Penn State’s 2027 recruiting class may be on the verge of losing another piece, with three-star linebacker Blake Betton now trending toward Wisconsin.
The latest buzz comes from Rivals, where Steve Wiltfong and Sean Fitz have both logged predictions for Betton to flip from Penn State to the Badgers. That would trim the Nittany Lions’ class from 20 commits to 19, just one day after three-star quarterback Will Wood switched his pledge from Penn State to Boston College.
Betton, a Minnesota native, is ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the state and the No. 35 linebacker nationally by 247Sports Composite. He originally committed to Penn State in April and recently made a return trip to Beaver Stadium for the Nittany Lions’ White Out loss to USC.
The timing isn’t great for Penn State, which is still more than a month away from the early signing period beginning on December 2 for the 2027 class. With a bye week in hand, Matt Campbell has also been working to shore up the class on other fronts, including chasing Miami (OH) running back decommit Jordan Hall and Missouri quarterback commit Braylen Warren. But the roster build is clearly under stress, and Penn State’s standing in the recruiting market feels a little less sturdy than it did earlier in the cycle.
Campbell has never been known as an elite recruiter, but Penn State’s deeper resources were supposed to give him a boost after leaving Iowa State. That helped produce a top-20 class.
Even so, the Nittany Lions do not operate like an elite spender, sitting closer to programs such as Wisconsin than the heavyweight programs at the top of the sport. After an 0-4 start in Big Ten play, that edge has only become harder to see.
Wood’s departure seemed tied to geography, with the quarterback staying in Massachusetts. Betton’s situation could be driven by something similar, or by money, with Wisconsin continuing to invest in its player acquisition setup under Luke Fickell rather than moving on from him after a few lean seasons in Madison. Penn State could also be trying to preserve resources for Warren after losing Wood.
There’s another angle, too: on-field fit. Penn State’s linebacker situation has been shaky, with multiple Iowa State transfers who thrived under Campbell’s longtime defensive coordinator Jon Heacock in a 3-3-5 system having trouble adjusting to D’Anton Lynn’s 4-2-5. Kooper Ebel and Cael Brezina have struggled at MIKE linebacker, and Caleb Bacon has shifted from off-ball linebacker to defensive end.
Wisconsin, meanwhile, has a strong tandem in Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa, a pair of homegrown sophomores. Campbell’s staff has built its reputation as developers, but that track record was forged at Iowa State in the Big 12.
Penn State can still keep Betton in the fold, but at the moment, the momentum points the other way.
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