2025 DE with connections to James Franklin visits Penn State football

It’s already been a busy month of March for Penn State football on the recruiting trail. With spring practice officially underway this week, the Nittany Lions have and will continue to host a series of top prospects on campus. In the case of 2025 defensive end Jayden Woods, who visited practice on Tuesday, James Franklin will look to tap into an existing relationship to help bring the top edge rusher to Happy Valley.

2025 recruiting: Son of former James Franklin player visits Penn State football

Mill Valley (Kansas) defensive end Jayden Woods is already an up-and-coming edge rusher in the 2025 recruiting cycle. A four-star prospect, 247Sports rates Woods as a top 20 defensive end and No. 5 player in Kansas for the 2025 class. The three-sport athlete already holds 33 offers from across the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC.

First reported by On3 and later confirmed by 247Sports, Jayden Woods visited Penn State on March 12. His first visit to Happy Valley, James Franklin will look to leverage an existing relationship with the Woods family to aid in this recruitment.

Woods’ father, Justin Woods, played running back at Kansas State from 2007-08, overlapping one season with Franklin, who was the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator between 2006-07. Franklin moved on to Maryland for the 2008 season. Penn State football offered Woods in December.

Who are the top schools in the mix for Jayden Woods?

Early on, getting Jayden Woods out of the Midwest appears to be an uphill battle. Perhaps unsurprisingly, On3 currently gives Kansas State a slight edge for the 2025 defensive end. Big Ten programs Wisconsin and Purdue are thought to be in the mix, as well. Woods has official visits scheduled with both schools for later this spring.

Penn State football currently has the No. 5 class nationally in the 2025 recruiting cycle, per 247Sports. The Nittany Lions have added five commitments since the start of January, most recently from New York wide receiver Lyrick Samuel on February 19.

Currently, Penn State has no defensive ends committed in the 2025 recruiting class. James Franklin and Tom Allen do have four defenders in the class to date: Pittsburgh-area cornerback Xxavier Thomas, New Jersey linebacker DJ McClary, and top WPIAL linebackers Dayshaun Burnett and Alex Tatsch.

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