags in the thousands. Some fans see the program as a creative way to buy into memorable access, while others view it as another reminder of how expensive the modern game-day experience has become, even as similar efforts have already shown up at Big Ten peers like Michigan and Ohio State. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Wrestling Faces A Lineup Puzzle With Another Title Run Ahead
Penn State wrestling enters the 2026-27 season with the familiar look of a roster built to chase another national title, and the preseason numbers only sharpen that expectation. The projections have four Nittany Lions ranked No. 1 at their weights, a sign that the programs depth and front-line talent still set the standard as the team goes after a sixth straight national championship.
Luke Lilledahl, PJ Duke and Mitchell Mesenbrink are among the names driving the conversation, with their projected spots and possible weight-class movement shaping how the lineup could come together. Even for a program that seems to reload every year, the real intrigue is less about whether Penn State belongs in the title hunt and more about how all the pieces fit once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]