Penn State earns expert predictions for three blue chip defenders

Penn State football is expected to experience a recruiting windfall following the program’s first major official visit weekend of the summer. On Monday, the Nittany Lions landed commitment projections for a trio of four-star cornerbacks in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

The first to likely come off the board for the Nittany Lions is North Cross School (VA) standout Jaziel Hart, who will announce his commitment on Thursday. Hart earned a prediction in favor of Penn State from Rivals to start the week, building upon a projection from On3’s Steve Wiltfong dating back to January. The No. 35 corner in the cycle, Hart is also considering Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech.

The other two picks come from a pair of top 150 prospects who are fresh off visits to Happy Valley this weekend.

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Wiltfong logged a prediction on Monday afternoon for Penn State to land Carrollton (GA) consensus four-star Dorian Barney. A former Alabama commit, Barney made his second visit to State College in a little over a month after also taking in spring practice in April. The 15th-ranked player at the position in 2026 per 247Sports (No. 150 overall), Barney will also visit Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, and Michigan.

Last but not least is Khary Adams, one of the Nittany Lions’ top targets in the cycle. The Loyola Blakefield (MD) star defender picked up a 247Sports staff consensus crystal ball after taking his second trip to Happy Valley this spring. Pushing to become a five-star prospect by signing day, Adams is the No. 36 overall player and No. 3 corner in the class. He is also set to visit South Carolina, Oregon, and Notre Dame this summer.

Penn State is already assembling an elite class in the 2026 recruiting cycle, ranked No. 5 nationally according to 247Sports. To date, the Nittany Lions hold commitments from Winslow Township (NJ) three-star Julian Peterson and Imani Christian (PA) four-star David Davis at the position.

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