Penn State football in the hunt for top 3 running back in 2026

The Penn State football team has positioned itself to recruit running backs at a high level. Two key factors have benefitted the Nittany Lions over recent years. The first is producing talents such as Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders, Journey Brown, Nick Singleton, and Kaytron Allen. The second factor is RB coach Ja’Juan Seider and the job he has done on the recruiting trail. Seider has now set his target on an elite 2026 recruiting class running back in Savion Hiter.

Penn State football has a stud running back committed to the 2026 recruiting class in Messiah Mickens. But two is always better than one, especially in the backfield. Look at the current roster and how much Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have had a thunder and lightning-type impact on the field.

Now, the Nittany Lions are in the running for potentially pairing Mickens with Savion Hiter who is regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2026 cycle. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Hiter is the No. 1 player in Virginia and the No. 2 RB in the 2026 class (No. 29 nationally).

The Mineral (Virginia) has confirmed with Hayes Fawcett of On3 that he is down to five schools. His list included Tennessee, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State, and Penn State.

Hiter made one trip to Happy Valley during his recruitment on March 25, 2023.

NEWS: Elite 2026 RB Savion Hiter is down to 5️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 5’11 205 RB from Mineral, VA is ranked as the No. 2 RB in ‘26 (per On3 Industry)

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/VKtLd1Mxul pic.twitter.com/3HhE07qYGV

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 22, 2024

Seider starts 2027 with a bang

Syndication: York Daily Record

Ja’Juan Seider has wasted no time securing a commitment from the 2027 recruiting class. Kemon Spell a running back from McKeesport (Pennsylvania) made his pledge to the Nittany Lions on August 2.

Over the past few weeks has received his initial recruiting rankings from 247Sports and On3. 247Sports ranked Spell as a four-star prospect. He ranks nationally as the No. 59 overall recruit and the No. 4 running back in the 2027 recruiting class.

Meanwhile, On3 has listed Spell as the No. 1 RB in the 2027 cycle. He also ranks as the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania and No. 12 player nationally. While the Nittany Lions could potentially lose Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen at the end of the 2024 season if they decide to declare for the NFL Draft, Penn State is positioned to keep churning out high-quality backs.

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