Top Penn State commit has heart captured on visit to Big Ten foe

In March, Kemon Spell shut down his recruitment and reaffirmed his pledge to Penn State football. However, the 2027 commit recently had his heart swept away by one of the Nittany Lions’ Big Ten rivals.

Over the weekend, the McKeesport (PA) running back took an official visit to UCLA, according to a report from Tracy McDannald of Rivals. Spell was in Westwood participating in a 7-on-7 tournament. His first trip to the Big Ten newcomer, it didn’t take long for the Bruins to make a strong impression on the Nittany Lions commit.

“It just took two days for them to get my heart,” Spell told McDannald. “And that’s what they got right now.”

Spell picked up his offer from UCLA in January.

Kemon Spell, a 4⭐️ running back & 2027 Penn State commit, visited UCLA for two days over the weekend and the Bruins made significant strides in the relationship.

“It just took two days for them to get my heart.”

Other schools are in pursuit, too.

📝: https://t.co/NHElvirMYp pic.twitter.com/ppAzt5YDyy

— Tracy McDannald 📎 (@Tracy_McDannald) June 10, 2025

A five-star in the latest 247Sports Composite, Spell is the No. 1 running back in the 2027 recruiting cycle. He is one of the most coveted prospects in the country, ranked No. 8 nationally by On3.

Spell locked in his commitment to Penn State football shortly after the Nittany Lions hired new running backs coach Stan Drayton. Elite programs have nevertheless continued their pursuit of the nation’s top running back. In addition to the Bruins, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and Ohio State have all extended offers to Spell since the start of the new year.

Penn State’s first commitment in the 2027 cycle, Spell is the central part of the Nittany Lions’ top-ranked recruiting class. But despite the recent love-fest on the West Coast, the state’s No. 1 prospect doesn’t appear to be swaying from his pledge any time soon.

You alr know #WEARE 🦁

— Kemon spell (@KemonJones9) June 10, 2025

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