Penn State has turned up the heat on one of the top running backs in the Class of 2028, and the message to Jayshawn Mitchell was clear: the Nittany Lions want in early.
On Wednesday, Penn State extended a major offer to the four-star back, according to Tyler Calvaruso of Lions247. Mitchell, a rising high school junior out of San Antonio (Texas) Brennan, called it “a big offer” and pointed to the program’s track record at the position.
“There have been a lot of good running backs who have come from Penn State,” Mitchell told Calvaruso.
That history matters, and Penn State has plenty to sell. The program just sent Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen to the NFL in this past draft, and before them came names like Saquon Barkley and Ki-Jana Carter. That kind of lineage gives the Nittany Lions a real pitch when they start talking to elite backs.
Penn State’s current running back room is already taking shape for the upcoming season. Campbell is working with Iowa State transfer and senior Carson Hansen, Ohio State transfer and junior James Peoples, redshirt junior Cam Wallace, redshirt sophomore Quinton Martin Jr., and freshman D'Antae Sheffey.
The Nittany Lions have also had some misses in the 2027 cycle, including five-star Kemon Spell choosing Georgia over Penn State. Even so, Campbell and running backs coach Savon Huggins did land four-star Aiden Gibson and three-star Chukwuma Odoh in that class.
Mitchell would be a bigger swing. Penn State has been aggressive with the 2028 group this month, and adding a player of his caliber would keep that momentum rolling.
Rivals Industry Ratings has Mitchell ranked No. 239 nationally and No. 17 among running backs in his cycle. In 2025, he ran for 255 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries across 11 games.
The competition is real. Mitchell already holds 15 offers, with Oklahoma, SMU, Texas Tech, Ohio State, and Notre Dame among the teams in the mix.
Still, Penn State has shown it can win recruiting battles in Texas. In the 2027 cycle, three-star cornerback Dhillon McGee chose the Nittany Lions over SMU and Texas. That’s the kind of pull Campbell and his staff are clearly hoping to lean on again.
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What makes that especially interesting is how quickly he has started to look comfortable in the system. Spring practice gave the staff a clearer picture of his versatility, and the buzz around him has centered on the idea that he can add a big-play element Penn State did not always have last season. If that growth continues, the Lions may have found the kind of complementary piece that can change the tone of a backfield without needing to carry it alone. [Read more 🡒]