Matt Campbell isn’t wasting any time putting his stamp on Penn State’s future. Since taking over in Happy Valley, the former Iowa State head coach has been aggressive on the recruiting trail-and it’s already paying off. After pulling in five-star running back Kemon Spell, Campbell is doubling down on offensive firepower, and his latest target is another familiar name from his Iowa State pipeline: Ty Keys.
Keys, a four-star back out of Poplarville High School in Mississippi, is one of the most electric runners in the 2027 class. Nicknamed “Mr.
Showtime,” he’s got the kind of burst and vision that jumps off the tape. And now, he’s got Penn State squarely in his sights.
The Nittany Lions made Keys' top 10 list, joining a competitive group that includes Oregon, Miami, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Louisville, Florida State, Mississippi State, and UCF. Of that group, only Penn State and Oregon represent the Big Ten-an early sign that Campbell’s message is resonating beyond the Northeast.
Keys is currently ranked as the No. 147 overall recruit in the 2027 class and the No. 10 running back nationally, per 247Sports Composite. In Mississippi, he checks in as the No. 6 player in the state, and his production backs up the hype.
As a junior during the 2025-26 season, Keys put together a monster year: 301 carries, 3,285 rushing yards, and 45 touchdowns. That’s not a typo.
He averaged 252.7 yards per game and topped the 100-yard mark in 12 of his 13 appearances. And while his game is built on ground-and-pound dominance, he’s not just a one-dimensional back-he added three catches for 62 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Over his high school career so far, Keys has racked up 5,072 rushing yards and 76 touchdowns on 550 carries. That’s elite-level production, and it’s easy to see why so many Power Five programs are circling.
Penn State was ahead of the curve here. The Nittany Lions were one of the first five schools to offer Keys back on December 12, 2023.
Since then, the offers have poured in-17 and counting. Florida State was the latest to jump in, extending an offer on January 10 and hosting Keys for their Junior Day just a week later.
Campbell’s familiarity with Keys, stemming from their shared Iowa State connection, could play a key role in this recruitment. And if Campbell can bring both Spell and Keys into the fold, it would set up a backfield that mirrors the thunder-and-lightning combo Penn State fans loved in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. That duo helped define the Lions’ offense in recent years, and Keys and Spell could be next in line to carry that legacy forward.
It’s still early, and a lot can happen between now and Signing Day. But one thing’s clear: Campbell is building something in State College. And if he keeps stacking talent like this, the Nittany Lions’ future is looking awfully bright.