Penn State football making push for top 40 recruit, No. 2 LB in 2026

James Franklin and Penn State football still may be searching for a replacement for defensive coordinator Tom Allen, but the vacancy doesn’t appear to be slowing the Nittany Lions down on the recruiting trail.

This week, the Nittany Lions made the top five for one of the top prospects in the 2026 recruiting cycle, Tavares (FL) linebacker Izayia Williams. In addition to Penn State, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, and Georgia also made the cut.

NEWS: Elite 2026 LB Izayia Williams is down to Five Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’2 215 LB from Leesburg, FL is ranked as the No. 2 LB in the ‘26 Class (per On3)

Where Should He Go?⬇️

https://t.co/9eh3uS1OdZ pic.twitter.com/icBdnalqa7

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 17, 2025

A four-star, Williams is rated as the No. 2 linebacker and the No. 40 prospect in the class of 2026, according to On3. Williams committed to Florida State in September before backtracking in early November.

While Williams has yet to visit Happy Valley, it is still early in his relationship with the Penn State football staff. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions only extended an offer on December 6.

Penn State football is off to a hot start in 2026, with a top 10 class in both On3’s and 247Sports’ national rankings. The Nittany Lions have eight total commitments, but only two – Fort Cherry (PA) safety Matt Sieg and Princeton (WV) edge Daniel Jennings – are projected to line up on the defensive side of the ball at the next level.

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