Penn State’s 2027 class has already landed two defensive commits who are showing up on Friday nights.
Defensive tackle Aniti Paiva and safety Caleb Cooper are both off to strong senior seasons, giving Penn State fans an early look at what the Nittany Lions are bringing in from the high school ranks. The pair were the focus of this week’s Penn State Prospect Spotlight on the Lions247 Podcast.
Paiva, a 6-foot-2, 315-pound lineman at Skyline High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been a problem for opposing offenses all season. He has turned in multiple double-digit tackle games and has repeatedly lived in the backfield, including a recent outing with five tackles for loss.
Penn State secured Paiva’s commitment in May, with defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe leading the charge. Malloe’s background in the region matters here, too, after previous stops as an assistant at Utah State, UCLA and Washington.
"I love how Malloe coaches and how he pushes his kids," Paiva told 247Sports. "Coach Malloe coaches tough, but he's also really like a father figure in their lives."
"And then the Penn State brand is big football," he continued. "It's Big Ten, and that's really exciting for me.
From what I'm told, I already fit everything they're looking for. I'm just trying to prove that I'm just as good or better than a lot of kids that are getting more offers, and Penn State believes in me as well."
Paiva drew more than a dozen FBS offers and is projected as a nose tackle at the next level. His frame and style line up with current Nittany Lions lineman Dallas Vakalahi, who has handled a rotational role in 2026 after transferring in from Utah.
Cooper has been just as productive for Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C. The 6-foot, 207-pound defensive back posted 13 tackles and a rushing touchdown in his latest game, and he’s now averaging about eight tackles per contest with an interception on the season.
He’s the kind of safety who can trigger fast against the run but still has the range to play deep. That versatility made him a target early, first catching the attention of Matt Campbell’s staff when they were at Iowa State.
"In this whole recruiting and college football scene, relationships mean lot," Cooper told 247Sports. "(Safeties coach Deon) Broomfield offered me when he was at Iowa State, and I also got to know him through mutual friends.
I believe he will develop me as a player and young man. I like how he represents the safeties room."
Penn State offered Cooper in the spring and added him to the class in June.
"Penn State is moving in a direction that I think is only on an upwards trajectory," Cooper said. "Coach Matt Campbell was the right hire. I want to play for him."
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The 2028 class already includes in-state commitments from quarterback James Armstrong and defensive back Deonte Flemings Jr., and the bigger measuring stick may be edge rusher George Parkinson IV, whose recruitment has become an important barometer for where Penn State stands with top local talent. With more than 60 prospects expected on campus for the homecoming game against Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions have a chance to turn a strong start into something more lasting, even if the real answer on this front will take time to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]