Penn State football battling Ohio State, USC for former 5-star WR

An area that needs to be addressed on the recruiting trail is wide receiver. Over the past few seasons, the Penn State football team has not done a good enough job of securing top-talent WR commitments. However, that feels destined to change under Marques Hagans who has found his guys in the 2024 cycle. Now, he looks ahead at the 2025 recruiting class where former five-star prospect Phillip Bell has locked in an official visit with the Nittany Lions. But they will have to battle Big Ten foes Washington, Ohio State, and USC to land Bell.

Penn State football sets official visit with former 5-star WR

Wide receiver is an area that the Nittany Lions have dipped into the transfer portal to fill in the gaps. Grabbing players such as Mitchell Tinsley, Malik McClain, Dante Cephas, and now Julian Fleming are some examples of Penn State addressing the recruiting issue at wide receiver.

While that short-term solution helps in terms of experience, it has not shown any long-term results, and that’s where the Penn State football team needs to return to recruiting the best prospects. If they can land Phillip Bell they will be set up for long-term success.

Phillip Bell is a WR and a 2025 recruiting class member who is currently a four-star prospect, according to 247Sports, On3, and Rivals. The Mission Viejo, CA native was a former five-star prospect until his ranking dropped on 247Sports at the end of January. But that goes to show the talent he possesses. Both On3 and 247Sports consider Bell to be a top-25 WR and the second-ranked pass catcher in Califonia.

He has now announced that he has locked in an official visit with Penn State from June 7th until June 9th. He will officially visit Washington, Tennessee, Ohio State, USC, and Penn State between May and June.

June 7-9 #WeAre pic.twitter.com/XIiCrcenfF

— Phillip Bell III (@phillipbelliii) March 28, 2024

Bell holds a crystal ball to USC

While the intrigue is there with a player as talented as Phillip Bell you might be concerned when you look at his recruiting profile. On 247Sports he does hold a crystal ball in favor of USC landing Bell. However, it’s important to note that this was placed on April 1st, 2023 by Michigan insider Steve Lorenz.

Long story short, the Nittany Lions do not have the bleak odds that may appear on the surface. If they can make the most of Bell’s visit and sell the vision of the future, James Franklin could end up landing one of the best wide receivers in the country.

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