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Penn State vaults up team recruiting rankings after another blue-chip pledge
TL;DR
Penn State football has improved its recruiting rankings after securing a commitment from four-star tight end Cooper Terwilliger, ranked No. 194 overall and No. 9 at his position for the 2027 class. Terwilliger chose Penn State over Notre Dame, marking a significant addition for head coach Matt Campbell's first season.
Penn State head coach Matt Campbell.
Penn State football recruiting is not letting up under Matt Campbell and the new regime in Happy Valley.
Now settled in ahead of his first season in charge of the Nittany Lions, Campbell is making some noise on the recruiting trail. On Monday morning, PSU landed a big commitment from Pierre (S.D.) T.F. Riggs four-star tight end Cooper Terwilliger.
The No. 194 recruit and No. 9 TE in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, Terwilliger chose Penn State over Notre Dame. He becomes the highest-ranked commit in the mix for Campbell and Co. to date.
With Terwilliger’s commitment, Penn State jumped nine spots in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and now has the No. 19 class in the nation. It leaped past the likes of Kentucky, Florida State, Alabama, Michigan and Clemson.
Iowa State ties paying off for Campbell and Penn State
With a majority of Penn State’s 2026 class following former head coach James Franklin to Virginia Tech, Campbell was able to wrangle a chunk of the Iowa State class and bring them along to PSU.
Looking at who the Nittany Lions have landed thus far in the 2027 cycle, it’s clear that Campbell is still prioritizing some relationships that were made with blue-chippers in and around the Midwest last year.
“I had a great relationship with the staff previous to them going to Penn State,” Terwilliger told Rivals’ Greg Smith.
Earlier this month, PSU landed Woodbine (Iowa) four-star wide receiver Landon Blum, a one-time Iowa State lean who ranks as the No. 1 prospect in Iowa. He’s the No. 202 recruit and No. 26 WR nationally.
“I have a great relationship with the old ISU staff and new PSU staff right now,” Blum told Rivals’ Allen Trieu last month. “Really working on building that relationship with Coach Moore right now since he’s new to the program. He’s been great so far.”
Over the weekend, PSU also won out for Shakopee (Minn.) Rivals four-star linebacker Blake Betton. The Nittany Lions have also landed some local recruits like Allendale (N.J.) Northern Highlands three-star defensive lineman Carter Blattner and Pittsburgh Central Catholic three-star cornerback Zachary Gleason.
“The whole coaching staff and what they were for me at Iowa State, and how much they really cared about me,” Betton told Trieu. “I love Penn State.”
The up-to-date class, which now also ranks No. 7 in the Big Ten, can be seen here.
Q&A
Who is Cooper Terwilliger and what is his ranking in the 2027 recruiting class?
Cooper Terwilliger is a four-star tight end ranked No. 194 overall and No. 9 at his position in the 2027 recruiting class.
Which schools were in competition for Cooper Terwilliger's commitment?
Cooper Terwilliger chose to commit to Penn State over Notre Dame.
What impact does Cooper Terwilliger's commitment have on Penn State's recruiting rankings?
His commitment has helped Penn State vault up the team recruiting rankings, becoming the highest-ranked commit for head coach Matt Campbell so far.
