Penn State, Ohio State and Missouri are set to find out where Jordan Hall lands on Saturday evening.
The three-star running back from Princeton High School in Cincinnati announced Wednesday that he will reveal his commitment at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday. All three finalists will be in the same spot competitively, since each program is on its lone bye week of the 2026 season.
“UPDATE, My commitment will be on saturday at 5 pm tune in!! 📲”
Hall, who is listed by 247Sports Composite as the No. 60 running back nationally and the No. 852 player overall, has become a key name for a few programs trying to rebound after missing on other top backs.
Penn State’s path to Hall opened up after losing four-star Aiden Gibson. Gibson had been committed to the Nittany Lions before flipping to Rutgers over the summer and reclassifying into the 2026 class. He has since played in a reserve role, totaling 35 yards on 11 carries behind star back Antwan Raymond for a 2-4 Scarlet Knights team in Piscataway.
That left Penn State digging deeper into the 2027 running back pool, and Hall emerged as one of the options after decommitting from Miami (OH) in September when power conference interest ramped up. He was also on campus for Penn State’s 31-23 White Out loss to USC on October 10.
Penn State’s 2027 class already includes one running back, Chukwuma Odoh, a three-star from Parasmus Catholic in New Jersey who is ranked No. 43 at the position. Even with quarterback Will Wood flipping to Boston College on Sunday, the class remains No. 20 nationally.
Ohio State is chasing Hall from a different angle, but for the same reason: the Buckeyes missed on their first major target. They made a strong run at five-star David Gabriel Georges, but he ultimately chose Tennessee for a three-year, $6 million deal. Ohio State still has 20 commitments and sits No. 6 in the country, yet it does not have a running back in the class and has made Hall a priority before the early signing period in early December.
Missouri is still very much in the mix too. Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers already have four-star running back Kingston Miles, the No. 19 back in the nation, committed. Missouri is also trying to protect its hold on four-star quarterback Braylen Warren, with Penn State making a push there as well after Campbell flew to Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday to offer him.
For Campbell, breaking through with Warren looks like the harder fight. Getting past both Missouri and Penn State for Hall may be the bigger one.
In Other News...
Penn State Suddenly Has A Recruiting Problem Matt Campbell Can't Ignore
Will Woods decision to back away from Penn State and land at Boston College is the kind of recruiting miss that gets attention quickly, especially at quarterback, where one commitment can shape a class and signal how a program is being perceived on the trail. For Matt Campbell, it also lands at a time when the staff is trying to keep one eye on the future and another on the current roster, with the head coach acknowledging the need to keep recruiting across multiple classes while still tending to a team that has been struggling.
Campbell said his staff plans to stay active in recruiting, but he also made clear that the day-to-day priority is helping the current team improve. That balance is the challenge now: selling a program that needs momentum on the field while trying to avoid letting one decommitment turn into a broader issue with future classes. For Penn State, the bigger concern is not just replacing a quarterback prospect, but proving it can stabilize the path ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Is Chasing A Blue-Chip QB It May Struggle To Flip
Penn State used its bye week to keep pushing on the recruiting trail, and one of the more interesting targets on the board is Braylen Warren, the four-star quarterback from Westside High School in Omaha. Matt Campbell made the trip himself to offer Warren a scholarship, a notable move for a prospect who is already committed to Missouri but still has the kind of profile that tends to draw heavy attention from national programs.
Warrens rsum explains why the Nittany Lions are staying involved. He has picked up multiple offers from major schools and earned a spot in the Elite 11 finals, putting him in the conversation as one of the more sought-after quarterbacks in the cycle. For Penn State, the challenge is clear: getting involved is one thing, but turning a committed blue-chip quarterback is a tougher proposition, even with a coach making an in-person push. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Still Has One Big Football Problem As Other News Builds
Penn States hockey program already has its schedule set for a Big Ten showdown with Minnesota, and on the wrestling side, theres at least some intrigue around whether Levi Haines could be back in the lineup this season if a nationwide NCAA eligibility ruling breaks the right way. Those are the kind of updates that keep the calendar moving across the athletic department, even as the football conversation continues to revolve around one position group that has yet to settle in.
On the football front, Matt Campbell offered an update on Rocco Bechts play while also making it clear that Alex Manske is not ready to step in yet. For a team trying to build momentum, that leaves Penn State with a familiar kind of uncertainty: progress around the program, but still one major question hanging over the most important spot on the field. [Read more 🡒]