In recruiting news, a Class of 2026 prospect from Ohio has Penn State in his top four, and perhaps the presence of Jim Knowles could help Penn State land him.
Kaden Gebhardt, a four-star safety from Lewis Center High School, has Penn State in his top four along with Clemson, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
For Penn State, this is solid company to be in.
Clemson has been the class of the ACC for more than a decade. Wisconsin, although having fallen on hard times (5-7 in 2024) is still a respected Big Ten program. But the two everybody is focusing on are Ohio State and Penn State.
THE JIM KNOWLES EFFECT
Graphic by Penn State Athletics: Jim Knowles
Ohio State and Penn State are the two schools everybody is watching in this recruiting battle. Considering Olentangy is a little more than 10 minutes away from Columbus, Ohio State is going to be a candidate for pretty much any player it wants from that area. OSU offered Gebhardt in late November. Since then, Ohio State has won a national title and lost its defensive coordinator.
It’s Official: Penn State Hires Jim Knowles as Defensive Coordinator
Not only did Jim Knowles leave Ohio State, he left it for Penn State, where he’ll be America’s highest-paid assistant coach.
This figured to have an impact on recruiting in the Philadelphia Area, where Knowles was born and raised. It also could have an impact on Gebhardt’s recruitment, since he was already familiar with Knowles.
OTHER CONNECTIONS
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Knowles isn’t the only connection that could help Gebhardt to Penn State.
Gebhardt has developed a friendship with Matt Sieg, a four-star safety from the Pittsburgh area that committed to Penn State in November.
Exclusive: Penn State Commit Matt Sieg Tells NSN Why he Picked PSU, Which NFL Safety Inspires Him
Penn State’s backup QB, Ethan Grunkemeyer, is also from Olentangy and was teammates with Gebhardt at Lewis Center for two seasons.
Gebhardt recently told 247Sports that he “feels like a priority” at Penn State.
“Gebhardt was just back in Happy Valley,” 247 wrote. “He has long had contact with PSU and visited last spring. He then returned in June and earned an offer at camp. He has since been back a couple of times.”
So when will Gebhardt decide?
“My plan is some time in March. I’m not 100 percent yet though,” Gebhardt told 247.
